Winter Kale Salad

This winter salad is hearty and crisp, packed with seasonal ingredients that are both nourishing and comforting. It's a salad that feels special enough for a holiday table but easy enough for a weekday lunch.

My favorite local Mediterranean restaurant makes this delicious kale salad that I’ve wanted to replicate for some time now. And although it is available year-round, I had to name it strategically for Google, and so here we are! Winter Salad!

But seriously, if you are in charge of the salad for a holiday party, this is the salad you’ll want to bring! And if you’re hosting said party, you have to make these super easy goat cheese-stuffed dates!

Why You’ll Love This Winter Salad

Meal-prep friendly– The best reason to love this salad is that it stores really well and even gets better as it sits in the fridge, so it’s perfect for meal prep!

Versatile– You can eat it as a side salad with my Sumac Chicken, Air Fryer Mediterranean Chicken,

Ingredients and substitutions

Kale: Curly kale is what I used for the pictures, but I prefer Lacinato or dinosaur/Tuscan kale as it is smoother and softer. Use what you can find, as they both work in this recipe. You can use any other leafy greens with kale or cruciferous vegetables like cabbage. I used arugula.

Bell pepper: Brings added sweetness. Use any colored bell pepper: red, yellow, or orange. Green bell pepper is not recommended.

Carrots: I love to julienne them with a julienne peeler, but you can use matchstick precut carrots if in a pinch. You can also use radishes instead or leave them out completely.

Apple and cranberries: Bring tartness and sweet flavor bombs to this salad. This salad is so versatile; you can use pears, strawberries, and blueberries instead of apples, and raisins instead of cranberries.

Nuts: Pecans, walnuts, or even slivered almonds work well in this recipe. You can boost the nutrition by adding pumpkin and or sunflower seeds.

The dressing contains olive oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. You can use honey instead of maple syrup, and vinegar will work in place of lemon juice if that’s what you have available.

How To Make The Best Winter Salad

Make the dressing– In a bowl, add all the ingredients, whisk them together, and set aside.

Destem the kale– Kale has a very tough stem that is not very pleasant to eat. I de-stem it by holding the bottom of a leaf at the stem and then using my other hand to remove the leaf by pulling at it as I run my hand down the stem. Then, tear the leaf into bite-sized pieces. Add the leaves to a large bowl and massage them.

Massage the kale– When using kale in any salad, it is of paramount importance to massage it first. To do that, drizzle some olive oil and salt onto the leaves and rub them for a few minutes till you see them wilt slightly. This helps make them softer and less bitter. This also tends to help them absorb the dressing better. Set aside.

Prep the fruit, veggies, and nuts– Dice the apple and bell pepper, and chop the pecans. Julienne the carrots.

Toss– Top with the cranberries and dressing and toss to combine.

Helpful Tips

• Massage the kale. This is a crucial step. Not doing this will result in tougher kale.
• Destem the leaves. The stem is very tough so make sure to de-stem it. Here in the US, you get bags of prewashed kale, which may seem more convenient to use, but it includes the stems. It’s better to buy a bunch of kale and remove the stems yourself.

Variations

• Make it an entree salad by adding protein (chicken, steak, shrimp, salmon)
• Swap the dried cranberries with pomegranate arils. YUM!
• Instead of arugula, add purple cabbage to this salad for added color and longer storage.
• Make it even heartier by adding some roasted sweet potatoes.

Storage

This salad is a meal prepper’s dream! It can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days with the dressing, since kale leaves are very sturdy. If you intend on storing it, use just kale for the salad or add cabbage instead of arugula. Arugula is much softer and tends to wilt sooner than kale.

What To Eat With Kale Salad

I’ve shared a couple of ideas above, but you can even pair this winter salad with my Masala Lamb Chops. Or you can add some Chicken or Tuna for a quick lunch.

Here are some more salads to try

Breakfast Salad

Rainbow Thai Salad

Quinoa Salad

Asian Salad

Carrot and Cucumber Salad

If you try this recipe, I’d appreciate it so much if you would rate it! And let me know in the comments how it worked out for you. Your comments and recipe rating helps others find and decide if they want to make this recipe!