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    Home » Recipes » Salad Recipes

    Kale Salad with Cranberries, Apples, and Pecans

    Published: Jan 29, 2020 · Modified: Jan 6, 2023 · by Debra with Leave a Comment · 1713 words. About 9 minutes to read this article. · This post contains affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This kale salad with cranberries is hearty enough for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. It's a great salad for Thanksgiving or Christmas!

    Kale salad with cranberries, apples and pecans in a white bowl on a wooden surface.

    This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my links, I may make a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.

    This kale salad with cranberries and apples is full of bright flavors and it can be a real savior during the fall and winter months. We can't let the falling temperatures and waning light make us forget about how much we need healthy, hearty salads – green things, fresh things, raw things.

    As the base of our salad, kale can hang out with all kinds of additional ingredients, but let's keep it fall and include all those tasty fall things: Pecans! Apples! Cranberries! Enjoy those seasonal flavors and feel absolutely zero guilt about what you're eating!

    Jump to:
    • A Kale Salad with Cranberries is an easy, quick, and satisfying fall salad recipe!
    • Ingredients you'll need
    • How to make kale salad with cranberries - step by step instructions
    • Tips for success
    • Recipe variations and substitutions
    • When to serve a kale salad with cranberries
    • More kale recipes
    • Recipe

    A Kale Salad with Cranberries is an easy, quick, and satisfying fall salad recipe!

    • You only need 8 ingredients, including the dressing!
    • Ready in 15 minutes.
    • Full of seasonal fall and winter ingredients: kale, apples, pecans and lemon.
    • Filling enough for a light meal.
    • It's gluten free.
    • It's vegetarian, but can be made vegan if you leave out the cheese.
    Apples, lemons, pecans and dried cranberries on a wooden surface.

    Ingredients you'll need

    • Kale: Use old-fashioned curly kale, not the Tuscan or lacinato variety. We're going to tone down the texture when we massage the salad dressing into it.
    • Dried cranberries: If they don't make you think of fall, I don't know what will!
    • Pecans: Did you know that pecans in the grocery store can be up to two years old? Instead of risking that scenario, I order them from Millican Pecan, a family farm in Texas, because they are only selling the freshest pecans from the most recent harvest. They are harvested every fall and you can absolutely taste the difference!
    • Parmesan cheese: You really must use the real parmigiano reggiano cheese for this recipe. The sharp, salty, crystal-y texture makes this salad sing! Whatever you do, just DON'T use that stuff in the shaker!
    • Apples: Try a sweet red apple like Fuji or Pink Lady.
    • Lemon juice and zest: The lemon and the salt in the vinaigrette will soften the texture of the kale leaves.
    • Olive oil and salt: round out the ingredients for the lemon dressing.
    Fresh kale stalks on a wooden surface.

    How to make kale salad with cranberries - step by step instructions

    A glass bowl of lemon vinaigrette with a whisk in it. A zester and a small bowl of lemon zest sit on either side.

    Step 1: Make the lemon vinaigrette

    Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and olive oil to a small bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.

    Zest the lemon first, with a Microplane grater. If you squeeze the lemon juice out first, it will be much more difficult or impossible to get the zest off.

    A woman's hands are shown tearing kale leaves from the stem.

    Step 2: Prep and chop the kale

    PREP TIP: To remove kale leaves from the stem, grasp the leaves and fold them inward with one hand, and grasp the stem with the other hand. Pull hands away from each other at the same time to easily separate the kale leaves from their stems.

    Chopped kale on a wooden cutting board with a chef's knife.

    To slice the kale thinly, stack a few of the leaves together and roll them up. Slice very thinly down the roll with a good chef's knife, being very careful to protect your fingers. The kale will slice into nice, thin ribbons.

    Step 3: Massage the salad dressing into the kale

    Place the kale in a large bowl, add the lemon vinaigrette and massage the dressing into the kale leaves.

    A woman's hands are shown massaging kale in a large white bowl.

    Once dressing is added to the kale, take your hands and rub the kale as if you're trying to press the dressing into it. Do this for a couple of minutes, then set the massaged kale aside to rest for at least 5 minutes.

    Pecan halves in a non stick skillet sitting on a wooden surface.

    Step 4: Toast and chop the pecans

    Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat, toast the pecans. You're not really looking for color here. You just want to leave them long enough so that the oils start releasing. You'll know that when your kitchen starts smelling very pecan-y.

    Chopped pecans and a mezzaluna on a wooden cutting board.

    Once the pecans have cooled, chop them roughly. I like to use my mezzaluna for chopping nuts. You can just go back and forth so easily, it gets the job done in half the time.

    A bowl of grated parmigiano cheese sitting on an orange kitchen scale.

    Step 5: Grate the parmesan and slice the apples

    Grate your parmigiano reggiano until you have about 2 ounces. Kitchen scales are handy for more than just baking! My Escali Primo digital scale actually matches the orange ceiling I have in my kitchen! If you don't have a scale, use about ½ to ¾ cup.

    Sliced red apples on a wooden cutting board.

    Slice the apples nice and thin using a good chef's knife or a kitchen mandoline.

    A large white bowl filled with massaged kale topped with grated parmigiano cheese.

    Step 6: Add cranberries and remaining ingredients to the kale salad

    Add the parmigiano to the massaged kale and mix well.

    A large white bowl filled with kale topped with sliced apples, chopped pecans and dried cranberries.

    Add apples, pecans, and cranberries to the kale and combine to finish the salad.

