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    Home » Recipes » Salads

    Kale Cranberry Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

    Published: May 10, 2020 · Modified: Aug 9, 2021 by Heather · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 673 words. · About 4 minutes to read this article.

    Jump to Recipe
    Kale Cranberry Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette by The Toasty Kitchen
    Kale Cranberry Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette by The Toasty Kitchen
    Kale Cranberry Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette by The Toasty Kitchen

    Kale Cranberry Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette is an easy summer salad that's filled with nutritious ingredients. Kale, cranberries, and almonds are tossed in a light lemon vinaigrette dressing.

    Salad bowl filled with kale, cranberries, and almonds.

    Looking for a fresh, flavorful, and light salad for summer? You'll love this kale cranberry salad because it's easy to make, and you need only a handful of simple ingredients.

    Kale, dried cranberries, and sliced almonds are tossed in a light and fresh tasting lemon vinaigrette salad dressing. Lemon adds a touch of bright citrus flavor to the homemade vinaigrette.

    This salad perfect for a light lunch, or as a side dish with your favorite protein for dinner.

    Ingredients and substitutions

    Ingredients for a kale salad on a counter top. For your salad, you'll need curly kale, dried cranberries and sliced almonds.

    For the vinaigrette, you'll need salt, pepper, lemon zest, dijon mustard, maple syrup, olive oil, and lemon juice.

    Lemon zest and lemon juice can be substituted with orange zest and orange juice instead, for an alternate (but equally delicious) flavor.

    Maple syrup can be substituted with honey or other liquid sweetener you have on hand.

    Whisking a vinaigrette and pouring over a salad in a bowl.

    Preparing your kale

    If you've never worked with kale before, it is a hearty, leafy green, with a chewy texture and earthy, peppery flavor. Because it is tough and hearty, it needs a little extra preparation before it's ready for your salad.

    • First, remove the ribs from your kale - this part is thick, harder to chew, and not ideal for a salad. Use a chef's knife to slice the leaves off the center ribs and discard.
    • Chop your kale into easy to eat, bite-size pieces.
    • Massage your kale. Because kale is tough, you want to soften it a bit before dressing your salad. Once your kale is cleaned, chopped, and in a salad bowl, use clean hands and start massaging your kale. It's kind of like kneading bread. Scrunch it up and toss it around in the bowl until it looks a little darker green and feels more tender. This should take less than a minute.
    Kale salad in a white, scalloped edge bowl.

    Lemon vinaigrette

    This amount of dressing is meant to lightly coat your salad, so there shouldn't be any excess dressing pooling at the bottom of the bowl.

    It may not look like enough dressing, but I promise it is. This kale salad is nice and light, and won't leave you with that heavy feeling after lunch. I think you'll enjoy it!

    📖 Recipe

    Salad bowl filled with kale, cranberries, and almonds.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 8 reviews

    Kale Cranberry Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

    Kale Cranberry Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette is an easy summer salad that's filled with nutritious ingredients. Kale, cranberries, and almonds are tossed in a light lemon vinaigrette dressing.
    Prep Time10 minutes minutes
    Total Time10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 side salads
    Calories: 154kcal
    Author: Heather

    Ingredients

    • 8 ounces curly kale
    • ½ cup dried cranberries
    • ½ cup sliced almonds
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or orange juice
    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest, or orange zest
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon pepper

    Instructions

    • Remove ribs from kale by slicing down each side of the rib with a knife. Then, chop kale leaves into bite size pieces and add to a large bowl. Massage kale leaves for one minute - lightly knead and scrunch leaves with clean hands until kale appears slightly darker and more tender. Add cranberries and almonds to kale and set aside.
    • In a separate bowl, add olive oil, dijon mustard, maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine, then pour over kale and gently toss until salad is evenly coated. Serve immediately.

    Equipment Recommendations

    • Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowls
    • Zwilling Pro Chef's Knife
    • OXO Metal Balloon Whisk
    • Pyrex Liquid Measuring Cups

    Notes

    • This recipe will make six side salads, or four larger lunch-sized salads.
    • 8 ounces kale = about one bunch of kale from the grocery store.
    • Almonds can be substituted with chopped walnuts or pecans.
    • Maple syrup can be substituted with honey or other liquid sweetener. I do not recommend omitting the sweetener, as it balances the tartness of the lemon. 
    • Salad is best enjoyed the same day, but will keep for two or more days in the refrigerator as a leftover.
    • If making ahead, prepare salad and vinaigrette in separate bowls, then toss salad in dressing just before serving. 

    Nutrition Estimate

    Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 140mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3776IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1mg
    Course: Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American

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    1. Diana Sasser

      March 17, 2022 at 2:51 pm

      Made this from my own garden kale. Used pecans in lieu of almonds. Absolutely delicious!

      Reply
    2. Elizabeth

      September 02, 2021 at 3:58 pm

      This kale recipe is my very favorite. I substitute pecans for the almonds. It is loved by everyone I serve it to. A real winner!

      Reply

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    Heather of The Toasty Kitchen

    Hi, I'm Heather of The Toasty Kitchen. I love cooking with real, unfussy ingredients, and I want to help you make homemade meals with ease.

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