Kale Apple Walnut Salad with Creamy Walnut Dressing: A Perfect Kale Salad for The Cooler Months
This Kale Apple Walnut Salad is one of many great easy salad recipes. I pull it out as one of my fall salads or a healthy dose of green in the winter months. This hearty kale salad also makes a great addition to any Thanksgiving menu.
I love Massaged Kale Salads. They are easy, healthy, and a great way to eat more veggies.
Kale Apple Walnut Salads are not new to the internet. However, I love them because you can take that base salad concept and make it your own with additional ingredient add-ins and different salad dressings.
The Ingredients in This Kale Salad Recipe
Massaged Kale: Massaging the kale leaves allows for a more palatable salad. Each bite is more manageable and chewable. Check out my article all about How to Create the Perfect Kale Salad. Lacinato kale works well in this salad but you could also use a curly kale or baby kale.
Walnuts: I use freshly toasted crunchy walnuts in the salad dressing and as a salad topper. Walnuts, like many other nuts, are heart-healthy! I love the nutty and earthy flavor.
Fresh Apples: In this recipe, I use two different types of “all-purpose” apples. I use sweet Honeycrisp apples, Granny Smith, or Pink Lady. These tangy apples are crisp with sweet-tart harmonies and hints of berry flavors.
If you want to substitute the apple, I recommend pears. I recommend a crispier pear variety like a Bosc pear. You could also sub in celery for a crunchy addition or even fennel with a licorice-like flavor.
I prefer to cut the apples into thin matchsticks but diced apples work well too.
Crispy Quinoa: This is a fun way to incorporate whole grains into your salad. You could use cooked quinoa that is not crispy to make this more of a grain bowl, but I love the crispy quinoa over-top the salad for a crispy, crunchy, and nutty finish. The little black specs in my photos are crispy quinoa.
The Creamy Walnut Dressing
I keep this dressing creamy yet mayo-free by using toasted walnuts. Blending nuts into a salad dressing is a delightful way to create a creamy dressing that is 100% plant-based.
Don’t have Walnuts or a blender to turn freshly roasted Walnuts into a creamy dressing? No problem, you can use tahini or creamy almond butter instead.
Don’t have walnut oil? Olive oil will also work in this recipe.
For the full details on this recipe, check out my post on this Creamy Vegan Apple Walnut Dressing.
Step By Step Instructions
Make the Dressing:
- In a blender or food processor, combine the walnut oil, toasted walnuts, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, water, maple syrup, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Blend until smooth. If the dressing is too thick, add more water, a tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Prepare the Kale:
- In a large salad bowl, add the chopped kale. ( I like to chop the kale into thin strips)
- Add 1/4 cup of the salad dressing over the kale. Massage the dressing into the kale with your hands for a few minutes until it becomes tender.
Prepare the Salad:
- Add the sliced crunchy apples and toasted walnuts to the large bowl.
Assemble the Salad:
- Pour more dressing (to your liking) over the salad and toss to combine.
- Sprinkle the crispy quinoa on top just before serving for added crunch.
- Serve immediately or let it sit for a bit to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Substitutions & Additions
Substitutions
- Walnuts: Option to substitute the crunchy walnuts for other crunchy nuts or seeds such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or almonds.
- Apples: Option to substitute the apples with another fruit such as pomegranate seeds, dried cherries, or dried cranberries.
Additions
Do you want to bulk up this Kale Apple Walnut Salad? You can add roasted butternut squash, roasted chicken, or leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
Feeling like you want some cheese? You can add some vegan feta or, if not trying to keep this a plant-based salad, feel free to incorporate some cheese! Feta cheese, blue cheese, or goat cheese would taste great in this recipe.
I love to encourage creativity in the kitchen. Let this recipe bring on the inspiration!
Tips and Tricks
Washing Kale
Tip: Use a Salad Spinner
One of my favorite ways to wash lettuce and greens for salads is with a large bowl of cold water and a salad spinner.
Washing lettuce and kale for salads is so much easier with a salad spinner. I like to submerge the kale leaves in a large bowl of clean cold water and swish them around. This will loosen any dirt or debris and it will sink to the bottom of the bowl.
Then, rinse the kale with cool running water and add it to your salad spinner to remove excess water from formthe leaves.
Dealing with Leftovers
Dressing Tip:
This dressing is simple, and a great recipe to make in bulk and in advance. You can freeze or save it for another recipe for later in the week, like Apple Walnut Marinated Tofu, tempeh, chicken, or salmon.
Salad Tip: If eating this salad for leftovers the next day (so good), don’t add all the crispy quinoa at once to the salad. Despite the name, crispy quinoa that is added to the salad and stored in the fridge will not retain its crispiness overnight. For best results, top each salad before serving.
Enjoy This Recipe? Check Out These Delicious Salad Recipes
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Quick Chopped Greek Salad: A Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend Recipe
Arugula Cottage Cheese Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Easy Italian Grinder Salad (Viral Tik Tok Recipe)
Easy Spinach Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
Kale Apple Walnut Salad
Equipment
- 1 Blender
- 1 salad bowl
- 1 spoon
Ingredients
- 3 lbs kale about 3 bunches
- 2 apple, sliced See recipe note.
- 2 cup walnuts toasted
- 1/2 cup crispy quinoa
Creamy Walnut Dressing
- 1 cup walnuts toasted
- 1/4 cup walnut oil
- 1/3 cup apple cider or apple juice
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey (optional)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Make the Dressing
- In a blender or food processor, combine the walnut oil, toasted walnuts, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Blend until smooth. If the dressing is too thick, add more water, a tablespoon at a time, until the desired.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Prepare the Kale
- In a large salad bowl, add the chopped kale. ( I like to chop the kale into thin strips).
- Add 1/4 cup of the salad dressing over the kale. Massage the dressing into the kale with your hands for a few minutes until it becomes tender.
Prepare the Salad
- Add the sliced crunchy apples and toasted walnuts to the large bowl.
- Assemble the Salad
- Pour more dressing (to your liking) over the salad and toss to combine.
- Sprinkle the crispy quinoa on top just before serving for added crunch.
- Serve immediately or let it sit for a bit to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I’m Sarah Harper, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist passionate about cooking, eating, and sharing all things food! At The Addy Bean, you’ll find a variety of flexitarian recipes designed to inspire and empower you to explore the delicious world of plant-based eating. My mission is to make plant-forward meals approachable, enjoyable, and part of your everyday life!
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