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Home » Recipes » 30-Minute Meals

Winter Kale Salad

By Erin · December 21, 2020 · Updated June 16, 2022 · Leave a Comment

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kale salad in a bowl with text over top

This Winter Kale Salad will quickly become your favorite wintertime side dish. It features kale, apple, pecans, and pomegranate seeds and is drizzled in a simple yet flavorful red wine vinegar dressing.

kale in a bowl with apple, pecans and pomegranate seeds

If you didn't already know, I am absolutely obsessed with kale salads. They're so versatile, and the texture is so much better than spinach (in my opinion).

I love my kale taco salad and of course my grilled corn kale salad, but both of those are very summer-y. I figured it was about time I create a winter kale salad recipe.

Maybe you're looking for an easy yet healthy holiday side/salad recipe? Well, this is it!

Recipe features

  • An easy, tasty way to eat kale (definitely NOT a boring kale salad)
  • Topped with winter seasonal ingredients like pecans, apple and pomegranate
  • Ready in just 10 minutes, and can be enjoyed on its own or as a side to garlic salmon, vodka rigatoni or vegan eggplant parmesan
kale in a bowl with text over top

Ingredient notes:

Kale - I like using lacinato kale, but I find that curly kale can be a bit easier to find; either variety works in this recipe

Apple - I used Gala (they're my favorite) -- feel free to use your favorite kind

Pecans - can sub walnuts of almonds if you prefer

Goat cheese - could use gorgonzola or feta too

Method

First: Massage the kale. This is the first step to every kale salad -- don't skip it! Drizzle the olive oil over the kale (no more than 1 tablespoon or else it'll get soggy), then use your hands to massage it, similarly to how you knead dough for bread. Do this for 30 seconds and the kale should be good to go!

kale in a glass bowl

Second: Make the dressing. Whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper together, then set it aside.

Third: Assemble the salad. Add the sliced apple, pecans, shallot, goat cheese, and pomegranate seeds to the bowl with the kale. Drizzle HALF of the dressing over top, then use kitchen tongs to toss everything together.

salad being tossed with tongs in a bowl

Before serving, top the salad off with the remaining pecans, shallot and dressing.

Tips

-Massaging kale is exactly what it sounds like: use both hands to massage the oil into the kale.

-If you don't want to use olive oil, you can use avocado oil instead. Personally, I like the flavor olive oil provides in salads, but avocado oil is a decent substitution.

Why do I have to massage the kale?

Massaging kale breaks down the bitterness of it, which not only makes it taste better, but also makes it easier to digest.

Can this be prepped ahead of time?

Yep! But, I'd wait to add the apple until right before serving; otherwise, it'll turn brown.

Can I make this vegan?

This salad is vegan-friendly minus the cheese. So, either omit the cheese or substitute with your favorite dairy-free cheese.

kale salad with apple, shallot and pomegranate seeds

More kale recipes

  • One Pot Gnocchi with Sausage and Kale
  • Kale Pesto Zoodles
  • Mediterranean Grilled Cheese Sandwich

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

kale in a bowl with apple, pecans and pomegranate seeds

Winter Kale Salad

This Winter Kale Salad will quickly become your favorite wintertime side dish. It features kale, apple, pecans, and pomegranate seeds and is drizzled in a simple yet flavorful red wine vinegar dressing.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2
Author: Erin

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch lacinato kale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 apple sliced
  • ½ cup pecans divided
  • â…“ cup shallot sliced, divided
  • 3 tablespoon goat cheese plus more for topping
  • 2 tablespoon pomegranate seeds plus more for topping

for the dressing:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Use your hands to break the kale into bite-sized pieces, removing the stems and placing the kale into a large bowl. Drizzle the kale with olive oil, then use your hands to massage the kale for at least 30 seconds, which will help break down the bitterness of the kale.
  • Next, make the dressing. Whisk olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper together in a bowl; set aside.
  • Add the apple, HALF of the pecans, HALF of the shallot, goat cheese, and pomegranate seeds to the bowl with the kale. Then, pour HALF of the dressing into the bowl and use kitchen tongs to gently toss everything together.
  • Top the salad with the remaining pecans and shallots, and reserve the rest of the dressing for drizzling over top. Add more goat cheese/pomegranate seeds as needed. Enjoy!

Notes

*Calories are per serving and are an estimation
*Serving size varies; if you're serving this salad as a meal, serving size is 2, but if you're serving it as a side, serving size is 4 
*If you want to prep this salad ahead of time, follow the instructions as-is but wait to add the apple until right before you're ready to serve
*To keep this salad vegan, simply omit the cheese or use your favorite dairy-free cheese instead. 

Nutrition

Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 136mg | Potassium: 1029mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 13753IU | Vitamin C: 171mg | Calcium: 269mg | Iron: 4mg
Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Leave a comment below and tag @thealmondeater on Instagram!
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About Erin

Erin is the recipe developer, writer and photographer behind the healthy food blog, The Almond Eater. She's been blogging since 2014 and loves to create food for many different diets, including vegan, gluten free and/or Whole30 recipes.

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I share recipes for ALL diet types because I believe that healthy food should be incredibly delicious without being complicated. Learn more

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