A delicious kale salad, combined with Brussels sprouts, broccoli, apple, dried cranberries and sunflower seeds. All tossed in a homemade poppy seed dressing. A perfect Fall salad!
This lovely kale and apple salad is one of the things I always look forward to when the Fall season arrives. It bring a delicious Fall spin to the usual salads of Summer. It’s healthy eating that’s perfect for the lunchbox, as a dinner side salad and is also an easy and pretty choice for a Thanksgiving table.
There is a whole lot of goodness going on in this salad, from greens to fruit to seeds, but it also manages to be seriously delicious at the same time. Win. Win!
My salad features Honeycrisp apples, dried cranberries and roasted sunflower seeds, combined with kale, finely chopped Brussels sprouts and broccoli. It’s all topped off with a quick and easy homemade creamy poppy seed dressing. Oh … and I threw in a bit of chopped, cooked bacon, as well, because I had some in the fridge. That’s totally optional though, if you’d prefer to keep your salad vegetarian.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Kale – I prefer the tender baby kale, if I can find it. For regular kale, be sure to massage the tougher leaves before using (scroll down for instructions on how to massage kale).
Apple – Any type of apple will work in the salad. Just use what you like to eat. I used Honeycrisp apples here.
Bacon – Bacon is completely optional here. It’s still a delicious salad without it!
Mayonnaise – You can substitute plain Greek Yogurt for mayonnaise.
Recipe tips!
- This recipe will make one really large, two average sized or four side salads. For feeding a crowd, double or triple the recipe.
- You can prepare the dressing ahead of time and refrigerate. The greens can also be chopped and refrigerated ahead. Dress and add the apple, cranberries and sunflower seeds just before serving.
- If starting with a bunch of kale, be sure to give your kale a good massage (see below for how to massage kale) before adding to the salad. It makes all the difference when using fresh kale in a salad! To make this salad more quickly, start with baby kale (which doesn’t need a massage) or pre-chopped kale.
How and why to massage kale for your salad
Kale is a delicious, healthy green, but can be tough and bitter, especially when it comes to salads. To transform your kale in to salad-ready goodness, simply give it a massage.
To massage kale, simply tear off the leaves, discarding the stem/rib portions and scatter on a cutting board. Add a sprinkling of salt and start rubbing the kale leaves against the cutting board. You’ll notice your kale will shrink and become a darker green and you massage it. You are also releasing the natural sugars in the kale, so to know when you have massaged long enough, just do a quick taste taste shows to test if the bitterness has disappeared.
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Get the Recipe: Fall Kale , Broccoli and Apple Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups kale, chopped and massaged, as needed
- 6-8 Brussels sprouts, finely chopped
- 3-4 florets broccoli, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds, (or pumpkin seeds/pepitas)
- 1 medium apple, cored and diced
- 1 slice bacon, cooked and chopped (optional)
Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing:
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar, or honey
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise, or Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- Pinch salt/pepper
Instructions
- Make poppy seed dressing: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or jar. Whisk or shake vigorously until combined and creamy. Refrigerate if not using right away.
- For the salad: Prepare greens. For the kale, remove leaves from the stem. Discard stem (it's very bitter!). Chop kale leaves into bite-sized pieces and scatter on a cutting board. Sprinkle with a little salt and rub/massage the kale for a minute or so, until it softens and darkens. Add kale to a large bowl.
- For the Brussels sprouts, remove the bottom 1/3 of the sprout. Using a sharp knife, thinly slice the sprout, turning it onto the flat side after a few slices and continuing to slice until it's all sliced. Add to the bowl with the kale. For the broccoli, remove several florets and finely chop both the flower ends and the stalk. Add to the bowl.
- Add the dried cranberries and roasted sunflower seeds to the bowl. Dice an apple (I don't peel) and add to the bowl. Drizzle some of the salad dressing over the salad and toss. Add more dressing as needed.
Notes
More Fall salad recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
That salad and the dressing were so delicious I’m making it again tonight :)
So glad you enjoyed it, Molly and yes, it’s a wee bit addictive :)
Adding to my fall salad list for sure Jennifer! Such a great combination of ingredients!
Thanks so much, Mary Ann :)
This is a win-win!! Love the colors, crunch and flavors! Pinned!
Thanks Annie :)
Beautiful salad! I’ve got a kale and apple salad, but my dressing is more of a vinaigrette than a creamy one – have to try yours next time ;) Love all the goodness packed in here, especially the addition of bacon :) Perfect for lunch today!
Thanks Dawn!
I love hearty, healthy fall salads like this! What’s not to love!?
Thanks Chris :)
I bet there’s some terrific textures going on in this salad! Seeds and fruit and all that lovely kale. It works perfectly for the holiday table! I know you must be looking forward to Thanksgiving – hope you enjoy some special time with family.
Thanks so much, Tricia :)
I love the tip on massaging the kale! This salad looks fabulous and will make an excellent side to so many Fall roasts!
Thanks Milena!
Great salad and the vegetable pairings complimented each other. I used fresh baby kale and it did not need the additional prep as it was tender and not bitter. Substituted pomegranate seeds for the cranberries and added a nice texture as you had the pop of the berries that added a little tartness.
So glad you enjoyed it, Cathy! The pomegranate would be lovely in this salad :)
This is gorgeous!
Thanks so much, Jennifer :)
That salad looks so perfectly crunchy, fresh and delicious, and another way to eat kale, just fabulous!
Thanks so much, Anna :)
Are you using regular kale or tuscan kale, or does it matter? This seems to be a great dish for our warm falls in Tucson.
Hi Vicki, I don’t think it matters. I like tuscan or sometimes I use the baby kale. I think as long as you give it a good massage to soften it up, it will be great.