Level up your nutrient game with this superfood Crunchy Kale Salad! Featuring a zesty lemon-parsley vinaigrette, sunflower seeds, chickpeas, avocado, dried cranberries, and more, this healthy kale salad recipe is packed with micronutrients.
Jam packed with delicious goodies like chickpeas, dried cranberries, avocado, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, red onion, and parmesan cheese, this simple yet wildly delicious kale salad recipe may just be the only kale salad you’ll ever need!
In addition to the flavorful fresh ingredients, the lemon-parsley vinaigrette adds so much pomp and circumstance to the affair that you’ll question why you ever passed judgment upon the leafy green, kale.
For those of you who enjoy a meatless meal from time to time or a healthy side dish, this versatile recipe is here for you.
Enjoy meal prepping for an easy lunch to bring to work? This beauty’s your jam for meal prep.
Back when I was developing recipes for my cookbook, Let Them Eat Kale!, I was eating various kinds of kale salad recipes on a weekly basis.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, I would be fibbing if I didn’t report needing a long hiatus from the leafy green following that cookbook.
Fear not, I did redeem my love and adoration, and now I’m here with the best kale salad I believe I’ve ever made.
Why do I believe this is the best kale salad, and what makes a kale salad so great? I have many tricks for the best kale salad. Let me break it down, my friend!
What Makes The Best Kale Salad?:
Massaged Kale: My trick for massaging the kale helps soften the leaves to make them much easier to chew and shovel into your mouth.
I apply this tool to all of my kale salad recipes because I find the texture is just far superior with the method than without it.
In addition to massaging the kale, chopping it into bite-sized pieces first ensures the hearty green is easier to consume.
An alternative to massaging a raw kale salad is to lightly cook the kale in a small skillet. The end goal is to make it a pleasure to eat.
Amazing Dressing: An amazing homemade dressing is what ultimately wins the seal of approval for any salad. The refreshing zesty lemon-parsley dressing is everything here! I’ve made this dressing so many times over the years, I’ve simply lost count.
Crunchy Seeds: Any variety of nuts or seeds adds a lovely salty crunch with that amazing nutty flavor. I just can’t have a salad without some form of crunch! I like using pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, but pecans, walnuts, and sliced almonds are great options too.
Delicious Parmesan and Avocado: Bringing lots of creamy texture and umami flavor, avocado and parmesan cheese (respectively)
Something Sweet: Controversial opinion, but I think every salad needs a sweet element, like fresh blueberries, chopped apple, dried cranberries, or even just a sweet dressing.
This helps complete the flavor profile so that you feel like every bite is packed with a big punch of goodness. For this particular salad, we lean on dried cranberries for the sweet element.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for the best kale salad recipe! The full ingredients list for this easy salad recipe can be found at any grocery store.
Ingredients for Crunchy Kale Salad:
Fresh Kale: We chop up one head of kale and turn it into the best kale salad on the planet! Any kind of kale works.
I like to use curly kale, but Tuscan kale (also known as dinosaur kale or lacinato kale), and red kale work just as well.
Just be sure to get enough kale to amount to about 6 cups when chopped. If you’re using lacinato kale (dinosaur kale), you will likely need 3 bunches of kale.
Fresh Lemon: Did you know massaging kale with lemon juice helps to soften it up so that it is easier to chew?
I perform this step each and every time I make kale salad because it really enhances the whole experience. And it only adds a couple minutes of prep time!
Lime juice works here too but I prefer the flavor of lemon in this application.
Garbanzo Beans (also known as Chickpeas): Chickpea lovers, you’re going to get a kick out of the chickpea and kale combo here! We add one can of chickpeas (a.k.a. Garbanzo beans) to the salad, which brings some plant-based protein, fiber, and texture.
Avocado: Creamy avocado brings a delightful texture and richness to the salad, which adds to its satiety. If you’re a huge avocado fan, use two instead of one!
