Kale Broccoli Salad with Homemade Poppyseed Dressing

This Kale Broccoli Salad is jam-packed with crunchy vegetables, like broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, and radicchio (similar to the bagged ones you can find at the grocery store - but made even better!). It's topped with sweet cranberries, toasted almonds, and salty parmesan cheese, as well as a homemade mayonnaise and greek yogurt-based poppy seed dressing for the best sweet and tangy bite!

Make it in under 30 minutes for a quick and easy side dish. With 8 hearty servings, this veggie-packed salad can be great for holiday gatherings, quick dinners, or make-ahead meal prep.

Kale salads don't have to be tough and fibrous!

Too often, we find that we spend countless hours washing, chopping, and preparing vegetables for kale salads, just to be left completely disappointed when they turn out incredibly dry, tough, and hard to chew! We so badly want to eat something nutritious and filled with flavor, but REALLY don't want to feel like we're stuffing some grass in our mouths just for a bit of nourishment.

So, instead of that well-known bitter, fibrous bite, this Kale Broccoli Salad offers a different approach. We thinly slice the kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and radicchio so everything is bite-sized and easy to chew. We, then, top it with a mayonnaise, greek-yogurt, apple cider vinegar, and citrus-based homemade poppyseed dressing to help break down the tough fibers of the leafy vegetables.

Just like our other popular kale salads, like our Kale Apple Slaw, the sweet and acidic dressings help soften the veggies, while also adding a balance to their bitter flavors.

To serve as a complete meal, we like to pair this salad with our favorite proteins - grilled chicken, BBQ tofu, medium-rare steak, or a simple baked salmon are all great options.

Key Ingredients Needed for this Sweet and Savory Salad

• Crunchy vegetables: The combination of kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and radicchio ensures that this salad won't get soggy as it sits in the dressing. Actually, quite the opposite! The dressing helps it become even more palatable, the longer it sits, as the acid softens the veggies' tough fibers.
• Toasted almonds: Making sure the almonds are toasted helps build flavor. Toasting gives them a nuttier flavor and even more crunch!
• Dried cranberries: A favorite for their added sweetness. However, dried cherries, blueberries, or other dried fruits would work just as well.
• Homemade poppyseed dressing: We love a homemade dressing so we can adjust the flavors to our own taste. This dressing has a balance of creaminess, acidity, and subtle sweetness from the addition of honey.

How to Assemble Kale Broccoli Salad

1. Finely chop the kale and the florets only of the broccoli.
2. Use a food processor fitted with a shredding attachment to shred the broccoli stalks, brussels sprouts, and radicchio.

3. Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk to combine.
4. Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, toss together kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, radicchio, cranberries, and almonds. Drizzle with dressing, and toss until evenly coated. Top with parmesan cheese, and enjoy!

Top Tips from the CK Test Kitchen!

• Chop! Chop! Chop! If the vegetables are cut too large, they won't soften from the dressing, resulting in a tougher salad. Utilizing your food processor to cut them into bite-sized pieces helps you save time AND chops the veggies to a more desired consistency.
• This salad is hardy enough for meal prep. Because the vegetables don't get too soggy from the dressing, you can store this salad (with dressing!) for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. If you'd like it to last a few days longer, just store the greens and dressing in separate containers instead.
• Looking to make this dairy free? Simply use plant-based parmesan cheese and a dairy-free greek yogurt.

More Kale Salad Recipes You'll Love

We can't wait for you to serve this Kale Broccoli Salad in your own home! If you do, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram. We can't wait to see what you're cooking!

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