Kale Crunch Salad with Apple Cider-Dijon Dressing
This healthy kale crunch salad is so easy and loaded with sweet apple slices, crunchy almonds, curly kale and crispy cabbage. Also features a tangy dijon-apple cider dressing that's made completely without oil. Perfect side salad and great for meal-prep.
Servings: 4
Calories: 173kcal
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch of curly kale cleaned, stems removed and chopped in bite size
- 1 green apple thinly sliced
- 1 ½ cup green cabbage thinly sliced
- ¾ cup carrots shredded
- ½ cup almonds raw or roasted, roughly chopped
For the dressing
- ¼ cup orange juice I used freshly squeezed orange juice
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp shallots finely diced
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and whisk. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the kale, green cabbage and the dressing. Then, using your hands or tongs, massage the kale for 2-5 minutes by pressing the dressing into the leaves. This will help tenderize the kale and cabbage.
- Then, add the apple, carrots and stir to combine. If you want the kale to be be more tender before eating, then let the salad rest for 20-30 minutes. Add the almonds just before eating to keep them crunchier. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Storage: This is a great recipe for meal-prep. The salad is good in the fridge for up to 24 hours when combined with the dressing. OR, if you want to meal-prep it way ahead, then combine the whole salad ingredients except for the almonds + apple (they will turn brown) and keep the dressing apart in a jar until ready to eat.
- I think roasted almonds work better in this recipe, but honestly I often simply use raw almonds and it works well. It's just quicker and more convenient for me. You can buy already roasted and salted almonds or roast raw almonds in a non-stick pan on medium heat for a few minutes or until fragrant.
- The sliced green apple tends to brown when resting at ambient air. I find that the apple slices are not browning as much after in contact with the acidic dressing though. Simply slice the apple when ready to add to the salad opposed to slicing it ahead.
- Chop the kale in small bite size, it just easier and more pleasant to eat that way.
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
Nutrition
Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 4369IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 1mg