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This mouthwatering kale salad recipe is made with lemon dressing, chickpeas, avocado, Parmesan, and nuts. It's sweet, savory, tender, and crunchy!
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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 create enticing flavors and textures that excite every corner of the palate.
"The dressing is drinkable," said a happy reader in the comments below. She's referring to the zesty lemon dressing with simple ingredients made in a flash. It's citrusy with a hint of sweet.
You'll crave the flavors and textures once you eat kale salad with simple ingredients like chickpeas, avocado, Parmesan, and nuts. 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 - You'll notice in my photos how voluminous curly kale is. Of course, Lacinato kale, or dinosaur kale, is equally popular for its flavor, texture, and dark green color. Both are widely available.
- Lemon juice - Use the juice and zest from a fresh lemon or bottled juice.
- Maple syrup - Adds a hint of sweet flavor to the dressing. Another 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.
Do you cook kale for kale salad?
No. The benefit of using raw kale for salad is that it doesn't lose vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that occur during cooking.
How to soften kale for salad
Raw kale is naturally tough and chewy, so massaging tenderizes it, making it palatable and enjoyable. To do this, remove kale stems or finely chop them, 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 with dry kale, but it tends to fall apart due to friction. Also, you want this dressing in every single crevice.
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.
First, make kale salad dressing by whisking lemon dressing ingredients until creamy. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Next, wash and dry kale thoroughly and remove stems. If using stems, chop them into small pieces and add them to the salad. Add the lemon dressing and massage the kale with your hands until it softens and the leaves are fully coated with the dressing.
Add toppings such as 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.
How to store kale salad
To store, refrigerate leftover kale salad in an airtight container up to 24 hours. To make ahead, you can prep and store fresh components separately for up to 5 days and assemble the salad before serving. The lemon dressing can last a week or more in the refrigerator.
Recipe tips
- Use any kale variety for this salad. I prefer curly kale or Lacinato (dino) kale for volume and availability.
- Feel free to use the kale stems or discard them. If using stems, chop them into small pieces and add to the salad.
- Since avocado turns brown from air exposure, it's best to prep and add it before serving. The acidic lemon dressing will help but won't prevent discoloration.
- To save time, prep kale salad components a few days ahead and store them separately in airtight containers.
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, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, or other favorites.
- Use any variety of nuts, such as cashews, macadamia, or pistachios
- Add seeds, such as pepitas, hemp hearts, chia seeds, for more flavor, texture, and nutrition.
- Fresh fruit such as apples, oranges, strawberries, blueberries, figs, or pomegranates will add another layer of thirst-quenching flavor.
- Top this salad with homemade croutons or serve with crostini for the perfect crunch.
What to serve with kale salad
What goes well with kale salad? Everything. It's a simple salad that, of course, stands on its own. But it can be served to accompany any number of dinner recipes. Here are some ideas.
Seafood: A healthy fish entree always pairs nicely with kale salad. We love it with Air Fryer Cod, 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 Pasta with Pesto 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 homemade French Bread or this No-Knead Focaccia Bread.
More healthy salad recipes
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Asian Slaw with Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Vegetable Quinoa Salad
- Strawberry Salad Recipe
📖 Recipe
Lemon Kale Salad Recipe
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Video
Note about scaling
When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.
Ingredients
- ½ pound Kale, (about 8 cups chopped)
- 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
Recommended mix-ins (these are included in the nutrition data below)
- 1 (15-ounce can) Chickpeas (drained), or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- ½ large Avocado, pitted and diced
- ¼ cup Walnuts, chopped
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- To prepare KALE, rinse, pat dry, and chop or tear into pieces. *See footnote about stems. Cover and refrigerate.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together LEMON JUICE, LEMON ZEST, MAPLE SYRUP, DIJON, GARLIC, SALT, and PEPPER until well-combined. Slowly drizzle in OLIVE OIL, whisking continuously to create a creamy dressing. Cover and refrigerate.Note: Alternatively, you can add these dressing ingredients to a covered mason jar and shake to combine.
- To serve, pour dressing over kale and firmly massage a few minutes until the leaves are soft and all surfaces are well-coated.Note: This is a crucial step in tenderizing the kale. Alternatively, you can use a small amount of salt instead of the dressing when massaging the kale.
- Add recommended mix-ins including CHICKPEAS, AVOCADO, WALNUTS, and PARMESAN CHEESE, along with any other desired ingredients. Toss and serve.
Recipe Notes
- Use any kale variety for this salad. I prefer curly kale or Lacinato (dino) kale for volume and availability.
- Feel free to use the kale stems or discard them. If using stems, chop into small pieces and add to the salad.
- Since avocado turns brown from air exposure, it's best to prep and add it right before serving. The acidic lemon dressing will certainly help, but it won't prevent discoloration.
- I recommend serving this salad within a few hours after dressing and massaging for optimal texture.
- To save time, prep kale salad components a few days ahead and store separately.
- Check out the recipe variations too!
Equipment
- paper towels or flour sack towel
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.
Laura says
Curious why you have the dressing on the side and then use it to tenderize the kale? Couldn't we dress the salad and use the acidity of the lemon juice to soften it while it sits?
Traci says
Hi Laura, it's my experience that dressing kale, even in advance, doesn't soften the kale in the same way as massaging it. One it's massaged, I recommend enjoying kale salad within a few hours. Let me know if you have anymore questions. Thanks and enjoy!
Tia says
Excellent recipe! Straightforward, simple, versatile, and delicious. It's a great base kale salad for me to go crazy with my own toppings, but I also love the suggested toppings. The lemon dressing is bomb!
Emily says
Great salad, though the recipe misses out the Parmesan from the steps. I assumed it should be added with the chickpeas and other toppings.
Traci says
Hello, you are right! Thanks for noticing and taking the time to let me know. I fixed it and included a few recipe tips that I hope you'll find helpful. Check it out and enjoy!! 🙂
Michelle says
I think maybe I'm just not a kale salad person. The dressing was good but not drinkable imo. I think tomorrow I'll let the kale soak up the dressing for a few hours before I eat it again. See if I like it better that way.
Traci says
Hiya, the dressing is a standard lemon vinaigrette, but I do recommend massaging the kale with it really well to tenderize the kale and remove the bitterness. I believe that will take you further than soaking – and if kale salad just isn't for you, no worries. Let me know if I can help you any other way. Thanks! 🙂
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! 🙂