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Overhead shot of a bowl of kale salad with a bowl of dressing in the top left and green apples in the top right

Favorite Kale Salad

My Favorite Kale Salad is the perfect marriage of crunch, assortment of textures, sweetness, tartness, savoriness, and everything that makes a salad completely crave-worthy. A mixture of kale and spring greens, nutty quinoa, toasted almonds, sweet & chewy dates, salty feta, punchy red onion, tart apples, chickpeas, and the best champagne maple dijon vinaigrette makes this salad worthy of the "favorite" title!

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main, Main Course, Salad, Salad Dressing
Cuisine Gluten Free, Healthy
Keyword easy kale salad, hearty kale salad, kale salad, winter kale salad
Prep Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Author Molly | Spices in My DNA

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 1 medium bundle curly kale, de-stemmed and chopped (about 5-6 cups)
  • 3-4 cups spring greens or arugula
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 5-6 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta
  • 1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • 1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 of a medium red onion, very thinly sliced
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the champagne maple dijon vinaigrette

  • 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Begin by making the vinaigrette. Add all ingredients to a jar fitted with a lid, in the order listed. Shake vigorously until the vinaigrette comes together. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired.

  2. Toast the almonds. In a dry skillet over medium-low heat, add the almonds and toast, watching carefully, shimmying the pan frequently, until golden brown. Add to a small bowl and set aside.

  3. Add the kale to a large mixing bowl. Add a few tablespoons of the dressing along with a good pinch of salt and a few cranks of black pepper. Massage the dressing into the kale, until the leaves become softer and reduced in volume.

  4. Add the spring greens to the kale and toss. Add the quinoa, chickpeas, dates, feta, toasted almonds, apple, red onion, desired amount of vinaigrette, a couple pinches of salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Toss to combine. Serve with extra vinaigrette.