The BEST kale salad recipe! It's packed with colorful vegetables, crispy chickpeas, avocado, cranberries, and pepitas. Great for lunch!
Kale salad recipes aren’t as trendy as they used to be, but I’m still making them, and I think you should be too. My case in point is this kale salad recipe, which, if I do say so myself, is one of the most delicious ways to eat kale.
A vibrant carrot ginger dressing coats the tender leafy greens, and roasted chickpeas, colorful veggies, and avocado add lots of contrasting textures. I love to serve it as a side dish because it pairs well with almost any meal, but it’s also hearty enough to pass as a standalone lunch. The sturdy greens hold up for days in the fridge, so it’s perfect for meal prep!
It may not be one of the coolest salads to be making these days, but it’s certainly one of the best. Find the full recipe and my tips for making it below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Kale Salad Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this kale salad recipe:
- Kale, of course! Any type of kale will work here. I especially like to use curly kale, but feel free to swap in Tuscan kale (aka lacinato kale) if you prefer.
- Extra-virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice – You’ll massage them into the raw kale to help the leaves soften.
- Roasted chickpeas – They add plant-based protein and crunch.
- Carrots and beets – I grate these root veggies to add sweet, earthy flavor to the salad.
- Watermelon radish – Thin slices add crisp texture and bright pops of pink to the salad. If you can’t find a watermelon radish at your market or grocery store, sub in regular red radishes.
- Avocado – For creamy texture.
- Dried cranberries – They add sweet-tart flavor.
- Toasted pepitas and sesame seeds – For nutty crunch.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Kale Salad Dressing
The guest star of this recipe is the carrot ginger dressing that you see in the photo above. I make it by blending roasted carrots with ginger and tangy rice vinegar. It has a wonderful creamy texture and bright, refreshing flavor. You’ll LOVE it on this kale salad recipe!
How to Make Kale Salad
When it’s not prepared well, a raw kale salad can be tough and bitter—no thanks! The first trick to making yours delicious is to massage the kale so that the leaves become soft and tender. Here’s how to do it:
- Remove the kale leaves from the stems and wash them well. Spread them on kitchen towels to dry, or quickly dry them in a salad spinner.
- Tear the kale leaves into bite-sized pieces.
- Place them in a large bowl and add fresh lemon juice, ½ teaspoon olive oil, and a few pinches of salt.
- Use your hands to massage the lemon and oil into the leaves until they become soft and wilted and reduce in the bowl by about half.
That’s it! Add the root veggies, half the avocado, cranberries, pepitas, and more salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
Drizzle the salad with the dressing, and toss again. Top with the roasted chickpeas, the remaining avocado, and sesame seeds. Season to taste and serve!
How to Store Kale Salad
Leftover kale salad keeps well for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Because the kale leaves are so sturdy, it holds up well even when it’s dressed!
This recipe is a great one to meal prep for lunch. If you prep it ahead for multiple days, I recommend keeping the avocado separate. Add it to individual portions just before you eat so that it doesn’t brown in the fridge.
Want more meal prep/lunch tips? Check out these 60 Healthy Meal Prep Ideas or these 41 Healthy Lunch Ideas.
Salad Variations
- Toss in some cheese. Sprinkle in feta cheese or shaved Parmesan cheese for a salty bite.
- Roast the veg. Add sliced roasted beets or roasted carrots instead of grated raw ones.
- Change the protein. Swap out the chickpeas for baked tempeh, tofu, or lentils.
- Add a grain like quinoa or farro for a heartier salad.
- Switch up the seeds. Replace the pepitas with toasted sunflower seeds, or try a nut like toasted almonds, pecans, or walnuts instead.
- Try a different dressing. My tahini dressing, lemon vinaigrette, or balsamic vinaigrette would be yummy alternatives to the carrot ginger dressing.
More Favorite Salad Recipes
If you love this massaged kale salad recipe, try one of these delicious salads next:
- Kale Caesar Salad
- Best Broccoli Salad
- Chickpea Salad
- Cabbage Salad
- Lentil Salad
- Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic
- Greek Salad
- Or any of these 51 Best Salad Recipes!
Want more plant-based meal ideas? Check out our 85 Best Vegan Recipes.
