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    Home » Recipes » Side Dish

    Published: Feb 21, 2021 · Updated: Aug 1, 2024 · This post may contain affiliate links · We donate 10% of our profits to support good causes.

    Refreshing Kale Salad with Apple

    Jump to Recipe 0 Comments Share Pin Save Saved!
    A collage, top: A wooden bowl full of salad, centre: text reads refreshing kale salad with apple, bottom - a close up of apples slices and curly kale leaves.

    This easy kale salad with apple has a lemon, maple syrup and ginger dressing that's so refreshing! This recipe takes just 15 minutes and we'll show you how to quickly massage your kale to make it lovely and tender.

    A wooden bowl of kale salad with apples slices on top, two apples and a dish of sunflower seeds next to it.

    If you told me a few years ago, that one day I would be raving about a salad made of kale, let alone massaged kale, I would have never believed you! But now here I am to tell you why I think this kale salad is so amazing: 

    • It’s super refreshing thanks to its lemony, oil free dressing
    • The texture is substantial and satisfying, which makes a great change from lettuce based salads
    • Kale is really nutritious and a fantastic source of Vitamin A, C and K
    • It’s really simple to make in under 15 minutes
    • And you can customise the ingredients so easily to suit you. 
    A bowl of curly kale leaves, alongside the other ingredients for the salad.

    Ingredients

    Here's what we used to make this raw kale salad, though some ingredients can be switched out for others - see the variations below.

    • kale
    • apple
    • lemon juice
    • maple syrup
    • fresh ginger
    • sunflower seeds
    • salt

    Kale tips

    Now let’s talk a bit about kale…

    Are there different kinds of kale?

    There are four main varieties of kale. The most common is curly kale. Then you have the darker, more elongated lacinato or Tuscan Kale. Red Russian kale has more flat leaves, with a reddish stem. And baby kale is the smallest and most tender.

    Bottom left, curly kale leaves. Top right, lacinato or Tuscan kale leaves.

    Which type of kale is best for using in a salad?

    Any type of kale can be used in a salad and eaten raw. The different varieties of kale vary in texture, so the time needed to tenderise them by massaging will vary. You don’t need to massage baby kale. Curly kale has the toughest stems, so they are best removed, whereas more tender varieties can be used for salad without removing the stem.

    One hand holds the end of the kale stem, and the other strips the leaf from it.

    Why do you massage kale?

    OK so, massaging kale sounds really weird, right! So why massage kale? Well, it tenderises the kale, transforming it from something dry and chewy, into juicy and tender leaves that are the perfect base for a salad. The massaging process is also said to help to draw out some of the bitter flavour of kale.

    How do you massage kale?

    First you want to prepare your kale by washing it and removing the tough stems. Next, tear it or chop it up. The finer the kale is, the quicker it will be to become tender.

    Put your chopped kale in a large bowl and drizzle about half a teaspoon of salt over it. (The salt helps to draw the moisture out of the kale). Then, with your hands, rub and gently knead the leaves. As you massage, you will see the kale shrink down, soften and change in colour.

    Massaging kale can take between 1-3 minutes. Try it as you go and stop when it reaches a texture you like. You don’t want to overdo it as it can become too mushy for a salad.

    Slices of Braeburn apple are fanned and arranged on top of the massaged kale.

    Instructions

    Making this refreshing kale salad is a bit different from just chopping and mixing, but it's still quick and easy. Here's how:

    Adding salt to a bowlful of roughly torn curly kale.

    Step 1 - Place the washed and roughly torn kale in a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt.

    Hands rubbing kale in a bowl.

    Step 2 - Rub and gently knead the leaves to 'hand fry' the kale for around two minutes.

    The massaged kale has shrunk down, become darker and more moist looking.

    Step 3 - After massaging, the kale should be tender, greener and have shrunk down a bit.

    Toasted sunflowers seeds in a pan.

    Step 4 - Toast the sunflower seeds.

    A lemon, lemon juicer, spoonful of ginger and pot of maples syrup ready to be combined into dressing.

    Step 5 - Combine lemon juice, maple syrup and grated ginger into a marinade

    Pouring the lemon, ginger dressing on the salad.

