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    Home » Recipes » Salad Recipes

    Fall Kale and Apple Super Salad

    Sep 29, 2018 | by Jennifer | Last Updated: Sep 10, 2021

    Jump to Recipe

    A delicious kale salad, combined with Brussels sprouts, broccoli, apple, dried cranberries and sunflower seeds. All tossed in a homemade poppy seed dressing.

    Fall kale salad with apple in white bowl

    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.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Cook's Notes
    • How and why to massage kale for your salad
    • Recipe
    • Comments, Questions and Reviews

    Ingredient Notes

    For the salad, you will need ...
    Kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, apple and bacon (optional)

    I prefer the tender baby kale, if I can find it. For regular kale, be sure to massage the tougher leaves before using.
    Any type of apple will work in the salad. Just use what you like to eat.
    Bacon is completely optional here. It's still delicious without it!

    For the Poppy Seed Dressing, you will need ...
    Sugar (or honey), white vinegar, mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt), Dijon mustard, vegetable or canola oil, poppy seeds and salt/pepper

    If using honey, use a bit less that specified for the sugar. Greek yogurt works best as a substitute for the mayonnaise, as it is thicker.

    Cook's Notes

    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.

    Fall kale salad with apple in white bowl

    Recipe

    Fall kale salad with apple in white bowl

    Fall Kale and Apple Super Salad

    A delicious Fall Kale Salad, with Brussels sprouts and broccoli, combined with apple, dried cranberries and sunflower seeds.
    Author: Jennifer
    5 stars from 7 ratings
    Print it Pin it + Collection Go to Collections Share by Email
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Salad
    Servings 4 people

    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 Tbsp granulated sugar, or honey
    • 1 1/2 Tbsp white vinegar
    • 2 Tbsp mayonnaise, or Greek yogurt
    • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
    • 1 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
    • 1 tsp poppy seeds
    • Pinch salt/pepper
    Prevent screen from going dark

    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 stem. Discard stem (it's very bitter!). Chop kale leaves in to 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 large bowl. For the Brussels sprouts, remove bottom 1/3 of sprout. Using a sharp knife, thinly slice sprout, turning it on to 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 apple (I don't peeand add to the bowl. Drizzle some of the salad dressing over the salad and toss. Add more dressing as needed.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 82mg | Potassium: 395mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 3635IU | Vitamin C: 73.5mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 1.5mg

    Nutritional information provided for general guidance only and should not be relied upon to make personal health decisions.

    Course Salad
    Cuisine American
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    Meet the Author:
    Hi! I'm Jennifer, a home-cook of many years and a lifelong seeker of delicious food! I'm an equal opportunity eater. I enjoy eating all the foods!

    I love to share the classic recipes that I have enjoyed for years, as well as newer discoveries, that have become fast favourites.
    More about me here ...


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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Molly says

      September 05, 2020 at 7:11 pm

      5 stars
      That salad and the dressing were so delicious I'm making it again tonight :)

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        September 05, 2020 at 7:42 pm

        So glad you enjoyed it, Molly and yes, it's a wee bit addictive :)

        Reply
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