Healthy Kale Salad Recipes

Find healthy, delicious kale salad recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna

Rating: 5 stars
1
This power salad will keep you fueled for hours, thanks to 26 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. Tossing the dressing and kale, and then letting it stand in the jar, softens it enough so you don't need to massage or cook it to make it tender.
By Katie Webster

Superfood Chopped Salad with Salmon & Creamy Garlic Dressing

Rating: 4.33 stars
3
Curly kale forms the base of this salad, but you could use chard or spinach. To the greens, add a multitude of chopped veggies, such as broccoli, cabbage and carrots. Finish with rich salmon for protein and a drizzle of creamy yogurt dressing to bring it all together.
By Carolyn Casner

Cobb Salad with Herb-Rubbed Chicken

Try this satisfying salad recipe for an updated version of the classic Cobb. Kale, feta and strawberries give this chicken salad a colorful upgrade.
By Gaby Dalkin

Baby Kale Breakfast Salad with Quinoa & Strawberries

Rating: 5 stars
1
Fruit, whole grains and greens for breakfast? Yes! Start your day off right with this breakfast salad recipe and you'll knock out half of your daily veggie quota with the first meal of the day.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Greek Kale Salad with Quinoa & Chicken

Rating: 5 stars
2
Toss the cooked chicken into this healthy 5-ingredient salad recipe while it's still warm to lightly wilt the kale, making it softer and easier to eat. Using store-bought salad dressing saves time, but you could also make your own Mediterranean vinaigrette.
By Joy Howard

Feta, Kale & Pear Salad

Rating: 4.67 stars
3
The crunchy seed topping is the perfect textural juxtaposition to a creamy dressing, soft pears and tender massaged kale salad. Tossing it all with mint, feta and red onion gives it a Middle Eastern flair.
By Cara Chigazola Tobin

Chopped Salad with Chicken & Avocado-Buttermilk Dressing

This herb-loaded green goddess-inspired dressing gets a color boost from creamy avocado. Make a double batch of this healthy salad dressing to keep on hand for salads throughout the week.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Kale & Avocado Salad with Blueberries & Edamame

Rating: 5 stars
2
Bursting with nutrient-rich produce, this California-inspired salad is a delicious and satisfying way to get your vitamins. We love the unique combination of blueberries, edamame, and goat cheese.
By Lauren Grant

Crispy Chickpea Grain Bowl with Lemon Vinaigrette

Rating: 5 stars
3
Our favorite part of these vegetarian grain bowls is the tangy lemon vinaigrette, which ties together a satisfying combo of quinoa, toasted pumpkin seeds, and roasted chickpeas and kale. Whip them up for easy meal-prep lunches or a healthy and satisfying dinner.
By Sara Haas, R.D.N., L.D.N.

Vegan Kale Caesar Salad with Tofu Croutons

Swapping tofu for the bread in these meal-prep Caesar salad bowls bumps up the satiety factor with 18 grams of protein. These crispy tofu croutons originally appeared in Lauren Grant's recipe for Diabetic Living magazine (see Associated Recipes). Lacinato kale, also known as dinosaur kale or Tuscan kale, has flat, dark green-blue leaves--and its tenderness makes it perfect for eating raw, like in this salad.
By Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Massaged Kale Salad

Rating: 4.71 stars
11
Here a pungent garlicky dressing is infused into kale by massaging the greens and the dressing together with your hands. Any type of kale will work in this kale salad recipe, just remember to remove the tough stems before you start.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Black Bean, Mango & Kale Wheat Berry Salad

Rating: 4.5 stars
2
Wheat berries give this healthy grain-salad recipe a toothsome bite. The chopped kale can be swapped for any dark leafy green, such as spinach or chard, if desired.
By Carolyn Malcoun
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Inspiration and Ideas

16 Kale Salads Perfect for Summer

16 Kale Salads Perfect for Summer
Best Caesar Salad with Crispy Parmesan

Best Caesar Salad with Crispy Parmesan
Rating: Unrated
1
For a nutrient-packed twist, this healthy Caesar salad features spinach and kale in addition to romaine. But it's the Parmesan crisps that make this salad holiday-worthy. Serve it for Thanksgiving or any other special meal.
Kale Salad with Balsamic & Parmesan

Kale Salad with Balsamic & Parmesan
Rating: Unrated
1
Mediterranean Lentil & Kale Salad

