Mouthwatering kale salad recipe with zesty lemon dressing, chickpeas, avocado, Parmesan, and nuts. It's sweet, savory, tender, and crunchy!
Why you'll love this kale salad recipe
- It's so good, it changes minds about eating fresh kale.
- The mouthwatering lemon dressing is quick, easy, and unforgettable.
- It's loaded with nutritious ingredients and super crave worthy.
This is the kale salad recipe that makes people actually love kale salad. A simple massaging technique makes the kale super tender. The added ingredients seal the deal with big flavor and texture.
"The dressing is drinkable" said a happy reader in the comments section below. She's referring to the zesty lemon dressing with simple ingredients that's made in a flash. It's citrusy with a hint of sweet.
Once you eat kale salad with such simple ingredients like chickpeas, avocado, Parmesan, and nuts, you'll find yourself craving the flavors and textures. Of course, you can customize the ingredients to your heart's content, but people often love it exactly as it is.
Ingredient notes
See the complete list of topping ideas below!
- fresh kale - Lacinato kale or curly kale are widely available at most grocery stores.
- lemon juice - Use the juice and zest from a fresh lemon or bottled lemon juice.
- maple syrup - Adds a hint of sweet flavor to the dressing. Other liquid sweetener can be used.
- Dijon - Adds a hint of spice and acts as a binder for the lemon dressing.
- fresh garlic - Adds a bold, savory flavor to the dressing.
- salt and pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- chickpeas - use canned chickpeas, roasted chickpeas, or cooked beans from scratch for more volume and savings
- avocado - Adds flavor, texture, and monounsaturated fat to this salad.
- Parmesan cheese - Adds delicious saltiness and a hint of sweetness to the flavor combination.
- walnuts - These add a meaty texture and savory flavor to this salad.
How to soften kale for salad
Raw kale is naturally tough and chewy, so massaging tenderizes it, which is what makes it palatable and enjoyable. To do this, remove kale stems, then rinse and dry the leaves. Add dressing to the kale and massage with bare hands until the leaves are soft, pliable, and well-coated. You can do this without dressing, but the kale tends to fall apart due to friction.
How to make kale salad
This salad is quick to prepare and can be enjoyed as an entree or side salad. You'll find the full ingredients and instructions in the recipe card below.
1. Make kale salad dressing - Whisk lemon dressing ingredients until creamy. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Prep kale - Wash and dry kale thoroughly, and remove stems. Add lemon dressing and massage the kale with your hands until the texture softens and leaves are fully coated with the dressing.
3. Add toppings - Add diced avocado, chickpeas, and other ingredients as desired. As you can see, I added Parmesan cheese and chopped walnuts. Gently toss together using salad tongs and serve.
Storage recommendation
To store, refrigerate leftover kale salad in an airtight container up to 24 hours. Alternatively, you can store the separate, fresh components for this salad up to 5 days and assemble just before serving. The lemon dressing can last a week or more in the refrigerator.
Recipe tips
Use any kale variety for this salad. As you can see in my photos, I used curly kale for this recipe. It's widely available and adds a lot of volume to kale salad. Lacinato, aka dinosaur kale, is another popular kale variety that I also love for it's flavor, texture, and dark green color.
Save time and prepare kale up to 5 days ahead. Simply remove stems, rinse, dry, and refrigerate kale wrapped in a paper towel in an airtight container until ready to use.
When preparing kale for this salad, you can use the kale stems or discard them. If using stems, chop into small pieces and add to the salad.
Add avocado immediately before serving because it can turn brown in the refrigerator once opened and exposed to air.
Recipe variations
Turn this salad into an entree by adding chicken, shrimp, pork, beef, or bacon. Meat substitutes are always welcome too!
Add fresh vegetables such as bell peppers, onions, snap peas, radish, broccoli, cauliflower, or other favorites.
Substitute walnuts with any nut of choice. Also, consider adding seeds like pepitas, hemp hearts, chia seeds for more flavor, texture, and nutrition.
Fresh fruit such as apples, oranges, strawberries, blueberries, figs, or pomegranate will add another layer of thirst-quenching flavor.
Top this salad with homemade croutons or a few pieces of homemade crostini for the perfect crunch.
Serving recommendations
If you want to know what goes well with kale salad, the answer is – everything. It's such a simple salad that it stands on it's own or can be served to accompany any number of dinner recipes. Here's are some ideas.
Seafood: A healthy fish entree always pairs nicely with kale salad. We love it with Garlic Butter Grilled Salmon, 10-minute Broiled Salmon, or Pan-Seared Chilean Sea Bass.
Pasta: Serve this salad with our favorite pasta recipes like Instant Pot Spaghetti & Meat Sauce, Chicken Alfredo, Chicken Penne Alla Vodka, or the famous Baked Feta Pasta Recipe.
Chicken or Pork: This salad is versatile enough to be served with Chicken Breast in Air Fryer, Pan Fried Pork Chops, Baked Chicken Drumsticks, or Italian Sausage and Peppers Skillet.
