This kale salad with cranberries is a great 5-minute salad recipe if I'm in the mood for a light lunch! This easy salad recipe makes meal prep easier as this can be made ahead, and is also a perfect side dish to any meal.
This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you're in a rush, please use the "Jump to Recipe" below!
💭 Why you'll love this kale cranberry salad
- Quick and easy. Ready in just 5 minutes, this easy salad recipe
- Best recipe for beginners. This kale cranberry salad recipe uses simple ingredients and a simple dressing. Just give everything a good toss, and this is definitely a no-fail recipe even if you are serving salad for the first time.
- Also great for special occasions. This recipe might be simple, but the sweet cranberries and zesty lemon juice makes this a tasty salad, and will surely get a five-star rating from your guests.
📋 Ingredients and notes
To make this kale chopped salad with cranberries, you'll need Tuscan or dinosaur kale, dried cranberries, cashews, and goat cheese. For the dressing ingredients, you'll need lemon, golden syrup, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
Variations & substitutions
- Tuscan kale. Feel free to use other kale leaves for this recipe such as lacinato kale, baby kale, red Russian kale, or curly kale. If you want to add a touch of color to your salad, you may use redbor kale.
- Cashews. If you don't have cashews, no worries! You can use any nuts like almonds or pecans. It's definitely up to you!
- Goat cheese. You can substitute this with cotija, feta cheese or parmesan cheese. If you're feeling extra, you can even mix it all up!
- Dried cranberries. If you can't find dried cranberries, you can use dried currants or golden raisins. Using fresh cranberries is also a good option if you prefer to use fresh fruit for your kale salad.
- Lemon juice. Lime juice is the best substitute for lemon juice but apple cider vinegar is also an excellent choice due to its similarity in acidity.
- Use maple syrup instead of golden syrup!
📖 How to make kale salad with cranberries
Step 1:
In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the sliced nuts until they are golden brown and fragrant. Keep an eye on them to prevent burning. Once toasted, set aside to cool. This is optional but definitely recommended!
Step 2:
In a small bowl, zest the lemon and squeeze the lemon juice. Add in the golden syrup and olive oil. Whisk together until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 3:
In a large bowl, add the chopped kale. Pour in the salad dressing and use your hands to massage the dressing into the leaves.
Step 4:
Sprinkle the dried cranberries and toasted cashews over the dressed kale. Toss everything together until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Step 5:
Crumble the goat cheese over the kale cranberry salad and enjoy!
👩🏽🍳 Tips for the best kale cranberry salad
⭐ Remove the stems and slice the kale into thin ribbons. This not only makes it easier to get bite-sized chunks, and ensures even dressing. Massaging the kale with dressing is key to soften the leaves and reduce bitterness.
- Nuts can burn quickly, so stirring frequently and removing them from heat as soon as they're golden brown is crucial.
- If using goat cheese, let it come to room temperature before adding it to the salad. This makes it easier to crumble and ensures it blends well with the other ingredients.
- Let the salad sit for a few minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
- Be mindful of the lemon zest's intensity. Taste the dressing before adding to the salad to ensure it’s to your liking.
👩🏽🍳 Troubleshooting FAQs
Clean your greens using cold water. If you have one, use a salad spinner to make cleaning your kale easier.
Yes! Raw kale is perfect for salads. Not only does it have a crunchy texture and robust flavor, it's also packed with nutrients and rich in antioxidants. Eating it raw allows you to maximize these potential benefits!
Remove the stems and massage the kale with dressing to soften the leaves and reduce bitterness.
🍴 How to serve kale salad with cranberries
Kale salad with cranberries is a perfect side dish for a healthy lunch.
- Add more variety to this hearty kale cranberry salad recipe by adding your preferred toppings like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, crisp apples, crunchy almonds or top with croutons!
- If you want to make this salad a complete meal, add protein like chickpeas or quinoa.
🍴Storage suggestions
Only mix the portion of dressing and greens that you will consume. But if you have leftover kale salad with dressing, you can put them in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to two days. Longer than that, the kale leaves might get soggy.
To make your kale salad last longer, separate the salad dressing and kale leaves. Wrap the leaves in a damp paper towel, place them in a zip bag, and store in the crisp drawer of your refrigerator. This will make it last up to a week and will make your kale leaves crisp and fresh for next time.
Store the salad dressing in an airtight container and put it in the refrigerator. This is actually a great make-ahead option if you plan to have a healthy yet easy lunch the next day. Pre-mix the dressing and store it in a mason jar. You already have a simple dressing and all you have to do is prep the rest of the salad.
🍴 More light and refreshing salad ideas
If you tried this recipe, don't forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
📖 Recipe
Kale Salad with Cranberries
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale, de-stemmed and sliced into ribbons
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup cashews, sliced and toasted, or any nuts like almonds or pecans
- ½ cup goat cheese, crumbled, optional
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup, substitute golden syrup
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, adjust to taste
Instructions
- In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the sliced nuts until they are golden brown and fragrant. Keep an eye on them to prevent burning. Once toasted, set aside to cool.
- Zest the lemon into a small bowl. Then, squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl. If using goat cheese, take it out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, golden syrup, and olive oil until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour the dressing over the chopped kale and use your hands to massage the dressing into the leaves.
- Sprinkle the dried cranberries and toasted almonds over the dressed kale. Toss everything together until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- If you choose to include goat cheese, crumble it over the salad at the end.
Notes
- Let the salad sit for a few minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
- Be mindful of the lemon zest's intensity. Taste the dressing before adding to the salad to ensure it’s to your liking.
- Add a protein like chickpeas or quinoa to make this salad a complete meal.
Comments
No Comments