Dried Cranberries: Bringing tangy, sweet flavor to this healthy kale salad, dried cranberries do a lot of heavy lifting in the flavor department. You can replace them with raisins, dried blueberries, or fresh fruit like fresh berries if you’d like.
Parmesan Cheese: This all-star ingredient works magic in leveling up the rustic flavor, giving this savory salad big umami flavor. If you aren’t into parm, you can skip it but I highly recommend keeping it in.
Red Onion: Zingy red onion brings a big bright tang to the salad. I find finely chopping the onion helps distribute its flavor evenly so that you aren’t left with big hits of overwhelming onion.
Sunflower Seeds and Pumpkin Seeds: The crunchy element that makes us all swoon! I enjoy a combination of pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds due to their nutty flavor and their hormone balancing properties.
Lemon Parsley Dressing Ingredients:
Avocado Oil: We need some kind of oil to use as the fat portion of the salad dressing recipe. I like using avocado oil because it has a neutral flavor, but olive oil works great too. I don’t recommend using seed oils due to their inflammatory nature.
Fresh Lemon Juice: Lemon juice is the acidic portion of the recipe for a classic salad dressing tang.
Dijon Mustard: A touch of mustard adds a savory, tangy je ne sais quoi that makes you go, “Hmmm…what’s that?” It’s only a little, so don’t freak out.
Fresh Parsley: The star of the salad dressing, we need some fresh chopped parsley. This herby ingredient adds freshness and is also packed with antioxidants, bringing even more superfood properties to this healthy salad recipe.
Fresh Garlic: A little fresh garlic does big favors for the lemon vinaigrette, as it completes the classic salad dressing vibe.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Add salt and pepper to your personal taste. I don’t typically add salt due to the saltiness of the parmesan cheese.
If you’re skipping the salty parmesan cheese, you’ll want to add a pinch of salt.
Recipe Customizations:
- Replace the parmesan cheese with feta cheese, asiago cheese, gorgonzola cheese, blue cheese, or goat cheese.
- Use any kind of nut or seed, such as walnuts, pecans, sliced almonds, hemp seeds, pine nuts, and even flax seeds.
- For a dairy-free vegan option, replace the parmesan cheese with ½ cup of nutritional yeast.
- I love the brightness of the fresh lemon juice in the lemon-parsley dressing, but apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or any type of vinegar works here too.
- Incorporate your favorite fresh vegetables as desired. Raw broccoli, cherry tomatoes, celery, sprouts, roasted beets, and grated carrots are all great options.
- For a protein-packed meal, add 3 to 4 cups of cooked chopped chicken breast or shredded rotisserie chicken. You can also serve the salad alongside steak or salmon for a balanced meal.
- If you aren’t a fan of beans, you can skip them, or you can replace them with 2 cups of cooked quinoa (be sure it’s cooled first).
- Prefer other leafy greens for salads? Skip the kale and use 6 cups of Spring green mix, baby spinach, romaine lettuce, or any kind of leafy green you enjoy.
- Replace the lemony dressing with your favorite salad dressing.
- Add one tablespoon of pure maple syrup to the lemon dressing for a sweeter dressing.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients for this amazing kale salad, let’s make it!
How to Make Crunchy Kale Salad:
Begin by making the dressing. Combine the salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup and stir well until combined. Set aside or refrigerate in an airtight jar until ready to use.
Soak the kale leaves in water for 15 minutes. This helps clean the leaves and remove any unwanted critters. Drain the leaves and give them a good shake. If they seem very wet, you can pat the kale leaves dry with paper towels or use a salad spinner to spin off any excess water.
Transfer the kale leaves to a large cutting board. Use a sharp knife to separate the leaves from the tough stems. I do this by standing up a leaf and running a knife down the sides of the stalk to release the leaves.
You can also perform this step by tearing the leaves off of the thick stems using your hands.