Mediterranean Lentil & Kale Salad
Lentil & Roasted Vegetable Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

Lentil & Roasted Vegetable Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
Rating: Unrated
3
Wilted Greens with Warm Apple Vinaigrette

Wilted Greens with Warm Apple Vinaigrette
Rating: Unrated
1

Healthy Detox Salad

Rating: 4.5 stars
1

Skip the cleanse and eat this instead. Packed with veggies, avocado and seeds, this healthy salad recipe is bursting with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Everything can be prepared ahead of time except the avocado. If you love beets, shred one raw and add it to the salad for extra color, crunch and flavor. Excerpted from The Dinner Plan by Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion, published by ABRAMS © 2017.

All Healthy Kale Salad Recipes

Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad

Rating: 5 stars
1
This festive holiday salad recipe features plenty of oven-roasted broccoli and cauliflower combined with massaged kale. Why massage the kale? It helps tenderize the leaves and infuses the sweet-tangy flavor of the dressing directly into the heart of this healthy winter salad.
By Marianne Williams

Massaged Kale Salad with Grapes & Cheddar

Rating: 5 stars
1
The kids participating in the California Farm to School Network who inspired this salad knew that they could make kale more tender and appealing to fellow students by massaging it first to break down tough cells in the plant. You probably won't find crumbled Cheddar at your market, but all you have to do is buy the cheese as a brick and then slice before breaking it into little chunks.
By Adapted by EatingWell Test Kitchen

Winter Cobb Salad

This seasonal twist on a traditional Cobb salad swaps in kale for lettuce and spiced butternut squash for chicken but keeps the essential avocado, blue cheese, bacon and egg.
By Adam Dolge

Grilled Flank Steak Salad with Ginger-Wasabi Dressing

Rating: 5 stars
1
This quick, healthy dinner salad recipe is ready in 40 minutes thanks to preshredded carrots and coleslaw mix. If you have leftover quinoa, skip Step 1 and use 2 cups in the salad. If you want a bigger flavor kick in the dressing, up the wasabi powder to 1 tablespoon.
By Sara Haas, R.D.N., L.D.N.

Couscous & Chickpea Salad

Cooked couscous and canned chickpeas come together in this quick lunch salad. The basil vinaigrette makes it taste anything but basic! When in season, we recommend adding fresh chopped tomatoes for a spin on tabbouleh.
By Katie Webster

Power Greens Salad with Baked Tofu & Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette

This plant-based main-dish salad packs a powerful punch of greens, nutrients and flavor. Add healthy protein with convenient baked tofu slices, which have a firm texture that is well suited to salads and sandwiches. Sprinkle on a little crunch with slivered almonds, and just a hint of tropical sweetness with unsweetened coconut. The vinaigrette rounds out the dish with tangy-sweet kick.
By Lauren Grant

Power Greens Salad with Kale & Brussels Sprouts

Rating: 4 stars
1
Hearty greens and vegetables like kale and Brussels sprouts make an excellent base for prep-ahead salads. They don't wilt after a day in the crisper, and they stand up to any number of toppings. Bonus: They're loaded with nutrients, vitamins and minerals you won't get from your basic iceberg wedge. The sweetness of dried cranberries balances the slight bitterness of the greens and scallions. Use this recipe as a starting point for healthy grab-&-go power lunch salads.
By Lauren Grant

Lemon-Lime Chicken, Kale & Mango Salad

Hazelnuts, blueberries and fresh ginger are welcome additions to this kale and chicken salad.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Asparagus & Baby Kale Caesar Salad

Traditional Caesar salad gets a nutrition and flavor boost with the addition of crisp asparagus and dark, leafy baby kale in this healthy recipe. Use arugula or mixed greens for the salad if baby kale isn't at your market.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Kale Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing

Rating: 4.5 stars
2
The lightly sweet, creamy homemade poppy seed dressing takes this crunchy salad to the next level for a mouthwatering vegetable side dish or light lunch. Top with cooked chicken for a heartier meal.
By Carolyn Casner

Baby Kale Breakfast Salad with Smoked Trout & Avocado

Kale for breakfast? Oh yeah! Start your day off right with a breakfast salad recipe full of good-for-you greens and you'll knock out half of your daily veggie quota with the first meal of the day.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Kale, Carrot & Apple Salad