    Step 6 - Top the kale and sliced apple with the marinade and sprinkle with toasted sunflower seeds.

    Variations

    Whenever I make a salad I like to combine a variety of tastes and textures, and we encourage you to play around with this kale salad recipe to suit the season and what you have at home. The variations are pretty endless! Here's some ideas:

    For sweetness: Instead of maple syrup, could use agave syrup, date syrup or some of our dandelion honey. You could add some dried fruit too - such as raisins or cranberries. 

    For tanginess: Instead of lemon, you could use apple cider or balsamic vinegar. 

    For crunchiness: Instead of sunflower seeds, you could use pumpkin seeds, or make some croutons from stale bread. Toasted nuts or some roasted chickpeas would also be yummy! 

    Wooden salad servers ready to toss the kale and apple salad.

    Other veggies and fruit that go well in this kale salad are: 

    • Avocado, diced
    • Cucumber, diced
    • Radishes, sliced
    • Carrot, grated
    • Roasted sweet potato or butternut squash
    • Orange slices
    • Pear slices
    • Pomegranate arils

    Serve it with

    For a simple and light meal, just serve the kale salad with some bread. May we recommend our super seedy sourdough loaf?

    Serve this salad as a refreshing side along a more substantial meal. A slice of vegan quiche always goes great with green salad as a tasty lunch or supper.

    After we took these pictures, we enjoyed the kale salad with some savoury vegan crepes filled with stir-fried veggies - a perfect way to use up those kale stems!

    A portion of salad in a white bowl, next to some seedy sourdough bread.

    We are so glad we discovered this salad as our new favourite way to eat kale! If you liked this recipe, you might also enjoy these:

    Lentil Salad

    Couscous salad with Orange and Pomegranate

    Pasta with Kale, Mushrooms and Ginger

    📖 Recipe

    A wooden bowl of massaged kale salad with apples slices and sunflower seeds on top.

    Refreshing Kale Salad with Apple

    by Sophie & Paul
    5 from 1 vote
    This massaged kale salad has a refreshing lemon and ginger dressing. It's fresh and zingy and has a lovely crunch from apple and sunflower seeds.
    Print Pin Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Makes: 4 servings
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: American

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 bunch (200 g / 7 oz) kale
    • ½ tsp salt
    • 35 g (¼ cup) sunflower seeds
    • 2 tbsp lemon juice
    • 2 tbsp maple syrup
    • 1½ tsp ginger grated
    • 1 small apple

    Instructions
     

    • First wash your kale, and remove the tough stems.
      I remove the stems by holding the end of the stem in one hand, and running my other hand along it to strip the leaves from the stalk.
      1 bunch (200 g / 7 oz) kale
    • Roughly tear or chop the kale, and put it in a large bowl.
    • Sprinkle the salt over the kale, and then, with your hands, rub and gently knead the leaves. As you massage, you will see the kale shrink down, soften and change in colour.
      Massaging kale can take between 1-3 minutes. Try it as you go and stop when it reaches a texture you like.
      ½ tsp salt
    • Toast the sunflower seeds in a pan on medium-high heat on the hob.
      Be careful not to burn them. Keep an eye on the toasting seeds and stir around frequently, as they can suddenly go dark really quickly when the pan comes up to temperature.
      35 g (¼ cup) sunflower seeds
    • Combine the lemon juice, maple syrup and grated ginger to make the dressing.
      2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1½ tsp ginger
    • In a salad bowl, combine the massaged kale with sliced apple and add the dressing. Toss around and top with the toasted sunflower seeds for serving.
      1 small apple

    Notes

    We used curly kale in this salad. You can also use the darker lacinato or Tuscan kale too. 
    You can save your kale stems and stir fry them until tender, or add them to soup. 
    Feel free to customise this recipe to suit you! You'll find lots of ideas in the post above.
     
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 124kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 375mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 5020IU | Vitamin C: 65mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 1mg

    This information is calculated per serving and is an estimate only.

    Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment to let us know! Share a photo and tag @veganonboard - we love to see what you make!
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