Apple and massaged kale salad is perfect for fall. Tender kale and honey crisp apples mixed with toasty crouton crumbles and a homemade apple cider vinaigrette.

Last year I was all about kale. It is seasonal and can be incorporated into a lot of things. My husband had a lot of issues with this kale season. We ate ribollita with kale a few days in a row.

He didn’t really complain since it was basically like a minestrone soup with bread instead of noodles. More things to focus on than the green stuff. After that I hit him with a side salad of kale. 

It wasn’t only kale. There was sweet potato and brie cheese mixed in there too.

He told me he wasn’t really complaining but could we take a break from kale for a little bit. I hear his issues and will take it into consideration during seasonal meal planning. We took a little kale break.

It’s fall again and the time of year for kale. It’s in season and readily available.

This year though I didn’t make Mike eat any of this salad. Not because I was trying to spare him. It is because I loved this salad so much I didn’t want to share!

Honey crisp apple and massaged kale salad with crouton crumbs and a homemade apple cider vinaigrette was just the bright and filling seasonal salad I craved. I made it and ate it three days in a row for lunch.

The crouton crumbs are the key to this recipe. They coat all the salad evenly.

Kale holds up well in salads so you can make this in advance and eat it throughout the week. I was late to discover the benefits of massaging your kale. It really makes it more tender and less broccoli or cabbage like. It’s definitely a must if you’re using kale in salad.

This recipe would be great on the table at Thanksgiving or made for a little seasonal lunch meal prep. 

Apple and Massaged Kale Salad

Yield: serves 2-4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Apple and massaged kale salad with crushed croutons and a creamy homemade apple cider vinaigrette.

Print

Ingredients

• DRESSING:
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup dijon mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• SALAD:
• 12 oz Bag Trimmed Kale
• 1 1/2 cups croutons
• 2 honey crisp apples, seeds and stems removed, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Add all the dressing ingredients to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Adjust the salt and pepper if needed. Transfer to a container with a lid and chill in the fridge until ready to use.
2. Add the kale to a large salad bowl. Remove any stray stem pieces from the bowl.
3. Add the croutons to a food processor and pulse a few times until a coarse crumb is formed.
4. Remove the dressing from the fridge. Take a few spoonfuls of dressing and pour it over the kale. Use your hands to massage the kale for 2-3 minutes until dark in color and slightly wilted.
5. Top the salad with a handful of the crouton crumbs and the sliced apples.
6. Add more dressing to individual salad servings if needed.
7. Salad if stored in a sealed container int he fridge will keep for three days. Dressing will keep in the fridge for up to a week.