Best Kale Salad with Easy Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

This Kale Salad is one of my favorites.

Let's just take a moment to appreciate all of its tasty components. Tender massaged kale leaves. Crisp apples. Sweet craisins. Tangy lemon juice/zest and Dijon mustard. Creamy and soft goat cheese. Crunchy almond slices and pumpkin seeds. Hello, yum.

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How to Massage Kale:

Sounds silly, right? Well, massaging kale is 100% a real thing, and it's crucial to make the best Chopped Kale Salad possible.

Kale is a cruciferous vegetable. This means it's closer related to vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower than it is to lettuce.

Massaging kale (rubbing or scrunching kale together) is a technique that helps break down its tough, fibrous exterior. This technique produces a much more tender salad that is more flavorful and easier to chew.

To massage kale:

• Wash kale. Remove the thick, hard stem. Even if you have pre-chopped kale, check every piece and discard remnants of the stem.
• Bunch the kale together and chop it finely into small bite-sized bits (see photo above).
• Place the chopped kale in a large bowl. Using both of your hands, grab fistfuls of kale and scrunch. The motion is similar to when you are shampooing your hair.
• Stop scrunching once the kale becomes darker green, fragrant, and reduced in size.
• You're done! Continue on with the recipe.

Massaging kale is easy because several cues will let you know if you're doing it right. When massaged, kale will reduce in size, become darker green, and have a fresh fragrant scent.

Some people prefer to massage their kale in oil and salt, but I simply massaged my kale plain and then later on added in some of my Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette.

How to Make Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette:

Tangy Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette compliments the apples and craisins in this recipe.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• Apple cider vinegar
• Dijon mustard
• Honey
• Freshly-squeezed lemon juice and zest
• Salt & pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a mason jar, and shake until emulsified.

Ingredients for Kale Salad:

• Kale
• Craisins
• Sliced or slivered almonds
• Pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds
• Goat cheese
• Honeycrisp apples
• Freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Kale Salad Recipe:

• To your bowl of massaged kale, add in the craisins, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and crumbled goat cheese. Add in a few splashes of Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette (only to the portion of salad you plan to eat that day), and toss until combined.
• Chop the apple, and place it into a small serving dish. Squeeze the juice from two lemon slices over top, and stir.
• Serve kale salad with the apple spooned over top and extra dressing on the side. Pairs well with marinated chicken and grilled salmon.

Equipment

You only need basic kitchen tools to make Kale Salad. I recommend:

• A mason jar for the dressing
• A lemon squeezer for the lemon
• A salad bowl and salad tongs for serving

Notes on Chopped Kale Apple Salad:

• Massage your kale before assembling the salad.
• You can make the dressing ahead of time if you wish. Store it in the refrigerator for 2-4 days. Tip: Sometimes olive oil can harden after a few days in the refrigerator. If this happens, simply let your dressing sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour, or until room temp.
• Cut only one apple at a time (enough for that meal's serving) to prevent browning. Toss with lemon juice.
• Kale doesn't get quite as soggy as lettuce, but it also isn't as immune to sogginess as cabbage. I prefer to put the dressing on the kale right before serving. I store it assembled with the nuts, craisins, seeds, and goat cheese, keeping the apple and dressing separate.
• This salad is amazing served all by itself but it also pairs well with marinated chicken and grilled salmon.

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