Rating: 4 stars
3
Emerald-green lacinato kale is the star of this healthy kale salad, tossed with an easy maple, mustard and apple cider vinaigrette and studded with crisp apples. Toss or massage the kale with the dressing about 30 minutes before you're ready to serve. The sturdy kale leaves won't wilt from the dressing and will taste even better after they've been marinated in it.
By Mary Cleaver

Farro, Kale & Squash Salad

After a good charring in the skillet, kale stems add a tender-crisp bite and touch of smokiness to this healthy vegetarian kale salad. Feel free to use this healthy recipe as a guide; swap out the farro for any whole grain or the squash for any roasting vegetable, such as cauliflower.
By Breana Killeen

Hand-Wilted Kale Salad

Kale isgreat in salads, but some people find the leaves a bit tough. Spend just a few minutes massaging the kale in a bit of lemon juice and salt, and you--and your guests-- will enjoy a softer texture and a more gentle flavor.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Kale Salad with Cranberries

Rating: 5 stars
1
This easy holiday salad gets its flavor from a sweet citrus dressing that's infused into the kale by massaging the greens and the dressing together with your hands. We like a mix of kale for this recipe, but any type of kale will work.
By Liz Mervosh

Grilled Vegetable Salads with Goat Cheese

Prepare a week's worth of lunches in about 10 minutes using a handful of ingredients from your local specialty grocery store. To save time, we're using a bag of frozen grilled and marinated vegetables, then adding big flavor with marinated goat cheese. If you want to bump up the protein, leftover chicken breast or salmon pair perfectly with this hearty salad.
By Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Apple, Fig & Brussels Sprouts Salad

Rating: 4 stars
1
Salad dressing made from sweet and mellow white balsamic vinegar balances out the assertive greens and Brussels sprouts in this healthy winter salad. If you have one handy, a small mandoline makes it easy to slice the Brussels and apple. To make it a dinner salad, top with shrimp or chicken.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Green Machine Salad

Kale and cabbage form the base of a simple and healthy green salad. Balance the greens with a sweet-tart Granny Smith apple. Spiralizing the apple not only looks great, it's also faster and easier than chopping. Keep this salad mix in the fridge as a base for grab-and-go lunch salads.
By Lauren Grant

Hearty Kale Salad

Rating: 4.25 stars
3
A riff on the classic warm spinach-and-bacon salad, this recipe features thin ribbons of kale instead. Any variety of kale works, but flatter-leaf lacinato kale makes it extra-special.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Greens & Roots Salad with Citrus-Walnut Vinaigrette

Raw beets and turnips, you ask? Oh, yes! They're quite delicious and crunchy as long as you use small ones and slice them thin. An inexpensive mandoline makes this a quick and easy salad. Use the leftover vinaigrette to dress up simple grilled chicken, steak or shrimp.
By Steven Satterfield

Kale, Cranberry & Bulgur Salad with Turkey

You can swap in whole-wheat couscous for the bulgur in this hearty grain salad. Use up leftover turkey or chicken in this healthy salad recipe by skipping Step 3.
By Andrea Kirkland M.S., RD

Kale Salad with Preserved Lemon & Walnuts

Rating: 3.75 stars
3
In this kale salad recipe, we massage dressing into the kale leaves until they're tender and coated with flavor. Topped with bold Mediterranean flavors--olives, walnuts and preserved lemons--this healthy salad is as delicious as it is nutritious. Look for preserved lemons at specialty-foods shops or online at surlatable.com. Or, to make your own, see the recipe on eatingwell.com.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Farro Salad with Kale

In this easy vegetarian recipe, hearty kale and other fresh veggies come together with nutty farro for an easy main-dish salad. The many varieties of kale vary in color and texture; all can be enjoyed cooked or raw. You can gently rub raw kale to make it more tender--massaging will help break down the thick, sturdy leaves. Pearled or semi-pearled farro has some or all of the bran layer removed, so it cooks more quickly.
By Andrea Kirkland M.S., RD

Citrus Kale Salad

Massaging the kale is well worth the effort because the process quickly softens the leaves for a tender bite. We’ve used green curly kale here, but red kale would also give this salad a lovely appearance. For an extra burst of citrus flavor, garnish each serving with additional lemon zest.
By Andrea Kirkland
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