Simple Kale Salad Recipes

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Looking for a way to add more protein, calcium, and fiber to your diet? There’s no better way to do that than with these easy Kale Salad Recipes.

This is the amazing Chipotle Sauce we use on fries, blooming onions, black bean burgers, and even on sandwiches & salads. Recipe links for those delicious dishes are also included. RECIPE👉 https://eatplant-based.com/low-fat-chipotle-ranch-sauce/

Kale, kale, and more kale

Of all the healthy greens, kale is king! It is among the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet.

A cup full of kale can help your body out in a number of ways. Here’s what all those vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant compounds in kale can do:

  • Reduce your risk of chronic disease: The immune-boosting carotenoids in kale help protect cells from the DNA disruption and oxidative stress that can, over time, increase your risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and some cancers.

  • Protect against vision loss: Just one cup of kale has more than your whole day’s worth of the carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene, which help shield ocular tissues from harmful UV damage and may reduce your risk of cataracts.

  • Help lower blood pressure: The potassium, calcium, and magnesium in kale and other veggies help counterbalance the effects of sodium that can lead to hypertension. 

  • Strengthen your bones: Kale supplies 10% of your daily value for calcium, an important nutrient linked to bone-mineral density — good to know if you’re lactose intolerant!—Good Housekeeping

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

How to prepare kale for salad

Kale has been called the angry lettuce, because is it much more fibrous and less delicate than say baby spinach, romaine, or other leafy greens. The good news is that you can eat kale raw in a salad with one easy trick.

raw kale on cutting board

I have found that massaging kale with lemon or orange juice and a little sea salt makes it much more tender and flavorful. And who can blame it? We all could use a little massage to soften our attitude every now and then!

massaged kale salad
Massaging kale only take about 2-3 minutes.

How long should you massage kale? Surprisingly, it only takes about 2-3 minutes.

Though the stems are edible, they are the most fibrous part of the plant, so I advise taking them out to make a more delicate dish.

One thing I’ve noticed with the pre-cut kale in bags is that the leaves are sliced horizontally which causes the stems to be included in them. The stems are so fibrous that it’s best to take them out for most recipes.

Those cut bags of kale are great for things like smoothies, but not so much for raw kale salad. I always buy the whole leaf kale and de-stem it, because it only takes a few minutes.

The fastest way to destem kale

Destemming is not difficult and doesn’t even require a knife or scissors.

To strip out the stems, simply grasp a kale leaf with one hand by the stem. Wrap your other hand firmly around the lower end of the leafy part. Slide your hand up the leaf, staying close to the stem, to strip off the leafy part.

hand holding bunch of kale

There is even a kitchen tool called Loose Leaf Kale, Chard, Collard Greens and Herb Stripper to make it very simple. Pictured above with Amazon affiliate link.

Kale salad recipes

From massaged kale salad recipes to kale quinoa salad recipes, we love kale salads, and these are some of our favorites!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

Simple Kale Salad Recipes

Looking for a way to add more protein, calcium, and fiber to your diet? There’s no better way to do that than with these easy kale salad recipes. Click on each of the photos, recipe titles, or 'Get the Recipe' buttons to see full recipes with ingredients, measurements, instructions, and a print button.


Most kale salads will keep a few days in the refrigerator for a nutritious lunch option or a dinner side dish during the busy work week. For more kale recipe ideas check out our kale category page

Great way to keep a healthy lifestyle on track and keep you feeling amazing!

Other great salad recipes

 

About Terri Edwards

Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy.  I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…

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