This summer kale salad is packed with roasted cashews, sunflower seeds and juicy berries.
It's one of my go-to salad recipes. It comes together in about 20 minutes and works just as well as a light lunch or a side dish for your next backyard dinner.
What makes this easy kale salad special is the quick massaging step. It softens the leaves and pulls out that raw, bitter edge that puts a lot of people off kale in the first place.
I hope you enjoy this summer salad as much as I do!
Recipe Highlights
- Servings: makes 4 servings as a side dish
- Time Commitment: About 20 minutes (prep the ingredients for the salad while the shallots marinate in the dressing)
- Effort Required: Easy, massaging the kale takes only a minute or two.
- Special Equipment: A mason jar for shaking the dressing (a bowl and whisk work, too).
- Dietary Notes: Vegetarian and dairy-free. Substitute the honey with agave if needed.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
This easy kale salad uses simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store.
- Kale: I always use curly kale for my kale salads, because it's easy to find at most grocery stores. Lacinato kale (also called dinosaur or Tuscan kale) works too.
- Cashews: I buy pre-roasted cashews to save time. While I enjoy the buttery crunch of cashews in this recipe, roasted almonds or pecans are good substitutes.
- Sunflower Seeds: I also buy my sunflower seeds pre-roasted to save time. They add a nice crunch to this salad. Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) are a good substitute.
- Blackberries & Strawberries: These berries add a juicy pop of freshness to the salad. Feel free to swap in raspberries or blueberries instead.
For the Dressing (Vinaigrette):
- Shallot: These are milder and sweeter than a regular onion. Substitute with a little finely diced red onion, if needed.
- White Wine Vinegar: The tangy backbone of the dressing. You can use any white wine vinegar you like, including champagne vinegar.
- Olive Oil: Use a nice extra virgin olive oil, since it makes up most of the flavour of this dressing.
- Lemon Juice: One of my culinary school instructors told me to always add lemon to my vinaigrettes because it adds brightness. Fresh lemon juice works best.
- Dijon Mustard: Mustard helps the dressing emulsify and adds flavour.
- Honey: Adding honey will help to balance out the acidity from the vinegar and lemon juice. Some people prefer a really acidic dressing, so adding it is optional. Substitute with agave syrup if needed.
This recipe has not been tested with all possible substitutions or variations. Making changes may alter the taste, texture, or overall outcome. If you try a different ingredient, please share in the comments!
See the recipe card for the complete ingredient list and recipe instructions.
Variations
This massaged kale salad is easy to customize depending on what you're in the mood for or what you have in the fridge.
- Add Cheese: Feta or goat's cheese works really well in this recipe.
- Add Protein: Grilled chicken or crispy chickpeas turn this into a full meal.
Why I Make This Recipe
I'm not usually a fan of salads with lettuce, unless it's a really good Caesar salad. But kale? I could eat a kale salad every single day.
I had my first kale salad at a restaurant in Toronto, back when I was a restaurant blogger sharing my Summerlicious meals.
I remember being shocked at how good it was, because the kale salads I made at home were always tough and bitter in comparison.
The key, I later discovered, is to take a few minutes to massage the leaves with oil and salt.
I know that some of you are going to roll your eyes and write off this recipe as being "too fussy", but stay with me!
I promise the process is super easy and makes a huge difference to the texture and flavour of the kale.
How to Remove the Stems from Kale
Hold the bottom of the stem with one hand, then use your other hand to pull the leaf downward and off the stem in one motion.
If you'd rather use a knife, run the blade along both sides of the stem to slice the leaf away.
Either method works, so use whichever feels easiest to you.
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How to Make a Summer Kale Salad
This salad comes together in two parts: the dressing and the salad itself.
Step 1: Combine the shallot, vinegar, lemon juice and mustard in a mason jar. Season with salt and pepper, shake well, and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Add the olive oil and honey to the jar, then shake again until everything is combined.
