Kale and Pear Salad, served with Yogurt Dressing

At a glance

What stands out: This kale and pear salad combines tender kale, juicy ripe pears, briny feta cheese, and a sprinkling of savory granola, topped with a creamy yogurt dressing. Fresh mint leaves make this salad stand out!

How long it takes: 20 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large mixing bowl
Servings: 4

Kale and Pear Salad

Our mom and we made this delightful kale and pear salad for lunch the other day, and we were bowled over by how good it is! The creamy yogurt dressing coats the kale evenly, and the fresh mint adds so much flavor! It is kind of unexpected but is reliable with this salad.

And did we mention the crunchy savory granola? Made with a mixture of oats, sunflower seeds, pepitas, and chia seeds, it satisfies the hungry chipmunk in all of us. We know you’re going to love this salad!

How it comes together

Make the dressing. We usually whisk the dressing in the bottom of a large mixing bowl large enough to hold the entire salad. The base of this dressing is plain yogurt. You can use Greek or regular yogurt, just so long as it’s unflavored and unsweetened. Whisk in olive oil, maple syrup, fresh lemon juice, cider vinegar, and salt until you have a smooth creamy dressing.

Prep the kale. This salad calls for 10 cups of washed, chopped kale leaves, loosely packed. We usually use our salad spinner to remove any excess water. Be sure to remove the tough stems before you chop the kale into bite sized pieces. Keep on reading to see how to make kale tender for a salad. (Hint: it’s a massage!)

Add the remaining ingredients. When you’re ready to serve the salad, add thin slices of a ripe pear, rings of red onion and fresh mint leaves, either minced or roughly torn, and toss them with the kale. Sprinkle on feta cheese and savory granola. Click here to find out how to make your own savory granola.

Enjoy your kale and pear salad. We know you’re going to love it!

How To Tenderize Kale

You’ll find that massaging the kale breaks down the tough cell structure, making the kale tender, less bitter, and easier to digest. It improves both the flavor and texture of kale salad because honestly, sometimes kale can be a little tough to chew.

A standby way to make kale tender for a salad is to massage the dressing right into the kale leaves. Just put the dressing on and with your (clean) bare hands, rub the dressing into the kale. Squeeze and squish!

Take your time. We find that massaging kale leaves is a tactile experience, sort of relaxing, and it feels nice on your hands. Massage for a few minutes and you’re done. Even after you wash the excess dressing from your hands, your skin will feel smooth and moisturized, almost like you got a mani.

How long should you massage the kale? You’ll be able to tell. It shouldn’t look like cooked spinach–if it does, you’ve gotten a little carried away. It should be soft, but not mushy. The color will be a little more vibrant and the leaves won’t be as rough feeling.

Ways to change it

After you’ve massaged the kale with the yogurt dressing, you can top it in various ways.

• Use a different fruit. Thinly sliced apples are a rich substitute for pears. Pomegranate arils add a nice tart crunch (or try this kale pomegranate salad!).
• Switch out the herbs. If you’re not crazy about mint, just leave it out or add a different herb. Parsley would be rich.
• Tone down the onions. Instead of raw red onion, try pickled red onions. Soaking the sliced red onions in ice water for 10 minutes or so reduces the sharp flavor, too.
• Try different cheese. Goat cheese, gorgonzola, or blue cheese would be tasty!
• Replace the granola with roasted nuts. We love the flavor of the savory granola but if you’re looking for a shortcut, top the salad with chopped toasted walnuts or pecans.
• Make it a main course salad. Add cooked and cooled quinoa to make this a vegetarian main course meal.

Keeping leftovers

To store this salad, you can massage the kale with the dressing and it will last at least a couple of days in the fridge in a covered container. The kale will retain a good texture. Store the other components of the salad separately.

• Yield: 4
• Prep: 20 minutes
• Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients

For Dressing:

• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For Salad:

• 10 cups loosely packed kale leaves (from 2 bunches)
• 1 ripe pear (thinly sliced)
• ¼ medium red onion (thinly sliced)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint, additional for garnish
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• savory granola

Method

1. To prep kale, strip the leaves from the large tough stems. Rinse well in cool water; dry as much as possible (we use a salad spinner). Chop the leaves coarsely, into fork-sized pieces.
2. Whisk yogurt, olive oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, cider vinegar, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Add kale to the bowl, and massage it with the dressing (about 3 minutes or so) to soften the leaves. You can do this ahead of time if you want, and refrigerate the massaged kale until ready to serve.
4. When ready to serve, add pear, onion, and mint, and toss to combine.
5. Serve the salad topped with feta, savory granola, and additional mint, if desired.

Notes

Storage: Massaged kale will keep a few days in the fridge, tightly covered. Store the other components of the salad separately for best results.

Variations: Thinly sliced apples are a good substitute for pears. Toasted (or roasted) pecans or walnuts can be used instead of savory granola. If you’re not a fan of feta, try blue cheese, gorgonzola, goat cheese crumbles, or freshly shredded Parmesan.