Kale Salad with Cranberries

 This chopped Kale Salad with Cranberries is a delicious sweet kale salad recipe made with curly kale, broccoli slaw, purple cabbage, dried cranberries and walnut pieces all tossed in a luscious orange dressing.

This is a great meal prep salad to make for potlucks, gatherings, special occasions and weeknight meals.

This chopped sweet kale salad recipe is my riff on a salad that’s served at a local market near my home. I used to buy it all the time and then I decided to just make it at home. I love everything about this salad. It’s a crunchy mix of nutritious cruciferous veggies and it’s flecked with sweet and chewy dried cranberries and walnuts.  Where I departed from the market version is I went with an orange dressing rather than an apple one. I love a good orange and cranberry combination of flavors. Besides this kale salad being nutritious and delicious, it’s super quick and easy to make with little clean-up afterward.

Kale Salad with Cranberries Recipe

• Kale. We use curly kale for this salad, but you could use Tuscan kale (also called dinosaur kale) if you prefer.
• Red Cabbage. The red cabbage gives this salad a pop of color.
• Broccoli Slaw.  I use a package of broccoli slaw that comes with shaved Brussels sprouts. You can shave a cup of Brussels sprouts and finely chop 1 cup of broccoli to add to the salad instead of using packaged broccoli slaw if you prefer.
• Dried Cranberries. The dried cranberries adds some sweetness and chewy texture to the salad. They go really well with the creamy orange dressing we toss this salad with.
• Walnuts. I used raw walnuts for this recipe, but you could toast them if you prefer, or substitute them with pecans, almonds (I love to use Marcona almonds), pepitas or sunflower seeds.
• Dressing.  We add a little mayo to this Healthy Citrus Vinaigrette to make a delicious creamy orange dressing to toss this salad with.  It’s made with fresh squeezed OJ, orange zest, apple cider vinegar, pure maple syrup, olive oil and a little mayo. You can sub out the mayo and use Greek yogurt if you like.

Find printable recipe with measurements below.

Variations

• Toss in grated Havarti cheese or crumbled Feta
• Add chopped apple or pear
• Swap out the cranberries for golden raisins or cherries
• Toss in pieces of fresh Mandarin oranges

How to Make Sweet Kale Salad

This sweet kale salad recipe comes together in about 20 minutes start-to-finish.

• Whisk dressing. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. You can also blend the ingredients in a blender or food processor.
• Slice cabbage. Using a sharp knife, thinly slice the cabbage. Add it to a salad bowl.
• Chop kale. I prefer to use curly kale for this recipe. Slice the leaves away from the ribs. Discard the ribs. Thinly slice or chop the leaves and add to the salad bowl.
• Add ins.  Add the dried cranberries, walnuts and broccoli slaw to the salad bowl.
• Dress salad. Pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss well.
• Refrigerate. I like to refrigerate the salad for about 15-20 minutes before serving so it’s nice and chilled.
• Store. Put any leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator where it should last for a few days.

Tips for Making It

• Remove the kale ribs.  The ribs in all kale varieties are tough, so either slice or tear the leaves away from the ribs before you chop them.
• Finely chop leaves. You’ll want to chop the kale leaves into smaller pieces so it’s easier to eat.
• Toss well. The sweetness of this dressing will tame the pepper flavor of the kale. Be sure to toss well to coat the salad ingredients evenly.

Serving Suggestions

• Power bowls. Add it to your power bowls with grains, legumes and chicken or fish.
• Grilled chicken and fish. It makes a great side salad to serve with grilled chicken or fish.
• Holiday meals. This chopped kale salad is a great addition to any holiday spread. It makes a festive salad to serve with the traditional roast turkey dinner.

Looking for More Healthy Chopped Salad Recipes

• Kale Caesar Salad
• House Salad
• Romaine Salad
• Italian Chopped Salad
• Crunchy Detox Salad
• Chef Salad
• Caesar Kale Broccoli Salad
• Chicken Avocado Chopped Salad

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Print

Yield: 6 servings

Kale Salad with Cranberries

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

This chopped Kale Salad with Cranberries is a delicious sweet kale salad made with curly kale, broccoli slaw, purple cabbage, dried cranberries and walnut pieces all tossed in a luscious orange dressing.

Ingredients

• 4 cups curly kale, finely chopped
• 2 cups broccoli slaw (1 package)
• 1 cup purple cabbage, finely sliced
• 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries

For the Orange Dressing

• 3-1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1-1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
• 2-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup mayo
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

For the Orange Dressing

1. Whisk together the ingredients in a medium size bowl. You can also blend the ingredients in a blender or a food processor until smooth and creamy.
2. Refrigerate before serving.

For the Kale Salad with Cranberries

1. Place the chopped kale, sliced cabbage, broccoli slaw, dried cranberries and walnuts in a salad bowl and toss.
2. Pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss well.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.
4. Just before serving toss salad again and adding more dressing if needed.

Notes

Variations

• Toss in grated Havarti cheese or crumbled Feta
• Add chopped apple or pear
• Swap out the cranberries for golden raisins or cherries
• Toss in pieces of fresh Mandarin oranges

Tips

• Remove the ribs - The ribs in all kale varieties are tough, so either slice or tear the leaves away from the ribs before you chop them.
• Finely chop leaves - You'll want to chop the kale leaves into smaller pieces so it's easier to eat.
• Toss well - The sweetness of this dressing will tame the pepper flavor of the kale. Be sure to toss well to coat the salad ingredients evenly.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 526Total Fat: 47gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 38gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 365mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 5gSugar: 17gProtein: 5g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.