Healthy Kale Salad Recipes

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

Staff Picks

Sweet Potato, Kale & Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing

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These hearty kale salads hold up well for 4 days, making them perfect for meal-prep lunches. To keep the ingredients from getting soggy, dress this salad and top it with peanuts just before serving. For a delicious vegan option, swap in roasted tofu for the chicken breast (see Associated Recipes).
By Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Superfood Chopped Salad with Salmon & Creamy Garlic Dressing

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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

Massaged Kale Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Beans

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Loaded with roasted sweet potatoes and shallots, black beans, quinoa, feta and pepitas, this salad makes for a satisfying meatless meal.
By Hilary Meyer

Eat-the-Rainbow Chopped Salad with Basil & Mozzarella

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This fresh and colorful salad has all of the delicious flavors you love from the classic caprese salad, plus even more healthy veggies. Double this and top each portion with 3 ounces grilled or roasted chicken to take it from a simple side to a quick main dish.
By Carolyn Casner

Kale Salad with Cranberries

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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

Greek Kale Salad with Quinoa & Chicken

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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

Massaged Kale Salad

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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

Kale & Avocado Salad with Blueberries & Edamame

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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

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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.

Kale Salad with Beets & Wild Rice

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Beets and kale, speckled with chewy wild rice and crunchy sunflower seeds, make a satisfying, colorful dinner salad. The beets are nicest when they are sliced paper thin. Use a mandoline or vegetable slicer, if you have one.
By Carolyn Casner

Kale & Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing

This kale-quinoa salad pops with different flavors and textures. Massaging the kale helps break down its fibrous nature, while add-ins like toasted almonds, feta and cucumber add crunch and saltiness.
By Karen Rankin

Kale & Quinoa Salad with Cranberries

This autumnal kale-quinoa salad is a delicious mixture of texture and flavor. Celery and walnuts add crunch while dried cranberries and apple add a sweet-tart note. We use blue cheese in this salad, but feta, Parmesan, goat cheese or manchego would be just as tasty.
By Karen Rankin
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Inspiration and Ideas

16 Kale Salads Perfect for Summer
Cobb Salad with Herb-Rubbed Chicken
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Try this satisfying salad recipe for an updated version of the classic Cobb. Kale, feta and strawberries give this chicken salad a colorful upgrade.
Feta, Kale & Pear Salad
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Winter Kale & Quinoa Salad with Avocado

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.

All Healthy Kale Salad Recipes

Baby Kale Breakfast Salad with Bacon & Egg

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Breakfast salad? Oh yes! Start your day off right with this healthy breakfast recipe. A bowl of good-for-you greens, such as baby kale, will knock out half of your daily veggie quota with the first meal of the day.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad

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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

Kale Salad with Balsamic & Parmesan

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In this healthy kale salad recipe, you massage the dressing into the kale, tenderizing the leaves and infusing the salad with sweet balsamic flavor. Creamy pine nuts and salty Parmesan cheese added at the end balance the flavors. Enjoy this salad on its own as a side dish or add cooked chicken, shrimp or steak to make it a full meal.
By Carolyn Casner

Kale Salad with Spiced Tofu & Chickpeas

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To top this zesty raw kale salad recipe, we toss diced tofu and chickpeas with a flavorful Moroccan-inspired spice mixture before roasting. The hot oven turns the outside of the tofu crisp and the inside pleasantly chewy.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Baby Kale Breakfast Salad with Quinoa & Strawberries

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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

Kale Salad with Bacon-Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

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Hot roasted potatoes in this healthy kale salad recipe wilt the kale just enough to make it tender. Bacon and blue cheese layer on smoky, salty flavors to stand up to the flavor of the kale. Go for a strong blue cheese--we enjoy the tanginess of Maytag. Serve this salad with steak or chicken.
By Katie Webster

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

Mason Jar Chicken Salad with Japanese Hibachi Dressing

This vibrantly colorful and healthy make-ahead salad is sure to become a go-to weekday lunch, though it's pretty enough to serve to guests. Fresh ginger gives a pleasant bite to the toasted sesame salad dressing, which is inspired by the dressings served at Japanese hibachi restaurants.
By Carolyn Casner

Mediterranean Lentil & Kale Salad

The kale and lentils in this Mediterranean-inspired salad recipe are combined with sweet red peppers and a bold garlic and dried tomato vinaigrette. To cut down on prep time, we use refrigerated steamed lentils, but offer instructions on preparing your own.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

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

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

Baby Kale Breakfast Salad with Smoked Trout & Avocado

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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

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

Massaged Kale Salad with Grapes & Cheddar

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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

Autumn on a Plate

A wonderful kale salad with roasted butternut squash and Brussels sprouts features a special vinaigrette dressing and a topping of toasted hazelnuts and Parmesan cheese. You'll be proud to serve this gourmet treat at any formal meal.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

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

Winter Greens Salad with Pomegranate & Kumquats

Kumquats deliver a piquant burst of citrus, especially when eaten skins, seeds and all. Here we toss them with a trio of greens for their vivid orange color as much as their zestiness. Pomegranate seeds and pistachios bring a jewel­like finish.
By Judith Fertig

Kale & Strawberry Salad

In this kale and strawberry salad, apple-cider vinegar and mustard flavor the dressing while fresh strawberries offer a touch of sweetness. Creamy herbed goat cheese completes this healthy salad that's perfect for lunch or dinner.
By Ali Ramee

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

Kale Salad with Preserved Lemon & Walnuts

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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

Hawaiian Pickled Beet Salad

Quick-pickled beets are topped here with a namasu (a lightly pickled vegetable salad) made with carrot, cucumber and daikon radish. Recipes like this reflect the influence of Japanese immigrants who came to Hawaii to work on the sugar plantations in the 1800s. Recipe adapted from Chef Greg Harrison, Pacific'O Restaurant.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

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

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.

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
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