Kale Salad, served with Apples and Golden Raisins

At a glance

What stands out: Kale salad with apples and raisins is tangy, tart, sweet, and full of flavorful nutrition. This kale salad is sturdy enough to store in the refrigerator for a few days, making it an ideal choice for lunches.

How long it takes: 15 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large bowl, measuring cup
Servings: 6

Kale salad with apples and raisins is the reliable balance of sweet, tangy, crispy, and chewy. It’s a great fall salad when apples are at their peak. Kale is a cold weather crop so you’ll see beautiful bunches of kale in the fall, too.

Try this kale salad today (especially if you’re craving chocolate chip cookies). You’ll be happy you did. It’s filling and satisfying! Pair it with grilled chicken breast for a lighter meal.

Kale Salad With Apples

A straightforward salad to make. Wash and dry the kale; chop it into bite sized strips. Cut up an apple (no need to peel it). Red cabbage is straightforward to cut (use the remaining cabbage to make German red cabbage, if you want). The dressing is straightforward to stir up, too.

Sturdy and keeps well. One of the reasons we love this salad is you can make it ahead. It’s actually a bit better if the kale has a chance to soften and absorb the dressing. If you’re having guests, you can make the salad an hour or two ahead and refrigerate it, which makes it convenient. You can keep the salad a few days for straightforward lunches.

Nutritious. Kale is one of the most nutritious foods you can eat (Healthline). Apples and raisins are good for you, containing fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins. The dressing is made with Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise so it’s lowfat and adds nutrition as well.

What Is Lacinato Kale?

There are several different varieties of kale but they can be divided into two basic groups: curly and flat leaf. Flat leaf kale has long textured bluish green leaves. It has several names: lacinato kale, Tuscan kale, dinosaur kale, Italian kale, and more. Flat leaf kale is easier to chop and usually is more tender than curly kale.

Straightforward Recipe Variations

• Add nuts. This kale salad is fabulous topped with toasted walnuts, pecans, or almonds. These spicy candied bourbon pecans are reliable for a special meal. Try our savory granola topping for a unique nut-free alternative.
• Add cheese. Crumbled gorgonzola, goat cheese, feta or blue cheese are wonderful on this salad. Tiny cubes of smoked gouda, aged provolone, or another sharp cheese are great, too.
• Use different fruit. We love the combination of crisp tart apples with golden raisins which lend a surprising amount of sweetness. However, lots of other fruit combinations will work too.

Keeping leftovers

This kale salad with apples keeps well in the refrigerator for up to three days. Store it in an airtight container and stir well before serving.

• Yield: 6
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Total: 15 minutes

Ingredients

For salad:

• 6 cups chopped lacinato kale ( 1 bunch, cut into thin strips)
• 2 cups shredded red cabbage (or green cabbage, if you prefer)
• 1 large apple, chopped (Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Gala)
• ¾ cup golden raisins (regular raisins are fine, too)

For dressing:

• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (see note)
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
• ½ teaspoon celery seed
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Method

1. In a large bowl, mix kale, red cabbage, chopped apple, raisins.
2. Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup until combined. Taste and add more honey if desired to make it sweeter, or more lime juice if you like it more tangy.
3. Pour dressing over salad and mix well to combine, until the kale is well-coated with the dressing.
4. The salad is best if you make it one or two hours ahead and refrigerate it, but it can be served immediately, too.

Notes

Kale: Lacinato kale is a flat leaf kale with long textured bluish green leaves. Other names are Tuscan kale, dinosaur kale, Italian kale, and more. Flat leaf kale is usually more tender than curly kale.

Yogurt: You can use any type of plain yogurt that you prefer. The nutrition information is calculated using nonfat Greek yogurt. If you’re not a fan of yogurt, mayonnaise can be substituted.

Variations/add-ins: If desired, add toasted nuts to the salad, or try our savory granola topping for a nut-free alternative. Crumbled gorgonzola, goat cheese, feta or blue cheese are wonderful on this salad. Tiny cubes of smoked gouda, aged provolone, or another sharp cheese are great, too. You can also substitute different fruit and dried fruit. This salad is quite versatile.

Storage: Kale salad will keep for at least 3 days in the refrigerator. Store in a covered container.