Time-saving Tip: Wash and prepare the kale and berries while the shallots marinate in the dressing.
How to Massage Kale
Step 3: Add the kale to a large bowl. Drizzle a tablespoon of the dressing over the leaves and scrunch the kale with your hands for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it looks darker in colour and feels softer.
Clean Hands or Gloves? While it's totally normal to massage the kale with your clean bare hands, I prefer to use gloves because the salt and vinegar in the dressing irritates my skin.
Finishing the Salad
Step 4: Scatter the roasted cashews, sunflower seeds, blackberries and strawberries over the chopped kale.
Step 5: Drizzle with the remaining dressing just before serving.
Tips for Success
- Don't skip the massaging step. It's what turns tough, bitter kale into a salad you'll want to eat.
- If your cashew and sunflower seeds are raw, toast them in a dry pan for a few minutes before adding them to the salad. It brings out a lot more flavour.
- Make the dressing ahead of time. The flavour is even better on the second day, and it will last for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Serve With
This raw kale salad is hearty enough to stand on its own, but it also pairs nicely with grilled chicken or salmon for a more filling meal.
A slice of crusty bread on the side is always a good idea too.
Common Questions
Yes. This process breaks down the tough kale fibres, which makes it much more enjoyable to eat!
You can make the dressing, wash, de-stem and tear the kale ahead of time. Store them in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the salad. I don't recommend massaging the kale with the dressing until you're ready to eat. Once dressed, this salad is best consumed the day you make it.
More Salad Recipes You'll Love
If you make this summer kale salad recipe, let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Recipe Card
Summer Kale Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon finely diced shallots
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey, (optional but recommended)
For the Salad:
- 8 cups kale, stems removed, leaves chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces (1 bunch)
- 1 cup blackberries
- 1 cup strawberries, sliced
- ½ cup roasted cashews, roughly chopped (or cashew pieces)
- ⅓ cup roasted sunflower seeds
Equipment
- Large Bowl
- Mason Jar, (or a bowl and a whisk)
Instructions
To Make the Dressing:
- Combine the shallots, vinegar, lemon juice and mustard in a mason jar. Season with salt and pepper, shake well, and let sit for 15 minutes to mellow the shallots. While you wait, wash and prep your kale and berries so everything's ready to go.
- Add the oil and honey, then shake again until well combined. Store the dressing in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, giving it a good shake before each use.
To Make the Salad:
- Add the kale to a large bowl. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the dressing over the kale, then use your hands (wear gloves if you like) to massage the leaves for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they look darker in colour and slightly wilted.
- Scatter the cashews, sunflower seeds, blackberries and strawberries over the kale, then serve with the remaining dressing on the side.
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Notes
- Always wash your fruits and vegetables before using them.
- For best flavour, make the dressing the day before.
- This recipe makes more dressing than you'll need for one batch of salad. Save the extra in the fridge for up to a week and toss it with other salads or drizzle it over roasted vegetables.
- Don't skip massaging the kale. It softens the leaves and mellows the bitterness.
- While the dressing can be made up to a week in advance, and the kale can be washed and chopped up to 2 days in advance, don't add the dressing and massage the kale until you're ready to serve this salad.
- Swap the blackberries and strawberries for raspberries or blueberries.
- Variations: try adding feta or goat's cheese, grilled chicken, or crispy chickpeas to make it a more filling meal.
Please read the full blog post for all of my tips, variations, and recommendations for this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate provided as a courtesy and will vary based on the specific ingredients used. For exact values, use your preferred nutritional calculator with the products you're using.
Private Notes
Have you made this recipe?
Let us know how it turned out in the comments!About Shareba
Shareba Abdul is a recipe developer and food photographer with a Culinary Arts certificate from George Brown College and 15+ years of experience creating and testing recipes for home cooks. She is also a member of the International Association for Culinary Professionals. All recipes on this website are tested in her home kitchen. Learn more →
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