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You’re going to want to make this craveable kale salad again and again. Goat cheese, apples, cranberries, pine nuts, and the easiest honey lemon dressing… it’s an incredible side dish or light entree!
Update: This recipe was originally published in 2022 and has been republished with all new photos.
Confession time: I used to be a kale hater. Then a few years ago a friend brought a really yummy kale salad to a Friendsgiving dinner and my curiosity was piqued. I tiptoed into trying kale in a few dishes and now I’m a full blown kale lover. Basically I’m a changed woman.
This easy kale salad is my absolute favorite way to enjoy kale. I’ve found the key is to chop the kale small. That way you’re not left feeling like a giraffe eating leaves from the top of trees when you’re chewing. Chopping the kale means you’ll get plenty of the other flavors in each bite.
I’ve served this salad as a side with so many meals and also whipped it up for entertaining. I think it’s the perfect salad for your Thanksgiving table because of its simplicity. Kale, green apple, creamy goat cheese, dried cranberries, and crunch pine nuts. All tossed in the easiest dressing. The flavors are simple but the combination is truly unbeatable.
Ingredients for Easy Kale Salad
- Curly kale: There are a variety of different types of kale but curly kale is the kind you’ll see most often in grocery stores. It’s usually a dark green and the edges of the leaves are very wavy (or curly). It’s typically sold as a bundle of large leaves that are tied together at the stem.
- Green apple: While you can use any apple variety in this salad, I love the tartness of a green apple paired with the other ingredients.
- Goat cheese: The creamy texture and mild flavor of goat cheese is by far my cheese of choice for this salad. Other options like feta, blue cheese, or gorgonzola may look similar but they have a much stronger flavor that will change the end result of this salad.
- Dried cranberries: Dried cranberries add a hint of sweetness and a chewy texture to each bite!
- Pine nuts: Pine nuts are the the right size and crunchiness for this . You can swap for slivered almonds or pumpkin seeds if you prefer.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is the base for the quick dressing we’re making for this salad.
- Honey: Honey adds sweetness to our salad dressing.
- Lemon juice: A little lemon juice adds a bright flavor to the dressing.
- Salt and pepper: Salt and black pepper bring out the flavors of the salad ingredients.
Do You Need to Massage the Kale in This Salad?
Often times people will recommend massaging the kale with a little olive oil or lemon juice. This is an optional step that can soften the leaves and tone down the bitterness. Because we’re using a sweet dressing and chopping the leaves into bite-sized pieces I’ve found that massaging the kale is an unnecessary step in this particular recipe.
Having said that, you can definitely massage the kale if you’d like! Simply add one teaspoon of the olive oil to the chopped kale before adding the other ingredients. Use your hands to gently scrunch the leaves until they’re a little softer. Then add in all other ingredients including the remaining olive oil.
Ways to Customize This Salad
- Raisins are a great alternative to dried cranberries.
- Almonds, walnuts, or sunflower seeds would be fantastic for crunch if you don’t have pine nuts.
- I strongly prefer goat cheese in this salad but if you need a swap feta is your best bet.
- You’ll love diced pear in this salad instead of apple.
- Looking to make this salad an entree? Add chicken or steak!
How to Serve This Kale Salad
This gorgeous salad goes with anything! It’s a delicious side salad I enjoy for the holidays. I love it for Thanksgiving in particular because it’s so simple!
To make this salad an entree simply top it with grilled chicken or steak.
More salad recipes:
Easy Kale Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing
Ingredients
- 6 cups curly kale, packed and chopped
- 1 medium or large green apple, diced
- 3 ounces goat cheese
- â…“ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- salt and pepper to taste
Lemon dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Rinse the kale leaves and dry with a paper towel. Cut the kale leaves from the tough stems. Discard the stems. Use a knife to chop the kale into bite-sized pieces. Measure the kale to ensure you have enough. You'll want 6 cups of packed chopped kale. Place the chopped kale in a large salad bowl.
- Add the diced apple, crumbled goat cheese, dried cranberies, and pine nuts.
- In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, honey, and lemon juice. Pour the dressing over the other salad ingredients and stir to mix. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.
- Serve immediately, or for better flavor, refrigerate the salad for 20 to 30 minutes before eating. The dressing will absorb more into the kale during that time. Give the salad a good stir before serving so your dressing isn't settled at the bottom.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This salad did not disappoint! Â Usually kale is slightly bitter but not with this dressing. Â I did let it sit in the fridge for about 15 minutes and it was not bitter at all. Great recipe!
Yes!!!! This is highest praise indeed for kale! Thank you, Gerri!
Made this with your air fryer chicken breast. Both the kale salad and chicken breast were the best!!!!  The lemon honey dressing was especially delicious haha I went back and made a double batch🥰  the chicken was so juicy and I loved the seasonings. Thank you for a fast delicious dinner idea. Will be making on the regular!!
This salad is delicious!!  The dressing is the perfect mix of sweet and tangy!  I subbed feta for goat cheese because I’m not a fan, and it was so satisfying. Could easily be an entree with some grilled chicken. Thanks for a wonderful recipe, Christina!
Yay!!!! We’ve eaten so much of this salad lately! Thank you, Lisa!