This kale salad comes together super fast! Fresh blueberries, crunchy walnuts, and creamy feta combine with the tender kale and tangy balsamic vinaigrette for a delicious easy meal!
Three words I never thought I’d say: I love kale.
From Roasted Vegetable Kale Salad to Green Smoothie Recipes to Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Soup – I LOVE kale!
My husband isn’t as much of a fan as me, but he’s slowly coming around. Case in point, I made him this kale salad with blueberries, walnuts, and feta and he DEVOURED the entire bowl.
And then he asked if I could make it again! THAT is how you know you have a winner!
KALE SALAD WITH BLUEBERRIES, WALNUTS, AND FETA
Aside from the fact that my husband can’t get enough of this kale salad, here are more reasons why I love putting this beauty on the meal plan:
- It comes together REALLY fast. We’re talking 10 minutes, tops.
- You can prep it ahead of time. Thank you, kale, for not wilting so easily!
- Minimal ingredients. You don’t need a lot of ingredients for this recipe – 5 salad components plus an easy 3-ingredient dressing!
- Flexible recipe. Missing something? Chances are you can substitute for something else!
- Crowd-pleaser! I made this for a neighborhood BBQ and the whole salad was GONE in minutes!
- It’s a salad that uses up produce from all seasons, so you can enjoy this salad during cold or hot weather!
INGREDIENTS FOR EASY KALE VEGGIE SALAD
I mentioned that you only need a few ingredients for this awesome kale salad recipe and that they’re flexible too. Here’s what you need:
- Kale. A super healthy ingredient! Curly kale or lacinato kale are the most common. You can try any type of kale in this recipe curly kale, Lacinat kale, dinosaur kale, Tuscan kale… (did you know there are so many??) If you’re not a fan of kale, try another dark, leafy green like spinach. Romaine lettuce would even work too.
- Blueberries. Fresh is best, so swap with another fruit if blueberries aren’t in season. Try sliced peaches in summer or apples and dried cranberries in winter.
- Walnuts. Pecans or sliced almonds work for that nutty crunch too.
- Green Beans. Or asparagus, or peas, or small broccoli florets… just another “salad-friendly” small vegetable!
- Feta cheese. Or blue cheese, or gorgonzola cheese, goat cheese or no cheese at all. Your call!
- Balsamic Vinaigrette. SUPER easy, 3-ingredient homemade kale salad dressing you simply shake in a jar to combine. (Extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and dijon mustard!)
HOW TO MAKE KALE SALAD RECIPE
In just a few minutes, you’ll have a DELICIOUS kale veggie salad on the table!
Step 1. Prepare the kale salad dressing by combining the ingredients in a jar and shaking well. A small bowl and whisk work too.
You can prepare the salad dressing ahead of time. For easy pouring out of a mason jar, try one of these reCAP mason jar lids! The pour-spout one is perfect for homemade salad dressings!
Step 2. Chop the kale into small, bite-sized pieces. Remove the stems if desired. Place the chopped kale into a large bowl and pour the dressing over the kale. Using your hands, massage kale with the dressing for 1-2 minutes.
Step 3. Top the kale salad with the blueberries, walnuts, green beans, and feta and toss gently to combine.
Step 4. Serve immediately, or as desired.
This salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, even with the dressing! You can also massage the kale with a small drizzle of olive oil and store the salad components separately for up to 7 days.
CALE SALAD RECIPE TIPS
Massaging the kale (rubbing the dressing into the kale leaves) is key to the cale salad not being bitter. You can do this early in the day, or whenever you start getting dinner ready. Just make sure to use your hands and massage; tossing the kale with the dressing isn’t good enough.
Leftover kale salads are just as good! Thanks to the hearty kale, it won’t be super soggy the next day. (Softer textures, yes, but not soggy.)
Use whatever produce is in season. Strawberries, peaches, grapes, mandarin oranges, apples… almost anything will work here.
Here’s my Strawberry Kale Salad if you would like something slightly different but with specific directions.
KALE SALAD IDEAS FOR SERVING
I really like kale salads as a main meal served with protein. Try one of these:
- Blackened Salmon
- Shredded chicken
- Steamed Shrimp
- If you’re vegetarian, Instant Pot Lentils or chickpeas would be an easy addition!
Other kale salad ideas for toppings:
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Red onions
- Fresh lemon juice
- Bacon bits
- Shaved Brussels sprouts
- Tomatoes
- Dried cranberries
- Diced avocado
HEALTHY KALE SALAD FAQS
Can you eat raw kale in salads?
Absolutely! Raw kale salad is actually my favorite way to eat kale and knowing how to massage the kale keeps it tender and perfect for salads.
Which is better for you, spinach or kale?
Both contain a lot of nutrition, but spinach offers more folate, vitamin A, and vitamin K than kale. Kale provides more than two times the amount of vitamin C as spinach. Both are linked to increased weight loss, protection against disease, and improved heart health!
MORE EASY KALE RECIPES
Some of my favorite kale salad recipes and more!
- The Best Kale Salad Recipe
- Kale Caesar Salad
- Sweet Kale Salad
- Roasted Vegetable Kale Salad
- Garlic White Bean Soup with Kale
- Green Smoothie Recipes
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Print RecipeThis kale salad comes together super fast! Fresh blueberries, crunchy walnuts, and creamy feta combine with the tender kale and tangy balsamic vinaigrette for a delicious easy meal!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 as a main meal.
- Category: Soup & Salad
- Method: Bowl
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 batch Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (recipe below)
- 1 lb kale, chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 cup green beans, steamed
- 2–4 Tbsp feta cheese, crumbled
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
- 4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1–2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the salad dressing by combining the ingredients in a jar and shaking well.
- Place the kale into a large bowl and pour the dressing over the kale. Using your hands, massage the dressing into the kale for 1-2 minutes.
- Top with the blueberries, walnuts, green beans, and feta and toss gently to combine.
- Serve immediately, or as desired.
Notes
- Massaged kale salad (massaging the dressing into the kale leaves) is key to the kale not being bitter. You can do this early in the day, or whenever you start getting dinner ready. Just make sure to use your hands and massage; tossing the kale with the dressing isn’t good enough.
- Leftovers are just as good! Thanks to the hearty kale, it won’t be super soggy the next day. (Softer, yes, but not soggy.)
- Use whatever produce is in season. Strawberries, peaches, grapes, apples… almost anything will work here.
- I like to serve this kale salad with chicken on the side, but it is also great as a vegetarian meal!
- This salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, even with the dressing! You can also massage the kale with a small drizzle of olive oil and store the salad components separately for up to 7 days.
Nutrition
- Calories: 252
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