Kale Salad with Apples is a kid-friendly healthy salad recipe! Crunchy sweet apples balance out the harsh flavor of the kale.

Tossed with a sweet vinaigrette, this Gluten Free Kale Salad with Apples is simply delicious!

This is an amazing kale salad.

Yup, I said that…my family originally thought I was crazy! Honestly, I owe this all of this kale love to Chef Lopez at California Cafe in Los Gatos, CA. (Sadly, California Cafe closed a couple of months ago. This was a wonderful place to dine when you are eating gluten free.)

This is the first kale salad that my family will eat. My kids went nuts over this salad, and they HATE kale!! I think it’s because the apples add a bit of sweetness to balance out the slight bitterness of the kale.

You can enjoy this salad as a side dish, or toss in some grilled shrimp or chicken for a delicious light meal.

This easy kale salad recipe has romaine lettuce, kale, apples, and raisins…feel free to add other fruits, the dressing really works with the different flavors.

(*If you love apples as much as I do, try out some of my favorite gluten free apple recipes!)

How to Use Kale

I love how healthy kale is, but my kids HATE when I cook it. Using raw kale in recipes can be challenging, but there are MANY ways to use kale beyond a healthy salad.

Make a batch of fresh kale pesto
Incorporate some raw kale into a healthy smoothie
Toss a handful of kale into your favorite soup or stew recipe.
Season the kale with your favorite spices and create oven-baked kale chips
Place several leaves of raw kale under a cooked fish filet for a pretty and delicious presentation

In addition to finding a recipe to make with lactino kale (Tuscan kale), it helps if you know how to prepare kale properly.

How to Prepare Kale for Cooking

One tip I must share from Chef Lopez is to massage your kale. It softens the kale leaves and I know this sounds weird, but it reduces the bitterness a bit as well.

Another great tip to making kale taste good is to make sure you remove the vein that goes down the middle of the leaves. This is where the bitter flavor comes from, so try to remove as much as you can.

Let me know what you think of this salad recipe. 🙂

How to make Kale Salad with Apples:

Mix up the dressing ingredients.

Pour the dressing into the salad ingredients. Mix and allow to sit for 10 minutes so the flavors can blend together.

More Delicious Salad Recipes To Try:

California Cafe's Gluten Free Kale Salad with Apples

Name: California Cafe's Gluten Free Kale Salad with Apples
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 8 people
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons lemon juice; 2 tablespoons avocado oil; 1 teaspoon dijon mustard; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 bunch kale, stems removed and massaged; 2 apples, chopped; 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped; 1/4 cup raisins; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 1 tablespoon chopped basil

Yield: 8 people

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Kale Salad with Apples is a kid friendly healthy salad recipe! Crunchy sweet apples balance out the harsh flavor of the kale. Tossed with a sweet vinaigrette, this Gluten Free Kale Salad with Apples is simply delicious!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch kale, stems removed and massaged
2 apples, chopped
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped basil

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix lemon juice, avocado oil, vinegar, dijan, basil, and garlic. Whisk and allow to sit.
In a large salad bowl, add all salad ingredients.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Allow to sit for 10 minutes for flavors to blend.