Bread: Kale salad is always a win with a side of homemade French Bread.
More healthy salad recipes
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Asian Slaw with Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Vegetable Quinoa Salad
- Strawberry Salad Recipe
Frequently asked questions
Yes, but most kale varieties should be massaged to soften the leaves, which makes them enjoyable to eat in salads.
Massaging kale softens it, which helps it taste better. Add other ingredients to balance the flavors of sweet, salty, and savory, along with ingredients that create crunchy and creamy textures.
No. In fact, the benefit of using raw kale is that it doesn't lose vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that occurs during cooking.
Once this salad is dressed, it can be enjoyed immediately and up to 24 hours. If kale salad isn't dressed or tossed, it can last several days in the refrigerator.
Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing
INGREDIENTS
- ½ pound Kale, chopped (about 8 cups)
- 1 Lemon, zested and juiced (or ¼ cup lemon juice)
- 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup, or other liquid sweetener
- 1 teaspoon Dijon
- 1 clove Garlic, grated on microplane
- ⅛ teaspoon Sea Salt, or more as needed
- 1 pinch Black Pepper
- ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 (15-ounce can) Chickpeas, rinsed and drained (same as 1 ½ cups cooked)
- ½ large Avocado, pitted and diced
- ¼ cup Walnuts, chopped
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- To prepare KALE, remove and discard stems, rinse, and remove excess moisture with an absorbent towel. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk LEMON JUICE, LEMON ZEST, MAPLE SYRUP, DIJON, GARLIC, SALT, and PEPPER until well-combined.
- To make the dressing, continue whisking and drizzle in OLIVE OIL until the mixture emulsifies into a creamy texture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- To serve, add dressing to kale and firmly massage a few minutes until the leaves soften and all surfaces are well-coated.
- Add CHICKPEAS, AVOCADO, WALNUTS, and any optional ingredients. Toss and serve.
RECIPE VIDEO
NUTRITION
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
Jamie says
Super delish! Actually printed this one, incase we have a solar flare one day! ha! That good! Thank you for sharing.
Traci says
Lol that's such a compliment 🙂 Thank you for letting me know you're enjoying this one – much appreciated! oxo
Lisalen says
Really good recipe, quick and tasty. I added Trader Joe's marinated chick peas and some feta. On my second serving tomorrow, I will definitely add something crunchy, I think it could use a little more texture. Thanks!
Traci says
Yay! Glad you're enjoying it 🙂 Yes, I purposely made this one a blank slate so it could be customized for add-ins. Knock yourself out 🙂 I love toasted walnuts in mine. Thanks for the input. Enjoy!
Alli says
This dressing is DRINKABLE. I will make it again and again. Thank you!! And thank you for a delicious recipe base. I added shredded rotisserie chicken, vegan parmesan, pine nuts and pickled red onion. Also toasted my chickpeas with a little avocado oil, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.
The Kitchen Girl says
Drinkable dressing is quite the compliment...thanks! So glad you love this salad and are turning it into a meal. Yay!
Mark says
I think it’s so much easier , efficient and less messy to “massage” kale prior to making the salad and then trying to massage it.
Simply strip the leaves from the stem and roll them between your palms and you can feel them go limp. Simple. Easy, fast.
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks, Mark! I've always loved massaging the dressing into the kale, but your idea is a great alternative for anyone who doesn't want to get their hands messy.
Natalie says
This is just SO good. I love kale salad and this one is so fresh and light. I may add a touch more salt next time and perhaps a bit more garlic...I always find that adding beans to a salad mutes the salt quite a bit, so a few more twists of the sea salt it shall be!!
Great recipe, thanks!!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay Natalie! So glad you're enjoying the recipe. Kale salad is super versatile, so feel free to dial it in to your heart's content 🙂 Thanks for the review ... much appreciated!
Cathy Harrison says
The first time I made this I served it to friends and the 3 of of us loved. I will make this often. I love kale and the lemony dressing was wonderful. I made the recipe just like it was presented. Thank you.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! So glad you loved it 🙂 This salad is one of my favs! Thanks so much for the feedback 🙂
Kootie says
Tried this last night and it was great! Loved that is was easy to make!
Tessa says
This is the best kale salad I've ever tried. My husband, once a meat and potatoes guy, now requests this salad weekly. I definitely find that massaging the kale with the lemon dressing before adding other ingredients makes the kale a bit softer to chew. I did embellish this salad by adding toasted walnuts, crispy fried thick bacon chunks, crisp persian cucumbers, and Point Reyes Bay Blue Cheese. However, I believe this salad is wonderful without all the extras. Really great taste! Thanks so much for the great recipe Traci!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome Tessa! You totally GET me and I love your add-ins!!! Thanks SO much for letting me know how it's working for you...and that you got the husband hooked ❤️ Day made!
Courtney | Love & Good Stuff says
I loved this salad! It was so fresh and flavourful, and easy to make as it calls for ingredients I always have on hand. We will be having this again!
