I’m in love. The dressing alone on this Apple Dijon Kale Salad was enough to make me swoon. It’s just a very simple Dijon vinaigrette, but it’s so good that I kept dipping my spoon in for taste after taste. And because kale is so sturdy, it stands up well to being pre-dressed with the vinaigrette, making this salad great for weekly meal prep. In fact, I’m sure that as the juice from the apples begins to mingle with the dressing, it will only make it even better.
I love that this salad combines so many flavors and textures in one bowl. You have the slightly bitter flavor of the curly kale, the sweet and crispy apples, crunchy walnuts, and super sweet raisins. Then, all of that is topped off with a tangy dijon vinaigrette. It just all works.
How to Serve Apple Kale Dijon Salad
Eat this Apple Dijon Kale Salad with a cool glass of crisp white wine, some awesome crusty bread, and maybe some cheddar cheese. That’s what I call the perfect summer dinner.
See this recipe used in my weekly meal prep.
Apple Dijon Kale Salad
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil ($0.69)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar ($0.24)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.08)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard ($0.14)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 10-15 cranks freshly cracked pepper ($0.05)
- 1/2 lb chopped kale (about one bunch) ($2.32)
- 1 medium granny smith apple ($0.79)
- 1/4 cup raisins ($0.27)
- 1/2 cup walnut halves ($0.80)
Instructions
- Rinse the kale well in a colander under cool running water. Allow the kale to drain as you prepare the rest of the salad.
- In a blender combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, clove of garlic, salt, and pepper. Blend until the garlic is minced and the dressing is smooth.
- Wash the apple and slice it into thin wedges, or dice it into cubes. Roughly chop the walnut halves. Make sure the kale is as dry as possible and then add it to a large bowl along with the apples, walnuts, and raisins. Starting with just half, drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Add more dressing as desired (I used the whole batch).
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Nutrition
How to Make Apple Dijon Kale Salad – Step By Step Photos
Pre-chopped bagged kale is pretty easy to find these days and fairly inexpensive (since it doesn’t wilt quickly), so I usually pay for this convenience. I used roughly 1/2 pound, or about what you’d get from one large bunch of kale.
I like to chop the kale into even smaller pieces for use in fresh salads because it makes the kale easier to chew and eat (if cooking the kale I generally leave it in larger pieces). Place the chopped kale in a colander and rinse well under cool running water. Let the kale drain as you prepare the dressing.
Now it’s time to make the AH-MAZING dressing. Just add 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1.5 Tbsp Dijon mustard, one clove of peeled garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper to a blender.
Then blend the dressing until smooth. Taste the dressing and adjust the salt or pepper if you’d like. If you find the dressing too tangy for your liking, you can add a small amount of honey or sugar to help tone it down, but I suggest leaving it really tangy because it creates a nice juxtaposition of flavors in the salad. I love this little $15 Hamilton Beach blender, BTW! (affiliate link)
Now chop the toppings. I sliced the apple into thin wedges, but you could also dice it. Roughly chop 1/2 cup walnuts because smaller pieces mean more in every bite… but pieces that are *too* small means not enough texture. Find the happy medium. The raisins are already the perfect size.
Before you build the salad, make sure that kale is as dry as possible. Shake the water off and if you’re feeling like an over achiever, get in there with a paper towel to absorb some more. Put the kale in a large bowl, add the apples, walnuts, and raisins. Pour the dressing on, starting with just half, then toss to coat. Add more dressing if desired. I desired ALL OF IT. ;D
And now you’re ready to eat this epic Apple Dijon Kale Salad. Seriously, add a glass of some dry riesling or something else crisp. You won’t be sorry. Oohh, this would be great with some grilled meat. I LOVE SUMMER.
I made this as part of my work-from-home meal plan and had expected to get a good weeks worth of lunches from it. Well last night we had leftovers for dinner, my kids discovered it and now I have to make another batch! Delicious, simple and healthy. Another Budget Bytes winner 🏆.
Hello! This is part of the Vegan Meal Plan, but I’m allergic to apples. Any suggestions as to what could be a good substitute for the fresh apple?
Pears would be fantastic!
Thanks Beth!
I made the salad last night and it was a great hit! I made two modifications. I made the dressing ahead of time and ran the garlic through a garlic press. Then I just had to whisk the ingredients together. I also used candied walnuts rather than plain. Everyone at book club raved over it.
Delicious!
This salad was on point an extremely flavorful. I do agree with some posts that the vinegar cpu,d be scaled down a bit as well as the olive oil. But, outside of some minor changes it’s awesome.
I mean could be scaled down.
Hands down my FAVORITE, go-to fall or winter salad. I crave it all the time! The kale stays crisp, the acid from the dressing keeps the apples fresh and the combo of all the flavors is delish! Instead of raisins, I add dried cranberries for a little more color. Sometimes I add rotisserie chicken to make it a full meal. I often serve this salad with Thanksgiving to lighten up the table. You have to try this salad!
This is probably my all-time favorite salad – I’ve been making it almost every week for the past…year or thereabouts? A while, anyway. XD
This is everything I need from a salad – robust enough to hold up over several days in the fridge (and even gets better as it rests), hearty enough to be a meal by itself, full of interesting textures and flavors (although I tend to leave out the raisins, as I find the apple is plenty sweet for me), and full of hearty, nutritious ingredients. I like that the acids keeps the apples from going brown or soft over time, and that the kale gets mellower and less earthy as it melds with the dressing.
The only thing I do differently is, instead of using a blender, I mince the garlic ahead of time and shake everything up in a jar until it emulsifies – another trick I learned from Beth, and one that has saved me a lot of time and effort over the years. Plus, it’s fun! :)
Amazing Salad! I picked up kale from my CSA at the beginning of the summer and wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. Now I make this salad literally every week and sometimes even more often to have on hand as a healthy side to meals. I will say I prefer it the day after as the kale softens and it becomes less vinegar-y, but that’s just personal preference. Beth you never fail to impress!
Why did the dressing emulsify? Woke up to gooey clump. :(
When you say “woke up to” that means you refrigerated it overnight, correct? (It does need to be refrigerated, just making sure that’s what you meant.) Olive oil does often thicken up and partially solidify when refrigerated, so that’s probably what you experienced. It’s still 100% fine, just let it warm up a bit at room temperature, give it a stir or shake, and you’re back in business. :)
You are correct lol, put leftover dressing was in frig overnight. It’s fine now after your suggestions.
I know I’m late to the party (shelter in place and having to prepare meals at home, just discovered Budget Bytes) but this salad is so good, hearty and easy.
Stay safe and healthy Beth!
While I like the ingredients for the salad, the dressing calls for way too much vinegar.
Many recipes say to “massage” raw kale. I’ve only ever made cooked kale. No massage required?
You certainly can massage it and trim from the stalks if you prefer.
I loved this salad. And dressing was so easy. Definitely putting in my rotation.
I crave this salad when I’m coming back from a vacation and I need something healthy and simple! The dressing is a delicious staple!
Any suggestions for a vegetarian protein source to go with this? I was going to add some feta or goat cheese, because, well, cheese, but maybe chickpeas or something?
There are a lot of great options Steph! Have you seen our post on 5 Plant Based Proteins?
I just whisked the dressing, it was fine, and I preferred dried cranberries. I love this salad!