If you need a festive, colorful salad to add to your holiday table, this is your recipe. If you need a quick, easy, and healthy lunch salad to balance out the holiday treats you’ve been eating, this is your recipe.
It is always with a little hesitation that I serve Tim kale, especially raw kale. But when he tasted this he said, “This is a great salad!” and asked for seconds after he finished his first serving. When Tim likes kale, I know the recipe is a keeper and will be a hit with everyone.
There are three components that make this kale salad work. First, the kale is chopped very finely. Kale is tough and chewy, so chopping it finely helps that immensely.
Second, all that kale is coated with a simple dressing. The dressing is simple, but flavorful. The best dressings are simple, don’t you think? The key is that all of the kale leaves are coated in the dressing. Toss it well to ensure that happens.
Third, the toppings of dried cranberries, feta, and walnuts work together to create a balance of flavors and textures that works well.
In the end, you get a salad that my husband loves. I can’t give you any higher praise than that. You gotta give this one a try!
PrintChopped Kale Salad with Cranberries, Feta, and Walnuts
This chopped kale salad has the perfect blend of sweet, tart, crunch, and creaminess!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
3/4 cup walnut pieces, coarsely chopped
juice from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
pinch of salt and pepper
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium bunches kale
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup feta cheese
Instructions
In a dry skillet, toast the walnut over medium heat. They are finished when they are fragrant and starting to brown; it takes about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, and garlic. Add the olive oil and whisk well until it is emulsified. Set aside.
Remove the tough stems from your kale. I usually don’t use a knife for this; I just tear the leaves off. Next, chop the kale very finely. Chop, chop, chop! If you haven’t already, wash and dry your kale leaves.
Put the kale leaves in a bowl and drizzle with the dressing.
Use your hands to toss the salad well, ensuring all of the kale leaves are coated in the dressing. Top with the toasted walnuts, cranberries, and feta cheese. You can serve this right away, but I like it even more after it has chilled in the fridge for a bit. Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 381
- Sugar: 10.8g
- Sodium: 115.8mg
- Fat: 31g
- Carbohydrates: 22.5g
- Protein: 7.5g
Keywords: kale salad
How much is two bunches of kale?
I am making this to take to our Thanksgiving dinner.
Thanks.
Chopped finely, two bunches of kale will equal about 6-8 cups.
I’m making this tomorrow!
I hope you loved it! I’ve made it so many times since I first posted the recipe. 🙂
could you tell me how many cups of chopped kale. I harvest it from the garden and I’m not sure how to compare that with two bunches of kale I use the Italian dinosaur kale
Any idea what the calorie count is on this? I made it today, just took a little taste and liked it, but made it for lunch this week. So just wondered if you had any idea? Tracking the calories right now! Thanks!
The whole thing has approximately 1,196 calories, which makes each serving around 299 calories. Hope that helps!
I love love love the combo of walnuts and feta! Perfect colors for the holiday 🙂
We had this with our christmas dinner last night. It was fab!! Can’t wait to make it again! Happy New Year!
Yes please! This looks amazing – I just love kale salads and this one has some awesome toppings!
Thanks, Sam!
I love Christmas colored recipes to get into the holiday spirit! And all ingredients I generally use for salads!
And I love when said Christmas colored recipes are naturally colored red and green! :)Thanks, Jess!
GAH! Looks great! I think I have all those ingredients too!
It’s meant to be!