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    Tips for success

    • Massaging the kale is a very important step that you should not skip! Kale is very hearty, and massaging it with something acidic like lemon juice softens it and breaks it down a bit, giving it a much nicer texture.
    • I prefer to grate the parmesan myself on a box grater. The texture and taste is much better. Pre-grated cheese can get dried out. Since there are so few ingredients here, make sure each one tastes the best that it can!
    • When toasting the pecans, you're not really looking for color. You just want to leave them long enough so that the oils start releasing. You'll know that when your kitchen starts smelling very pecan-y. 
    • Be sure to zest the lemon before squeezing the juice! I use my handy Microplane grater for this task. 
    • To slice the kale, stack the leaves, then roll them up, and use a good chef's knife to slice into thin ribbons. Be sure to protect your fingers! My Global G-2 knife is lightweight and I love the rounded, stainless steel handle because it's not bulky and works for my small hands as well as my husband's man hands! 
    • Wait until you are ready to toss the salad before you slice the apples so they don't turn brown! Do this as your last step!

    Recipe variations and substitutions

    Kale, cranberries, apples and pecans all love each other in this salad, but you can mix it up to keep things interesting!

    • Make it with Tuscan kale instead of curly kale.
    • Add a bit of honey to the salad dressing for added sweetness.
    • Swap the cranberries for dried cherries.
    • Use walnuts instead of pecans.
    • Try pears instead of apples.
    • Substitute pecorino romano for the parmesan.

    When to serve a kale salad with cranberries

    Truthfully, you can eat a kale salad with cranberries year-round, but we tend to think of it in the fall and winter. Try these ideas!

    • It's perfect as a light fall lunch.
    • It would be the star of your Thanksgiving dinner!
    • Serve alongside roast chicken or slow roasted salmon.
    • All of the fruit and nuts make this a great dish to serve at brunch!

    More kale recipes

    • This Massaged Kale Salad with Lemon-Basil Dressing recipe is adapted from the famous one at Barbuto restaurant. It makes an elegant starter.
    • For a main course and side dish in one, try my Dijon Chicken Thighs with Apples and Kale
    • You can make pesto from all kinds of things. Try Kale Pesto on pasta for a healthy swap.

    Recipe

    Kale salad with apples, pecans, and cranberries in a white bowl.

    Kale Salad with Cranberries, Apples, and Pecans

    This kale salad with cranberries will please vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Who says you can't have really good salads in the fall and winter? This is a great salad idea for Thanksgiving or Christmas!
    4.78 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Salads
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
    Keyword: kale salad with cranberries, Thanksgiving salad recipes
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 6 people
    Calories: 253kcal

    Equipment

    • chef's knife
    • cutting board
    • box grater
    • microplane grater
    • mixing bowls
    • whisk
    • kitchen scale

    Ingredients

    Lemon Vinaigrette

    • ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
    • 3 tablespoon olive oil
    • zest of one lemon
    • pinch kosher salt

    Kale Salad

    • 2 bunches curly kale
    • ¾ cup toasted chopped pecans
    • ½ cup dried cranberries
    • 2 oz freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese about ½ to ¾ cup
    • 1 sweet red apple such as pink lady or fuji
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Lemon Vinaigrette

    • Zest the lemon and add to mixing bowl.
    • Squeeze ¼ cup fresh lemon juice - from 1 - 2 lemons depending upon size - and add to bowl.
    • Add 3 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt.
    • Whisk until combined and set aside.

    Kale Salad

    • Remove kale leaves from stems. Lay them flat, stack them and roll them up. Slice into thin ribbons.
    • Pour dressing over chopped kale and massage it into the kale leaves for a couple of minutes. Allow kale to stand for at least 5 minutes so the leaves continue to soften.
    • Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat, toast the pecans. Allow them to cool slightly, then chop roughly.
    • Grate the parmigiano reggiano on a box grater and set aside.
    • Slice the apple into thin wedge slices.
    • Add the cheese to the massaged kale and mix well.
    • Add all other ingredients and serve!

    Notes

    • When toasting the pecans, you're not really looking for color. You just want to leave them long enough so that the oils start releasing. You'll know that when your kitchen starts smelling very pecan-y. 
    • Did you know that pecans on the grocery store shelf can be up to two years old? Yuck! I order mine from Millican Pecan* because they are only selling fresh pecans from the most recent harvest. The taste is overwhelmingly better. Try them*, they will blow your mind! 
    • Use REAL parmigiano reggiano and grate it yourself! You won't be disappointed. The flavor makes all the difference.
    • Be sure to zest the lemon before squeezing the juice! I use my handy Microplane grater for this task. 
    • To slice the kale, stack the leaves, then roll them up, and use a good chef's knife to slice into thin ribbons. Be sure to protect your fingers! My Global G-2 knife is lightweight and I love the rounded, stainless steel handle because it's not bulky and works for my small hands as well as my husband's man hands! 
    • Kitchen scales are useful for many things. I've used my Escali Primo digital kitchen scale for weighing loads of things from grated cheese to red potatoes.
     
    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.
    *Affiliate links. If you order from Millican Pecan through my links I may make a small commission. Thank you for supporting my blog and family farms.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 161mg | Potassium: 216mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 2255IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 158mg | Iron: 1mg

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    Hi, I'm Debra! I love to cook and eat and travel, and cook the things I eat when I travel! I'm a detail-oriented Virgo, so it's my jam to simplify recipes and break them down into easy to follow steps. I help you bring the world to your table!

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