Description
This kale salad with a light and tangy apple cider vinaigrette is the perfect fall side dish. Packed with seasonal produce like apples, pomegranate seeds and curly kale, this quick and easy salad is great with just about any main dish!
Ingredients
Apple Cider Vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup apple cider*
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salad:
- 2 apples, core removed and diced (we used Honeycrisp)
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 8 cups finely chopped curly kale (~1 large bunch of kale with stems removed)
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1/3 cup roasted, salted pumpkin seeds/pepitas
- 1/2 cup vegan or regular feta cheese
Instructions
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Slice the apples and toss with lemon juice to prevent browning. Set aside.
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Whisk together the ingredients for the apple cider vinaigrette until well combined and set aside.
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Finely chop the kale and add to a large bowl. Pour half of the dressing over the kale and use your hands or large tongs to massage the dressing into the kale. This helps soften the kale, making it easier to eat. We suggest massaging the kale for about 1-2 minutes.
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Add the apples, pomegranate, pumpkin seeds and feta to the kale and pour in remaining dressing. Toss well to combine and serve right away.
Notes
*Apple cider is not the same as apple cider vinegar.
Apples: We used honeycrisp apples in this fall kale salad, but you can use other common varieties like Fuji, Pink Lady, Granny Smith or Gala.
Toss the apples in lemon juice: Toss your apples in a little bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice just after cutting. The acidity keeps them from browning, which means you can store this salad for longer.
Massage the kale: To help soften the kale (and make it easier to eat), we use our hands to massage the dressing into it. We gently squeeze the kale and toss it until it's well coated. Your hands are the best tool for this, but if you're worried about germs, consider using food safe gloves or tongs. Tongs are a bit more difficult to use, so you may need to massage for a bit longer.
Storage: If you're not eating this salad right away, we suggest storing the apple cider vinaigrette separately. If you are making for meal prep, wait to add the apples until before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Bowl
- Calories: 366
- Sugar: 6.3 g
- Sodium: 1112.2 mg
- Fat: 27.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 26.7 g
- Fiber: 6.5 g
- Protein: 9.6 g
Keywords: fall kale salad, apple cider vinaigrette