Are you ready for the best way to eat kale? This simple kale salad recipe has the power to transform hearts and minds everywhere. After one bite, you’ll agree that those green leaves smothered in a lemony, garlicky Parmesan dressing can only be one thing: irresistibly delicious! Tender kale gets a vibrant boost from juicy lemon, salty Parmesan, fresh garlic and olive oil. We’ve served this easy salad to so many guests and it always gets rave reviews, like: This is the best kale salad ever! Who knew that eating raw kale could taste so good?
Best kale for this salad: Tuscan kale
There are a few types of kale you can find at the grocery store. Most mainstream groceries carry both Tuscan kale and curly kale, found in large bunches in the produce section. The best type for this kale salad recipe is Tuscan kale. It has a milder, sweeter flavor and is more suited for a salad where you’re eating the kale raw. If you can’t find it, curly kale works too! Here’s the difference between the varieties:
Tuscan kale has dark green, flat leaves. It’s also sometimes called Lacinato or dinosaur kale, because the pattern on the leaves looks scaly like a dinosaur skin. The flavor of Tuscan kale is milder and sweeter than curly kale. Curly kale is brighter green and very curly! Its raw flavor is a little more bitter and spicy, but it can still work in this salad due to the strength of the flavors in the dressing.
How to make kale salad: basic steps
Raw kale can taste pretty bitter. But add a flavor popping Italian-style vinaigrette of lemon, Parmesan cheese, and garlic, and the kale mellows to meld beautifully with the other flavors. Even better: the sturdy texture of the kale holds up well in a salad, and provides an extra crunch when eating. When we make this salad, we can’t stop eating it! Here are the main steps to make this kale salad (or skip to the recipe):
Prep the kale: Destem and chop the kale. Make the garlicky Parmesan dressing: start by using your knife blade to form the garlic into a paste. Mince the garlic, then add salt and scrape the blade back and forth over the garlic until it forms into a paste. Mix the garlic paste with lemon, olive oil, Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. Serve: Add the dressing and top with lemon zest. Add croutons or even a showering of panko or crunchy breadcrumbs if you like.
Variation: kale Caesar salad
Love a good Caesar dressing instead? Kale Caesar Salad is another way to enjoy a good kale salad, and it’s similar to this one. Instead, whip up our favorite homemade Caesar dressing to coat the kale leaves. The creamy dressing is irresistibly tasty, and we like it showered with crunchy panko breadcrumbs.
Kale nutrition
Why eat this kale salad recipe? Leafy greens like kale are some of the healthiest foods you can eat. Eating more kale is a great way to increase the total nutrient content of your diet! So making this salad makes sense all around. Here’s the breakdown:
Kale is full of nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber. It’s packed with beta carotene and Vitamin K, and contains 10% of your daily vitamin C. 1 cup of raw kale has 33 calories, 6 grams of carbs, and 3 grams of protein. Because of its low calorie content, kale is among the most nutrient-dense foods on earth. It also has a relatively high protein content for a green vegetable.
How to chop kale for salad
What’s the best way to stem or chop kale for this kale salad? We’ve toyed with various methods over the years, but we’ve finally ended up with one that is slick and simple:
Fold the leaves of the kale together and hold them with your non-cutting hand. Cut off the tough stem with a large chef’s knife. Roll up the kale leaves and cut them into slices, using a circular motion with the knife. Rotate the slices and chop them in the other direction to make small pieces. Repeat for all the kale leaves.
Ways to serve this kale salad
This kale salad is classic and the perfect green salad to pair with for all sorts of dinner recipes. It goes particularly well with Italian recipes, but it truly pairs well with anything! It works in fall, winter, spring or anytime. Here are a few dinner recipes we’d pair it with:
Pizza like Best Margherita Pizza or these favorite pizza recipes Soups like Classic Bean Soup, Chickpea Soup, Easy Lentil Soup, Red Lentil Soup, or Cozy White Bean Soup Pasta like Vegetarian Lasagna, Burrata Pasta, or Truffle Mac and Cheese Vegetarian mains like Eggplant Parmesan or Eggplant Rollatini Seafood like Shrimp Scampi, Baked Tilapia, Easy Baked Fish, or Pecan Crusted Salmon
More kale recipes
There are so many ways to cook this wholesome leafy green! Here are a few more favorite kale recipes:
Try this Easy Kale Soup Go for a great Kale Caesar Salad, Quinoa Salad or Kale Quinoa Salad Blend up a Best Kale Smoothie or Kale Pesto Opt for Best Ever Sauteed Kale or Roasted Kale
This kale salad recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based and dairy-free, omit the cheese. 5 from 1 review Adapted from 101 Cookbooks