Kale Salad
Ingredients
Carrot Ginger Dressing (See notes)
- ¾ cup chopped carrots
- ⅓ to ½ cup water
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
Salad
- 1 recipe Roasted Chickpeas
- 1 bunch curly kale, stems removed, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small carrot, grated
- 1 small red beet, grated
- ½ watermelon radish, very thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, cubed
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pepitas, toasted
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the dressing: Preheat the oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the carrots on one of the baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat. Spread evenly on the baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until soft. Transfer the carrots to a blender and add the water, olive oil, rice vinegar, ginger, and salt. Blend the dressing until smooth and chill in the fridge until ready to use.
- On the second baking sheet, prepare the roasted chickpeas according to this recipe.
- Place the kale leaves in a large bowl and add the lemon juice, olive oil, and a few pinches of salt. Use your hands to massage the leaves until they become soft and wilted and reduce in the bowl by about half.
- Add the carrot, beet, watermelon radish, half of the cubed avocado, cranberries, pepitas, a few more pinches of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Toss to combine. Drizzle generously with the carrot ginger dressing. Top with the remaining avocado, more dressing, and the roasted chickpeas and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Season to taste and serve.
Notes
Bloody good!
This salad is EVERYTHING. I hate beets – at least I thought I did, but in here they’re delightful. I can’t believe how much I love this salad. I typically don’t bother with salads that require alot of work because, well it’s a lot of work – this one hands down is worth it. I add a cut up salmon burger on top. This dish is divine.
Hi Beth, I’m so glad you loved it!
I was really excited about this salad and particularly about the ginger carrot dressing but I was disappointed.
The salad is really good and tasty BUT it takes so much time to make with so many ingredients that’s it’s just not worth it. You can skip 1/3 of the ingredients and still have a good salad.
The carrot ginger dressing – I followed the instructions exactly and ended up with a bland and weird tasting dressing that didn’t even blend well since the carrot couldn’t be mashed even though I put them in the oven for the required time. I tried it twice since I wanted to be sure that it wasn’t a fluke but unfortunately on the second time I reached the same result – a bad dressing that took a lot of time. Will not be making it again.
thanks for the tip. I am gonna try it omitting the carrot from the dressing….I think there is enough sweetness coming from the salad ingredients but in case bn not, it’s easy to add some honey or maple syrup to the dressing to balance the ginger flavor.
Dressing is thick. What do you suggest I add to thin it? I don’t want to add more water as it seems to make it Noland. I had to play around with ingredients. I’m planning on serving salad for lunch tomorrow!
Thx in advance
Carol
Hi Carol, just stir in some water until it’s your desired drizzleable consistency. If it seems bland, try a few pinches of salt.
This salad is delightfully complex! I say that as a Sweetgreen fanatic. I will definitely be adding it to my rotation- it was easy to meal prep.
Hi Nicole, I’m so glad you loved it!
If I were to add cheese to this, what would you recommend?
Hi Krista, I think some crumbled feta would be great!
Use a different kale. This is bitter. The salad dressing needs salt and a little more acid like a lemon., and a chunk of garlic. If you do use this kale chop it up more. It’s a big salad with the radish, beets, carrots and nuts. It feels like a lot in your mouth. Really nice dressing though and method for massaging the kale.
I though curley kale was bitter? I usually do dino kale. What say?
Hi John, I use both – when they’re dressed well the bitterness goes away.
It’s a nutritious powerhouse that doesn’t compromise on taste. I’ll definitely be making this salad a regular addition to my meals!
Hi Shaheen, I’m so glad you love the salad!
Just had with thanksgiving dinner and it was perfect!! We don’t eat meat so our sides needed to really pop. This is a perfect salad! (I’ve made multiple times but had some very impressed guests tonight!)
Hi, this looks delicious and I playing making e recipe for Thanksgiving.
1. I can’t find watermelon radish, only regular smallish red radishes. How much radish should I add?
2. In the photo I see white and black sesame seeds, do I add a tsp of each or 1 tsp combined?
3. Should the sesame seeds be tosted?
Hi Leora, 3 regular radishes would be fine. You can do 1 teaspoon combined sesame seeds. I didn’t toast them first, but you can if you’d like. I hope you enjoy!