Go Back
–+ servings
Print Recipe

Basic, Delicious, & Easy Kale Salad

This easy kale salad is the perfect side dish any time of year, providing a basic but delicious vegetable option that only takes a few minutes to make.
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Side Dishes & Veggies
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 large servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • For the salad
  • 2 bunches of dark leafy kale (thinly sliced; see notes)
  • 1/2 cup of golden raisins
  • 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese fresh is best
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup of pistachios chopped
  • For the lemon dressing
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or honey
  • 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon of fresh-ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Wash the kale and pat dry, then de-stem and slice finely.  Add to a large mixing bowl or salad bowl.  If you're using curly kale, drizzle on a little olive oil and sprinkle of salt and pepper and lightly massage it for 1 minute to help break it down a little (so it's not as tough and chewy).
  • Add the chopped pistachios, golden raisins, parmesan, and the lemon zest to the kale, and lightly toss everything together.
  • To make the dressing, you can use a mason jar, a small food processor, a handheld emulsion blender, or even just a whisk.  Add all the dressing ingredients to whichever you choose and whisk or blend until it emulsifies.  I prefer a tiny food processor myself.
  • Pour the dressing on the kale salad and toss well.  Serve room temperature or cold.  If you're using curly kale you can put the dressing on and store it that way, but if you're using lacinato then don't dress until you're ready to serve (it'll get soggy).

Notes

  • If you don't have golden raisins, you can use dried cranberries or cherries, or anything else you prefer.  Similarly, you can substitute pine nuts or other nuts for the pistachios.  This is very much a "choose your own adventure" salad.
  • I prefer dino or lacinato kale in general, but any kind will work.  If you use curly kale, it can help to massage a little bit of olive oil into the kale first to soften it up. Curly kale will hold up better for leftovers, particularly if you're going to add the dressing it all at once.