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!
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 or make it an entree by topping it with some Chicken Nuggets.
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 pear, strawberries, and blueberries instead of apples, and raisins can be used 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 Winter 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
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!
Winter Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale de-stemmed, massaged, and torn into bite-sized pieces. See note 1&2
- 2 cups arugula
- 2 carrots julienned or match sticks
- 1/2 apple diced
- 1 Sweet bell pepper diced
- 1/4 cup pecans chopped
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
For the dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 lemon juiced
Instructions
- In a bowl, make the dressing by whisking olive oil, maple syrup, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Set it aside.
- Next, de-stem and tear the kale into bite-sized pieces. Add the kale to a large bowl. Drizzle it with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and massage it well till it softens. Set it aside.
- Chop the apple, bell pepper, and pecans. Julienne the carrots and add everything to the bowl of kale. Add the arugula, cranberries, and dressing and toss till everything is coated with the dressing. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
- 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.
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