Chopped Kale Apple Salad
This chopped kale apple salad is packed with all of the sweet and savory flavors of fall, including crisp but tender kale, sweet apples, dried cranberries, pecans, and cheddar cheese tossed with a tangy homemade cranberry vinaigrette dressing.
Whenever I think about fall or winter salads, it’s this one or my fall harvest salad that comes to mind. They’re both SO good!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients needed to make this tasty kale apple salad. Substitutions and variations are in the section below.
Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients with measurements.
Kale. I like to keep things easy, so I use chopped curly kale that comes in a bag. However, you can use Lacinato (Dinosaur) kale or stems of curly kale and chop it yourself. I recommend removing the stems, which are tough to chew when raw.
Apple. I recommend Gala, Honeycrisp, or Fuji, which are all sweet-crisp apples. Leave the skin on for extra fiber and color.
Pecans. Buy pecan halves and toast them in a pan for 30-40 seconds to make them more fragrant.
Sharp cheddar. Get a good quality, sharp, crumbly cheddar for this salad.
Cranberry vinaigrette. This easy, homemade dressing is a perfect way to use up leftover cranberry sauce, and it really compliments the other flavors in this salad.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use tender, baby kale instead of mature kale.
- Toasted walnuts are also delicious in this salad instead of pecans.
- Add a sprinkle of roasted sunflower seeds to the top.
- Sprinkle pomegranate arils over the top for a bright pop of color and a burst of juicy flavor.
- To make this salad vegan, omit the cheese.
- To make this kale apple salad even more hearty, add some cooked grains, like quinoa or farro.
- Instead of homemade cranberry vinaigrette, dress this salad with a good quality bottled balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Massage the kale. Put the kale in a large mixing bowl, drizzle it with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Use your hands to squeeze the kale and work the oil and salt into it. This helps tenderize the kale.
2. Add the other ingredients. Add chopped apple, cranberries, pecans, and cheddar cheese crumbles to the kale. Pour the dressing over and toss.
Expert Tips!
Make sure you massage the kale! So many people don’t like raw kale because it’s tough to chew. Working it and squeezing it with your hands for a minute or two makes a huge difference and really helps tenderize it. I also recommend (even if you use pre-chopped kale) that you remove any large pieces of stem.
Don’t add the dressing until just before serving. The salad will get soggy if you dress it too early.
What to Serve with Kale Apple Salad
Serve this delicious salad with:
- Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, along with a platter of roasted fall vegetables or a Boursin mashed potato casserole.
- Topped with pistachio-crusted salmon
- Roasted chicken
- a side of sweet potato cornbread
- Pesto eggs or egg muffin cups for breakfast
Recipe FAQs
Be cautious with kale if you take blood thinner medication. It can interact with the vitamin K in kale. You can absolutely eat kale (or other leafy greens) but you should have a consistent amount each day.
Yes, you can chop whole kale leaves a day or two in advance. Rinse them, lay the on a sheet of paper towel, and roll it up. Keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use the chopped kale.
Kale has bitter compounds that are released when you cut or chop the leaves. Although many people shy away from kale because it’s a bitter vegetable, there are health benefits associated with the bitter compounds. Namely, they help trigger the release of GLP-1 (the Ozempic hormone) from your intestine. That can help you maintain a healthy blood sugar and weight, so eat up!
Related Fall Salads
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating on the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Chopped Kale Apple Salad
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup organic cranberry sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil plus one teaspoon reserved
- 1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup toasted chopped pecans
- 4 cups stemmed kale leaves lightly packed
- 1 large sweet apple Diced. Do not skim
- 1/4 cup sweetened, dried cranberries
- 1 ounce sharp cheddar cheese (optional)
Instructions
- To make the dressing, combine the cranberry sauce, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, mustard, and salt in a blender, and blend until smooth. Taste, and add a tablespoon of water (or more) to thin, and extra salt if necessary. Set this aside.
- Spread the pecans in a skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. Toss the pecans for about 40 seconds or until fragrant. Remove them from the pan and chop the pecans roughly.
- Place the chopped, stemmed kale into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Use your hands to run the oil and salt into the kale. Squeeze and massage the kale for one to two minutes.
- Add the diced apple. cranberries, and chopped pecans to the kale. Toss lightly. Add the crumbled cheddar cheese.
- Pour the dressing as desired over the salad, and toss well to combine. Serve immediately.
This is such a gorgeous salad Anne! I’m not a crazy kale fan, but I want this!
Thanks Jessica! I go back and forth with kale, but I find if you chop it up well and mix it with some interesting flavors, it grows on you. Let me know if you try the salad!