Fresh, clean ingredients with contrasting flavors and textures come together in this visually stunning Tuscan Kale and Apple Salad.
Start the New Year off right with this lovely Tuscan Kale and Apple Salad, a celebration of whole foods. Tuscan kale is combined with crispy apples, sweet, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and sliced almonds. The dish is topped off with some shaved Piave, an Italian cheese that adds a nice salty bite. It's an explosion of flavor and textures- you'll want to dive right in!
I like to use Tuscan kale in this dish since the leaves are more tender and milder in flavor than curly kale. I dress the salad with a simple vinaigrette made with olive oil, cider vinegar, dijon mustard and a touch of honey.
Because the kale is raw, when you add the dressing, massage it into the leaves. It not only helps the kale absorb the dressing, it will also tenderizes the leaves. Check out my post all about the nutritional benefits of kale, a superfood.
You'll pretty much get it all with this dish- protein, fiber, antioxidants, healthy fats (including omega-3s), and several essential vitamins and minerals.
If you're a fan of kale, try my Chick-fil-A kale crunch salad or my crispy kale chips.
More Tasty Apple Recipes
Looking for even more apple recipes? Check out my Best Apple Recipe Round Up!
More Tasty Salad Recipes
YOUR PATH TO WELLNESS STARTS HERE!
Get my best healthy recipes and tips sent straight to your inbox!
Recipe
Tuscan Kale and Apple Salad
Ingredients
Salad:
- 1 bunch (about 10 ounces) Tuscan kale
- 1 medium apple (like Fuji or Honeycrisp), diced
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
- 4 teaspoons sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
- 1 ounce firm cheese (like Piave, Parmigiano-Reggiano or Manchego), shaved with a vegetable peeler
Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- To make the dressing, whisk the vinegar, mustard, honey and oil together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- To make the salad, remove the kale leaves from the stems and discard the stems. Slice the leaves thinly. Place the kale in a salad bowl and add the dressing. Massage the dressing into the kale, coating all of the leaves well. This will help the kale absorb the dressing and also help tenderize the leaves. Add the apple, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds and almonds and toss to combine. Sprinkle the cheese on top and serve.
Kathy Ramos says
I would jump around also if my mom made this. It looks delish. I am going to make it soon.
Grace says
Made this for a dinner with friends and loved it so much I made it again a week later. Thanks for the recipe and I love your site!
sonaliruder says
That's great! So glad you liked it 🙂
ur says
Kale is our favorite leaf for salad. I will add your new recipe to my repertoire of salads. Just adding some apples and nuts can give the salad a new look and so healthy! Thank you.
sonaliruder says
Yes, I love using a variety of ingredients to add different textures and flavors to salads! Enjoy!
Christie Daruwalla says
This is a gorgeous salad and so healthy. I can't wait to try it.
sonaliruder says
Thanks, Christie! I hope you like it!