Kale Salad with Apples, Craisins, Feta, and Pistachios
Kale Salad with Apples, Craisins, Feta, and Pistachios is hands down one of the best lunch prep salads out there. Apples, craisins, feta, and roasted pistachios on top of a bed of tender massaged kale dressed in a maple dijon vinaigrette. Yes, please.
Do you ever have a week where lunchtime comes around and you have like > 10 mins to scarf something down? Believe me, you will want this tangy, sweet, nutritious salad in your hands when you have a lunch like that. This salad is a great make-ahead option when you have a busy day (or week) coming up and you want to have something that makes you feel good after you eat it.
How to Prepare and Massage Kale Salad Properly
When kale salad is made properly, it is not bitter, woody, or crunchy. A good kale salad is dense and flavorful.
Kale often gets a bad reputation because, unlike lettuce, you can not just instantly add it to the bowl and expect it to taste good. To reach its full potential, kale has to be massaged. Kale takes some initial prep (about 3-5 minutes to prepare the kale greens to be tender and absorbent in the salad. But believe me, this kale salad is worth the effort!
Like many others, I had heard so much hype about kale in the 2010s, that I wanted to try it out. The first time I made Kale salad, it was so bitter & woody that I nearly swore off kale entirely. If you have tried a kale salad like this before, give it another shot following the directions below, trust me, kale salad prepared properly is tender and SO GOOD.
Follow the steps below to properly prepare the kale greens for a salad.
Step 1: Rinse the Kale, Chop it, and Re-Rinse
If you live near an Aldi, buy their organic rinsed pre-chopped bag of Kale and skip this step entirely. This is one of my absolute favorite time-saving hacks and Aldi’s items. Thank you, Aldi!
If you are starting with whole kale, then do not skip this step. Rinsing (and re-rinsing the Kale is SUPER important in removing the bitter green taste that Kale can pick up.
Kale can become bitter when cut into or massaged. To remove the bitter taste, ALWAYS re-rinse your kale after you cut it up.
Step 2: Cut Out the Kale Stalks
Remove the ribs (or stems or stalks) of the kale. Do not try to eat these hard pieces of the plant. The stems are edible but are not tasty and are pretty difficult to eat in the raw form. You can save them and blanche them and fry them if you would like, but just don’t put them in your salad.
Step 3: Massage the Kale Until Its Tender
The time has come to give the kale its spa day.
When I first started to make kale salad, the idea of giving a vegetable a spa treatment was very strange. However, the kale massage is THE most important step in preparing a kale salad that you want to eat. The massage relaxes the fiber in the kale and creates a tender salad that will actually absorb the salad dressing.
Use washed hands to massage the kale. Massage the kale similarly to the motion that you would use to would knead dough. When the kale looks like it is reduced to 1/3 of the size of its original size, it is ready for a salad!
Step 4: Let the Kale Absorb the Dressing
Unlike other salad greens, you can pre-dress kale salad with GREAT results. In this way, kale salad is similar to coleslaw. I will always pre-dress the salad when I am meal-prepping it. For best results, let the salad dressing absorb into the greens for at least 10 minutes before consuming it.
Kale Salad with Apples, Craisins, Feta, and Pistachios Ingredients
- Apples: Choose a good sweet sturdy apple like Pink Lady, Honey Crisp, or Gala.
- Pistachios: Go with roasted, salted pistachios in this salad for the best crouton replacement.
- Kale: If you can, get the Aldi prechopped and rinsed kale bag. Otherwise, any kale will work, but make sure to follow step 1 above.
- Feta: Any crumbled cheese will work. I love feta, but goat cheese or gorgonzola would also be great options.
- Craisins: They add a great sweet bite to this recipe. You can try other dried fruits instead too, like chopped dried cherries or apricots.
- Maple Dijon Vinaigrette: It’s so simple to make this easy vinaigrette and it uses simple pantry ingredients that you probably already have on hand, but you can also use a premade vinaigrette of your choice instead.
Can I Meal Prep Kale Salad For Lunch
Yes, absolutely! Kale salad with apples, craisins, feta, and pistachios is a GREAT meal prep option. The ingredients are hearty and can withstand being dressed and prepared ahead of time. This salad, in my opinion, is actually best the second day you make it.
As a teacher, this is a short-on-time approved lunch recipe. This past week I had a few days where I needed to work through lunch and quickly scarf down something before my classes restarted. Boy, was I happy to have a feel-good salad like this kale salad with apples waiting for me in the fridge!
How Long Does Kale Salad with Apples, Craisins, Feta, and Pistachios Last?
The great news is that all of the ingredients in the kale salad with apples are pretty sturdy in the fridge. Predressed, this salad will last a good 2-4 days in the fridge.
Can I add Meat to This Salad?
For sure! While keeping it vegetarian makes this recipe a bit more cost-effective, you can definitely add meat to this kale salad to add some more protein. I would suggest grilled chicken, crumbled bacon, or salmon.
More Meal Prep Salad Recipes
Looking for more great salad recipes that you can meal prep for lunches and busy weeks? Fancy Frugal Fixes has got you covered! Check out some more of our absolute favorite, budget-friendly, and easy salad recipes.
Kale salad with Apples, Craisins, Feta, and Roasted Pistachio
Ingredients
Kale Salad
- 8 cups of rinsed and chopped kale or 1 bag of Aldi’s Organic Kale
- 1 apple chopped
- 1/2 cup craisins
- 1/2 cup salted roasted pistachios
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta
Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Massage the kale in a large bowl until it reduces to 1/3 of its original size.
- Add the chopped apple, pistachios, feta, and craisins on top of the salad.
- Prepare the maple dijon vinaigrette by whisking all of the ingredient together. When the dijon vinaigrette is mixed up, add it to the top of the salad and toss the salad together.
- Let the salad sit for 10 minutes before eating.
- Enjoy! The salad will last for 2-4 days in the fridge.
