This kale salad with cranberries is quick, easy and satisfying! It has amazing texture from the crunchy pecans and crisp apples, and the delicious lemon vinaigrette keeps it light and fresh. Serve as a side dish or on its own as a light meal.
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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!
If you love kale salad as much as I do, try my simple Massaged Kale Salad. But kale is for more than just salads! Apple Cider Chicken is a one pan meal, and how about some Kale Pesto to pack extra vegetables into a favorite sauce!
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Ingredients you'll need
- Kale: I like old-fashioned curly kale here, but you can also use Tuscan kale. 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.
- Extra virgin olive oil and salt: round out the ingredients for the lemon dressing.
How to make kale salad with cranberries
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.
Step 2: Prep and chop the kale
Separate kale leaves from the rib. You can use the rib in vegetable stock, or slice and cook it for a side dish.
PREP TIP: To remove kale leaves from the stem (rib), 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Slice the apples nice and thin using a good chef's knife or a kitchen mandoline.
Step 6: Add cranberries and remaining ingredients to the kale salad
Add the parmigiano to the massaged kale and mix well.
Add apples, pecans, and cranberries to the kale and combine to finish the salad.
Tips for kale salad with cranberries
- 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!
- Switch up the kale variety: You can make this salad with curly kale as I have done, or try Tuscan kale, also called dinosaur kale.
- Swap the dried fruit: Kale and cranberries are beautiful in a salad, but other dried fruits like cherries and apricots also work well.
- Change up the nuts or add seeds: Pecans are a classic, but walnuts or almonds are also a great choice. Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seeds would also add crunch.
- Try apple cider vinegar in the dressing: No lemons on hand? No worries! Just use apple cider vinegar instead.
- Use a different fresh fruit: Try pears in the salad instead of apples.
- Substitute a different cheese: Try pecorino romano, goat cheese or sharp cheddar.
Storage
You can slice the kale, grate the cheese, and make the salad dressing up to 3 days ahead of time. Store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
Once dressed, the salad doesn't keep well, so only make as much as you need.
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 serving suggestion ideas!
- It's perfect as a light fall lunch.
- It would be the star of your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner!
- Serve alongside roast chicken or slow roasted salmon.
- All of the fruit and nuts make this a great dish to serve at brunch!
You'll love this quick, easy and satisfying kale salad with cranberries!
- It's full of pantry staples: Dried cranberries, pecans, cheese, lemons. You probably keep most of these around the house anyway, and kale lasts a long time in the refrigerator so you can keep some at the ready.
- Great for meal prep: You can portion and prep ahead most of the ingredients in this kale salad with cranberries, so it's perfect for meal prep.
- Just a few ingredients: You only need 8 ingredients, including the ones in dressing!
- It's so quick: Ready in 15 minutes. Just a little chopping and whisking, so it's very easy prep.
- It's gluten free and vegetarian: Everyone can enjoy it! It can even be made vegan if you leave out the cheese or serve it on the side.
More salad recipes
- This Apple Fennel Salad also has a light, lemony vinaigrette and is great during fall and winter months.
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad is a crowd pleaser and perfect for potlucks!
- A Roasted Butternut Squash Salad is vegan, and gets crunch from roasting the squash seeds.
Recipe
Kale Salad with Cranberries, Apples, and Pecans
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
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.
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