When it comes to kale salad, this recipe is one of our favorites. The kale is thinly sliced and massaged with balsamic reduction and olive oil. There are spiced pumpkin seeds, cranberries, and pieces of apple scattered throughout along with a sprinkling of gruyere for extra flavor. We love each bite of this salad. It is hearty, full of winter flavors, and the perfect side.
This easy salad comes together in minutes and is a perfect pairing for any holiday meal or a quick weekday lunch.
Winter kale salad:
During the winter, kale salad is one of our favorite things to throw together. We love using thinly sliced kale and throwing all sorts of goodies on top to make it hearty, flavorful, and delicious. This kale salad is inspired by a salad at one of our favorite restaurants. The kale salad was so popular that guests “rioted” when they took it off the menu.
Due to the popularity and the uproar, the salad was once again featured on the menu and it is still something we enjoy to this day. Often when our entire family goes out to eat, the order ends up being something like “6 kale salads… and…” It is that good, and we all equally love it. After eating their kale salad so many times, we decided to make our own version to enjoy at home.
For our version, we created something light but also hearty. To ensure the salad remains light, we use a balsamic dressing. The dressing is massaged into the kale to soften the kale slightly. Then all the add-ons get scattered on top. Cranberries add chew and tartness. Apples provide crunch and sweetness. Spiced pumpkin seeds add warmth and texture. Lastly, we add gruyere because by this point you may have realized our motto is what doesn’t gruyere make better… and it truly adds so much here. It adds softness and a nutty flavor to finish this salad and make it the best kale salad.
Kale salad ingredient notes:
- Kale: When it comes to kale there are countless varieties but the two most often in stores are curly kale or tuscan kale. We prefer tuscan kale due to the softer texture and ability to thinly ribbon the kale. Tuscan kale can also be referred to as lacinato kale, dino kale, or dinosaur kale. To prepare it, we remove the stem and roll the stemless kale. Then we thinly slice the kale into ribbons for the perfect salad base.
- Dried Cranberries: Dried cranberries add tartness and chew to the salad. We love the texture and taste these add. We use sweetened, dried, halved cranberries.
- Spiced Pumpkin Seeds: Spiced pumpkin seeds add a warm note to the dish. You can find pumpkin seeds that are pre-spiced and roasted or make our simple version below. It only takes a few ingredients and 10 minutes and they are worth the extra step!
- Apple: For the apple we use a sweet and tart variety like a pink lady or honeycrisp to add great texture and flavor throughout the salad.
- Gruyere: Gruyere makes just about everything better and we use shreddings of this cheese throughout the kale salad but manchego or even parmesan would be other great additions.
- Shallot Balsamic Dressing: Shallots and balsamic add a sharp, sweet taste to the dressing. This dressing is one of our favorites and when massaged with the kale is a match made in heaven.
How to make the kale salad:
To make the kale salad start by making the spiced pumpkin seeds. Line a small baking sheet with foil and scatter the pumpkin seeds on the tray. Drizzle over top olive oil and stir to coat the pumpkin seeds. Sprinkle the mixture with spices, honey, salt, and pepper. Then stir them until they are evenly combined. Bake for 4-5 minutes and stir and then bake for 4-5 minutes more until golden brown.
To ribbon the kale, fold a leaf of kale in half and pull out the stem, keeping the leaf intact. The stem can also be cut out with a knife. After the stem is removed, roll the leaf vertically so a long roll remains. Chop the leaf in ¼” ribbons.
To make the dressing, stir together olive oil, balsamic reduction, dijon mustard, diced shallot, salt, and pepper until evenly combined. Massage the ribboned kale with the dressing and top with spiced pumpkin seeds, cranberries, apple, gruyere, and cracked pepper.
Pairing the salad:
This kale salad is a great side to a dinner party or holiday meal but it also makes a great weekday lunch with chicken or avocado. We made this for our Christmas dinner menu with some of the items below.
- Beef Tenderloin: The center of our Christmas dinner is always a rosemary crusted beef. You cannot go wrong with this delicious rosemary crusted beef.
- Balsamic Brussels Sprouts: We paired a roasted veggie with the beef and you cannot get much better than crispy roasted balsamic brussels sprouts. These pair so well with the rosemary crusted beef and kale salad.
- Scalloped Potatoes: Scalloped potatoes are another tradition on our Christmas table. We serve these cheesy potatoes every year. There’s not much better than a buttery, cheesy serving of these potatoes with the golden crusted top and soft center.
Winter Kale Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 bunch of thinly ribbon kale stems removed (4 cups)
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup spiced pumpkin seeds
- 1 apple thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup grated gruyere cheese
- Fresh cracked pepper
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic reduction
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Spiced pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds raw unsalted
- ½ teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Spiced pumpkin seeds
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F
- Line a half baking sheet with foil. Place pumpkin seeds on the tray and coat with olive oil. Sprinkle it with spices, honey, salt, and pepper. Stir until evenly combined
- Bake for 8 – 10 minutes until golden brown stirring halfway through
Dressing
- Mix olive oil, balsamic, mustard, shallot, salt, and pepper until evenly combined
Salad
- Massage kale with dressing. Top with spiced pumpkin seeds, cranberries, apple, gruyere, and cracked pepper
Entertainer’s Note:
This salad can be made well in advance which makes it perfect for a dinner party or a side. Simply leave off the toppings and keep the dressed kale in the fridge. When it is time to serve, scatter on all the toppings over the dressed kale. Kale is a heartier green so it will not wilt if left in the fridge dressed for a few hours. Simply leave it covered and enjoy a few hours later!