Traci Antonovich says
Yay Courtney! So glad you enjoyed it...def a fav over here too! 🙂
EP says
This was really great! We’re not big kale eaters in our house and this recipe just might get me purchasing it a bit more often. It’s going to be a new go-to lunch item for me since I can make it before and it holds up, is easy, and I like it. Thanks for sharing.
Traci Antonovich says
Hey thanks EP...this really makes my day! I love this salad, but I love it even more when it works so well for someone else's routine. Thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Gina M Lang says
This is so tasty! I made it exactly as the recipe only I added diced grape tomatoes! Great lunch! I am newly vegetarian so your recipe helped me a lot! Thanks for the inspiration. gi
Traci Antonovich says
Awesome Gina! I left the recipe super plain just so people could do add-ins, so go crazy with that 😉 and thanks for the feedback!
Kristin says
I'd like to make this in advance for lunches. Do you suggest I wait to put the dressing on? I'd prefer to put it on the night before so I don't have to make a mess massaging the kale at work. Let me know what you think!
Traci Antonovich says
Hi Kristen, thanks for asking. You can massage the kale with the dressing the night before..no prob. You might want to wait to cut the avocado on the day you're eating the salad to prevent browning. The dressing does have plenty of lemon though, which should help keep the avocado from browning. Hope that helps, and hope you love the salad like I do 🙂
Sarita says
Perfect recipe, even my 2 year old enjoyed it, thank you!
Traci Antonovich says
No way, Sarita...that's so cool! I love it when reader's kids endorse my recipes. Makes my day and thanks for taking the time to let me know. I appreciate it! 🙂
Elle F. says
Just made this salad and paired it with baked chicken. Delicious!
Traci Antonovich says
Yes! LOVE to hear it! I'm so glad you found the recipe...sounds perfect with baked chicken 🙂 Thanks so much for dropping by!
Heather says
I do not eat added oils, would it be okay to leave it out? Maybe use the aquafaba from the garbanzos
Traci Antonovich says
Hey Heather, that's a pretty interesting idea to use aquafaba in place of the oil. If you try it, please come back and let me know how it turns out 🙂
Sophie says
Nice Post..
Thanks for shring these healthy and delicious recipes cooking Ideas with us.
Traci Antonovich says
Of course, Sophie...glad you're enjoying having them 🙂
Heidi Dutter says
I tried this today and added tomatoes and feta cheese. I used half of a 12 oz bag of Kale and that was plenty. I was Delicious!
Traci Antonovich says
Awesome Heidi! Yes, tomatoes and feta sound great! I kept this recipe super basic so people could add in their favorite ingredients. So glad you like it and thanks for stopping by!
Nancy Andres says
Love the recipe and pics. I make a massaged kale salad, but let the flavors meld together for a few hours before eating. I find the kale is easier to chew. I pinned this and will be trying it your way down the road.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Nancy! I'm on board with waiting a few hours...although, it's hard to wait b/c I usually grab a fork and dig right in 😉
Joanne says
This recipe looks awesome. Does the avacadobturn brown or can you refrigerate it for a couple days?
Traci Antonovich says
Hi Joanne, thanks for asking. It's very possible it may turn brown, but there is a lot of lemon in it, which should slow it down. I'm not quite sure if that prevents it entirely...esp over a couple days. Looks like some testing is in order. I'll have to include that in the recipe notes next time I make it 🙂
JM says
I love every ingredient in this, but I did not love the salad. I’m not sure why, but the kale was very tough. I did remove the tough stems and did massage in the dressing. I even left in the refrigerator for a few hours hoping it would wilt a little. If anyone has any suggestions I will happily try it again.
Traci Antonovich says
Well darn JM...not sure what could have gone south for you. It might be that you didn't massage it enough. You have to really beat it up with your hands to get it to soften...like, to the point of it feeling unnatural LOL. It might also be that kale, even when softened, isn't your preferred texture for salad greens. Hope this helps...let me know if you have more questions or decide to try it again 🙂
DK says
I have only ever made this with dino kale and we really like it. I actually crave it at times. That being said I am not the biggest kale fan so the discovery of the dino kale was revolutionary to me as it seems less bitter. When I first found this recipe here it called for 2 cups of sliced dino kale. I see it has been adjusted a little, but I have never tried the way it is listed now.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks for weighing in, DK 🙂 I'm with you on the dino kale...it's just so much easier to get used to when you're starting out. You're right that the recipe has been adjusted. It's mostly because, once massaged, the kale shrinks down so much that it felt more like an avocado salad with a few strands of kale LOL, so I adjusted it. Always up to the person making it though 🙂
Jenny says
I made this tonight as a side salad with lamb chops. It’s great, tasty, fresh, easy. I added chopped egg! Thank you for this recipe!
Traci Antonovich says
Yay! So glad you liked it Jenny...and thanks for stopping by to let me know. Day made! 🙂