Simple Kale Salad – Platings + Pairings

This Simple Kale Salad tosses kale, parmesan cheese, and croutons with a zesty lemon dressing to give you a perfect light meal or healthy side dish for any occasion. Ready in 10 minutes!

Don’t let all of that kale in your fridge go to waste! This versatile leafy green is great in virtually any dish, including these 20+ Delicious Kale Recipes, but when I don’t have time to put an entire meal together, I love tossing it in an everyday kale salad.

This Simple Kale Salad recipe is not only a great excuse to use up an abundance of kale but is also a fuss-free meal with light and refreshing flavors. I tossed the kale with croutons and parmesan cheese, kind of like in my Vegetarian Kale Caesar Salad, but swapped the creamy Caesar dressing for a zesty and savory lemon dressing. 

The flavors are amazing but the real secret to a perfect kale salad is to get in there with your hands and massage the dressing directly into the kale leaves. This technique works in the flavor and softens the kale, making it extra tender and tasty!

Last but not least, this salad is downright good for you since raw kale retains more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than cooked kale. What more could you need in a quick, easy, and healthy lunch or side dish?

Looking for more ways to enjoy kale? Blend it into this Kale Pesto, stir it into this Sausage Lentil Kale Soup, or add it to these Roasted Sweet Potatoes.

Ingredients 

• Curly kale – I prefer curly kale’s hearty texture and taste, but you can use other types, like baby kale or Tuscan kale (also called lacinato or dinosaur kale). 
• Extra-virgin olive oil – The base of the salad dressing. It lends a rich and smooth mouthfeel and a Mediterranean flavor.
• Lemon juice – The acidity in the dressing. Try to use freshly squeezed lemon juice if you can, or use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar if you’re out of lemons. 
• Garlic cloves
• Soy sauce – It adds salty, umami depth. If you’re gluten-free, use tamari as a substitute.
• Anchovy filet – This builds on the savoriness of the soy sauce. If you don’t have anchovy filets on hand, use anchovy paste instead or omit them entirely. 

• Salt and ground black pepper
• Parmesan cheese – Use freshly grated cheese from the block. Nutritional yeast also works if you’re looking for a vegan alternative.
• Crushed croutons – The flavorful, crunchy finish! Store-bought croutons are just fine, but they’re also super easy to make from scratch in the oven or air fryer. 

How to make a simple kale salad 

Remove the kale leaves from the stems and wash and dry them well. Tear the leaves into small pieces before placing them in a salad bowl.

Pour the oil, lemon juice, garlic, soy sauce, anchovy, pepper, and salt over the kale. Using clean hands, massage the dressing into the kale until the leaves shrink, tenderize, and take on a darker green color.

Sprinkle the freshly grated parmesan cheese and crushed croutons over top and toss to combine. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed, then serve.

Tips and tricks

• The easiest way to prepare kale for salads is by holding the base of the stem with one hand and stripping the leaves off with the other. You can discard the stems or save them to use in smoothies, green juices, or homemade vegetable stock.
• Always wash the kale beforehand by submerging the leaves in a large bowl filled with cold water. Rinse under cold running water, then dry the leaves very well in a salad spinner or with a clean kitchen towel.
• If you end up with too much kale, wrap the washed and dried leaves in paper towels and keep them in a large ziplock bag in the fridge. They should stay crisp and green for 5 to 7 days.
• Massaging the kale is the key to reducing the bitterness and softening the leaves, so don’t skip this part.

Variations

This is as basic as kale salads get, meaning there’s plenty of room to jazz up this recipe with the seasonal mix-ins of your choice:

• During the spring and summer, toss fresh berries, cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado, bell pepper, cucumber, toasted sunflower seeds, and/or feta cheese into the salad to make it extra refreshing.
• During the fall and winter, use add-ins like roasted butternut squash or sweet potatoes, shredded carrots, dried cranberries or cherries, pomegranate seeds, apple or pear slices, toasted pecans or walnuts, and goat cheese.

Serving suggestions 

Enjoy the kale salad on its own for a light lunch or pair it with simple proteins to help you stay full for a few hours. It goes well with chicken breasts, grilled salmon, cooked quinoa, and chickpeas.

Or, if you’d prefer to serve it as a side dish, you can pair the salad with any main dish you like, such as:

FAQs

What makes kale bitter?

Kale contains natural sulfur-containing compounds called glucosinolates, which can give it and other cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli and cabbage) a bitter flavor, especially when served raw. However, massaging the leaves with an acidic salad dressing or lemon juice helps to break down the tough fibers and reduce the bitterness. 

Can I make this salad with a different dressing?

Yes, you can massage the kale with any dressing you like. The key is to use a dressing with some acidity, like lemon juice, vinegar, or even yogurt, to help soften the leaves and reduce their bitter flavor. Try my Lemon Pesto Salad Dressing, Zesty Italian Dressing, or Creamy Greek Yogurt Salad Dressing.

Storing

Leftover kale salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. The croutons may become soggy over time, so try to store them separately and add them to the salad just before serving.

More simple salad recipes

​​​​Did you make this easy kale salad recipe?

If you loved this kale salad with lemon dressing, I would appreciate it so much if you would leave a ⭐️star review⭐️! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.

For more great Platings & Pairings recipes, be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok.