Made with only a handful of ingredients, this kale and apple salad is a simple recipe that you can whip up in no time. Not only is it delightfully fresh, crunchy, and hearty, but this salad pairs perfectly with pretty much everything from a weeknight meal to a holiday spread.

The perfect side dish, this kale and apple salad, is such a flavorful salad that anyone can make. You don’t need any special equipment to make this and it comes together in a few simple steps.

A close up view of a large bowl of kale and apple salad.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This salad uses hearty ingredients that last a while in your fridge and pantry, so I almost always have these ingredients on hand.
It’s very easy to make in a few quick steps! The hardest part about this kale apple salad is massaging the kale.
While it’s great for fall, especially during the holidays, this salad is perfect year-round and pairs wonderfully with any meal.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make kale and apple salad.

apples — use your favorite apples. I’m using honeycrisp apples.
homemade dressing — you only need a handful of ingredients to make homemade salad dressing. I’m using olive oil, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. I always recommend using quality ingredients for salad dressing so the flavors can really shine. For example, always use real maple syrup and not pancake syrup.
kale — there are a few types of kale, such as curly kale, dinosaur kale, tuscan kale, etc. I honestly just buy whatever kale is on sale at the store. I believe this time, it was curly kale! Also, always remove the stems as they’re tough and unpleasant to eat.
carrots — I love the extra sweetness you get some carrots.
shallots (or a small red onion) — for a crisp bite and pop of color!

How to Make Kale and Apple Salad

Set of two photos showing apples soaked and ingredients for salad dressing added to a bowl.

In a large bowl, soak sliced apples for 5 minutes in enough salted water to cover them. Use half a teaspoon of salt per cup of water. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
In a small bowl, add the olive oil, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.

Set of two photos showing salad dressing mixed and kale massaged.

Mix until the salad dressing is well combined. It’ll look like it’s not combining at first, but after continual mixing, the salad dressing will emulsify. Trust the process!
Add a couple of tablespoons of the salad dressing to the kale in a large bowl and massage with clean hands for at least a minute.

Set of two photos showing carrots, apples, shallots and salad dressing added to the kale.

Add the apples, carrots, shallots, and the rest of the salad dressing to the kale.
Toss to combine and enjoy!

Set of two photos showing all the ingredients tossed together in a salad bowl.

Recipe Tips and Notes

You can easily make this into a kale and apple slaw by adding some shredded cabbage (red or regular) to the salad!
Don’t skip the Dijon mustard, as it’ll help the salad dressing emulsify. You can use regular mustard or mustard powder if you don’t have Dijon mustard.
Always make sure to wash and dry the kale well. If the kale is wet, the salad dressing will have difficulties coating the kale. I use a salad spinner, then give it a thorough pat with a paper towel.
Don’t skip massaging the kale. Kale leaves can be tough and fibrous, which can make them tough to eat raw. Massaging kale helps to break down some of the tough fibers and makes the leaves more tender as it softens the texture, reduces bitterness, and massaging it with the salad dressing will help the kale absorb the flavor.
Want more crunch? Add some nuts or seeds! Sunflower seeds, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and walnuts makes for a tasty addition to this kale and apple salad.

Make Ahead Tips

Meal prep: store the salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Serving Suggestions

There are so many ways to serve this kale and apple slaw. Try serving with the following:

Kale and Apple Salad

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Rate this Recipe

Prep Time: 30

Total Time: 30

Servings: servings

Ingredients

8 cups kale, washed, stems removed, and cut into bite-sized pieces
3 apples, washed and sliced
3 cups carrots, julienned or your cut of choice
3 shallots, sliced, or small red onion

For the Salad Dressing

8 tablespoons olive oil, or avocado oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1½ tablespoon dijon mustard
1½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1½ tablespoon lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
¾ teaspoon salt, or more
¼ teaspoon pepper, or more

Instructions

In a large bowl, soak sliced apples for 5 minutes in enough salted water to cover them. Use ½ teaspoon of salt per cup of water. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
Add the olive oil, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to a small bowl. Mix until the salad dressing is well combined.
Add a couple of tablespoons of the salad dressing to the kale in a large bowl and massage with clean hands for at least a minute.
Add the apples, carrots, shallots, and the rest of the salad dressing to the kale. Toss to combine and enjoy!

Notes

8 cups of kale is around a large bunch to 1½ bunch of kale.

Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥

Nutrition Per Serving

Author: Carmy

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Nutrition Disclaimer

Other places to connect with me
@carmyshungry on Instagram
Facebook
Shop my Amazon faves
Email: [email protected]