Discard the kale stems and chop the leaves finely into small pieces. This will make the kale easier to chew and consume.
Transfer the chopped kale leaves to a large bowl and squeeze a whole lemon into the bowl with the leaves. Use your hands to massage the lemon juice into the leaves.
This process helps break down some of the tough fibers, which makes the kale easier to chew and digest. It also compresses the leaves so that they aren’t so springy, making lots of kale easier to handle.
Add the drained garbanzo beans, diced avocado, dried cranberries, grated parmesan cheese, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds (the rest of the salad ingredients) to the mixing bowl.
Pour in your desired amount of lemon-parsley dressing (I use the whole batch) and use salad tongs or two large wooden spoons to toss everything together until all of the ingredients are coated with dressing and are well distributed.
Taste the salad for flavor and add any additional ingredients such as a drizzle of olive oil or more sunflower seeds to your personal taste.
Serve the salad and enjoy!
Store leftover kale salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. If you intend on making the salad last longer, only add the avocado and the dressing just before eating the salad.
This prevents the avocado from turning brown too quickly and ensures the salad ingredients don’t get soggy.
The next time you’re in the mood for a mega crunch salad, whip up this healthy dreamy green machine!
If you love kale salads, also try my Roasted Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Avocado and Jammy Egg or my Massaged Kale Salad with Rosemary Walnuts.
Are you a salad lover? I have so many filling salad recipes on this site and I hope you try some others! Here are some of my personal favorites.
More Healthy Salad Recipes:
- Chicken Bacon Avocado Ranch Salad
- Crunchy Cabbage Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Italian Salad
- Shredded Brussel Sprout Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad
Enjoy this epic display of micronutrients!
Sunflower Crunch Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch kale rinsed well and chopped (6 cups)*
- 1 large lemon juiced
- 1 (15-oz) can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- 1 large ripe avocado diced
- 2/3 cup parmesan cheese grated, to taste
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup red onion finely chopped
- ⅓ cup sunflower seeds
- ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds
Lemon Parsley Dressing:
- 5 Tbsp avocado oil
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ¼ cup fresh parsley loosely packed
- 1 small clove garlic optional
- Pinch sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Begin by making the dressing. Combine the salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup and stir well until combined. Set aside or refrigerate in an airtight jar until ready to use.
- Soak the kale leaves in water for 15 minutes. This helps clean the leaves and remove any unwanted critters. Drain the leaves and give them a good shake. If they seem very wet, you can pat the kale leaves dry with paper towels or use a salad spinner to spin off any excess water.
- Transfer the kale leaves to a large cutting board. Use a sharp knife to separate the leaves from the tough stems. I do this by standing up a leaf and running a knife down the sides of the stalk to release the leaves. You can also perform this step by tearing the leaves off of the thick stems using your hands.
- Discard the kale stems and chop the leaves finely into small pieces. This will make the kale easier to chew and consume.
- Transfer the chopped kale leaves to a large bowl and squeeze a whole lemon into the bowl with the leaves. Use your hands to massage the lemon juice into the leaves. This process helps break down some of the tough fibers, which makes the kale easier to chew and digest. It also compresses the leaves so that they aren’t so springy, making lots of kale easier to handle.
- Add the drained garbanzo beans, diced avocado, dried cranberries, grated parmesan cheese, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds (the rest of the salad ingredients) to the mixing bowl.
- Pour in your desired amount of lemon-parsley dressing (I use the whole batch) and use salad tongs or two large wooden spoons to toss everything together until all of the ingredients are coated with dressing and are well distributed. Taste the salad for flavor and add any additional ingredients such as a drizzle of olive oil or more sunflower seeds to your personal taste.
- Serve the salad and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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can i leave out the cheese?
Hi Leah! Absolutely! I do find the parmesan adds a marvelous savory flavor but I’ve made this salad (and others like it) without cheese and still love the way it turns out. Hope you enjoy! xo