Green, lush, and healthy KALE SALAD with broccoli, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, dried cranberries, and pumpkin seeds tossed in a creamy homemade Poppy Seed Dressing. A bowl of superfood you’ll enjoy even if you’re not a vegan. Healthy, delicious, and a quick fix for lunch or even dinner!
As an all-around gal, all I want to do after a tiring day is to eat a healthy bowl of salad and one of the healthiest salads out there uses kale. I know what you’re thinking, “But Imma, that just tastes like grass.” Lol 😂. Not this one dear! Coz this Kale Salad recipe is packed with flavors and nutrients that taste just like a rainbow.
Help your body be the best it could be and, at the same time, relax with every bite. And before you know it, you would have already eaten the entire bowl of salad all by yourself. It is THAT good!
Is Kale Good For You?
Well, oh YES! This superfood is packed with different nutrients from Vitamins A and C, to iron, calcium, and protein… yes protein! So to all vegan (or not) out there, here’s something you should try.
Another fun fact about this leafy green is that it doesn’t shrink much, or at all when cooked. Kale is part of the cabbage family. No wonder it’s so crunchy. Try to eat this veggie moderately because consuming too much might mess up your thyroid from all the progoitrin, a compound that can interfere with thyroid hormone. But as long as you’re not following any restrictive diets, you would be alright.
Although Kale has recently been on the superfood trend, it actually dates back to more than 2,000 years ago. It is believed to have originated from the eastern Mediterranean or Asia Minor (most of the modern-day turkey). If we go farther back, there existed a flat-leaved variety in Greece. Today, we visually see kale as a curly-leaved plant of different colors and sizes.
How to Prepare Kale for Salad?
Making this salad is easy, peasy. The first step in making this easy Kale Salad is to wash all the ingredients. Make sure to clean the vegetables thoroughly so that you won’t accidentally ingest any pesticide used on the farm. This step is also crucial to any salad recipe.
Now that everything is clean, you’ve probably asked yourself how do you soften kale for salads.
First is to identify the hard stems from the plant and pull it out, we only need the green leafy parts. You can do this by folding the leaves inward and simply cutting out the hard stem. Now, if you’re using tough kale, just place the leaves into a large mixing or salad bowl, then add a tablespoon of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt. Mix them all together gently with your hands to soften them or until the leaves are dark. Trust me, this massaged kale salad process goes a long way!
Once finished, cut the leafy parts of the kale into small thin pieces. Add the rest of the ingredients into the salad bowl and pour over your favorite kale salad dressing (I personally love my Poppyseed Salad Dressing for this). Finally, toss to fully combine.
Kale Salad Recipe Variations
Just like any salad recipes, you can add whatever rocks your boat to make this salad extra inviting. It’s also a great recipe when cleaning up your fridge. Aside from what’s listed in the recipe box, you may also add these ones to add more pop of color and texture.
- shredded carrots
- sliced almonds
- cheese (cheddar, parmesan, goat or feta cheese)
- thinly sliced radishes
- bite-sized apple pieces
- homemade croutons
- chickpeas
- olives
- bell peppers
- diced cucumbers
- bacon bits (see my Oven Baked Bacon HERE)
- halved cherry or grape tomatoes
What to Serve with Kale Salad?
This Kale Salad is not only a fantastic healthy lunch but also a great side dish with all sorts of dinner recipes. Actually, this goes well with just about anything! Here are a few recipes that you can pair it with.
More Easy Salad Recipes
Oh, I know just how much you love your salad during this summer season. So here are other easy salads for lunch or dinner that you can explore.
How To Make Kale Salad
Identify the tough stems on the kale. then pull the kale leaves from the stems. Alternatively, you can also perform this task by folding each leaf in half with the topside of the green folded inward. Cut along the stem and discard the stem. Then thinly slice kale into small pieces. If using tough kale, place the leaves into a large mixing or salad bowl, then add a tablespoon of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt. Mix the kale gently with your hands to soften them or until the leaves are dark. Add both cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli slaw, cranberries, and pumpkin seeds.
Pour poppyseed dressing over salad and toss to fully combine salad with dressing. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator, until ready to be served.
Watch How To Make It
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Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups firmly packed shredded kale , finely chopped
- 1 cup cups cabbage , thinly sliced
- 1 cup purple cabbage , sliced
- 2 cups broccoli slaw
- 2 cups shredded Brussels sprouts
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- Poppy Seed Dressing
Instructions
- Identify the tough stems on the kale. then pull the kale leaves from the stems. Alternatively, you can also perform this task by folding each leaf in half with topside of the green folded inward. Cut along the stem and discard the stem. Then thinly slice kale into small pieces.
- If using tough kale, place the leaves into a large mixing or salad bowl, then add a tablespoon of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt. Mix the kale gently with your hands to soften them or until the leaves are dark.
- Add cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli slaw, cranberries, and pumpkin seeds.
- Pour poppy seed dressing over salad and toss to fully combine salad with dressing.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator, until ready to be served.
Tips & Notes:
- If you plan on making a day ahead you can still keep it fresh. Just keep it in a cold dry area in your fridge covered with a plastic wrap. Any leftover Kale Salad would in your fridge for 2-3 days although a little more wilted than ideal.
- Want to make it a full meal on its own? Add cooked proteins like chicken and shrimp.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Wendy says
Hola Imma; Kale tiene muchos beneficios para la salud, “la odio “,pero la como en temporada. Intento comer siempre las frutas y verduras de temporada y ahora no lo és. Kale,repollo,coles de Bruselas, coliflor etc etc son verduras de invierno,ahora las cultivan de forma artificial, así es que no creo sea bueno para nuestro organismo, ahora es tiempo de tomate, así es que a comer tomate, tomate, tomate ja ja ja ja. Mucho Gazpacho (todos los días) creo que los españoles no sabemos vivir en verano sin Gazpacho ja ja ja ja
Sería para mí, un honor darte mi receta. La quieres?. Cuídate mucho preciosa. Besitos
Steve Loftus says
Hi,I love reading your recipes that I’ve not experienced or seen before. Do you have a recipe for broccoli slaw as this is also new to me
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Steve. Check out my broccoli salad recipe here. https://www.africanbites.com/broccoli-salad/ Enjoy!