Kale Salad Recipe Recipe
Full of healthy texture and flavor, this nutrient-dense Kale Salad with creamy buttermilk dressing and tamed red onions is sprinkled with an addicting crunchy salad topper.
How to Make the Best Kale Salad Recipe
This nutrient-packed kale salad is anything but boring. With a creamy buttermilk dressing that clings to every leaf, tamed red onions that have lost their harsh bite, and an irresistibly crunchy quinoa and seed topper, this salad proves that healthy eating can be absolutely delicious.
The secret to a great kale salad is all in the preparation. Massaging the kale with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt breaks down the tough fibers and transforms the leaves from chewy and bitter to tender and flavorful. Combined with the tangy buttermilk dressing and the satisfying crunch of toasted seeds and quinoa, every bite offers a perfect balance of textures and flavors.
This salad is perfect for meal prep since the massaged kale holds up beautifully for days in the refrigerator—just add the dressing and toppings when you’re ready to serve. It’s a wonderful side dish for any meal or hearty enough to enjoy as a light lunch on its own.
Kale Salad Recipe
Full of healthy texture and flavor, this nutrient-dense Kale Salad with creamy buttermilk dressing and tamed red onions is sprinkled with an addicting crunchy salad topper.
Ingredients
Buttermilk Dressing
Tamed Red Onions
Kale Salad
Crunchy Quinoa Topper
Instructions
Buttermilk Dressing
- Whisk together buttermilk, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mayo, mustard, salt and pepper. Chill this while you make the rest of the salad. Or better yet make a day or two ahead.
Tamed Red Onions
- Place water and baking soda in a bowl with the thinly sliced red onion rings and soak for 15 minutes. This will neutralize and remove the pungent bitter bite.
- Rinse onion slices really well with water to clean off the baking soda residue.
Kale Salad
- In a salad serving bowl, combine kale with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.
- Massage with your hands to work the liquids and salt into the leaves, about 5 minutes or more if you want it really tender. Lacinato kale is known to be more tender—if you use a different kale, massage longer for mature kale, less for baby leaves.
Crunchy Quinoa Topper
- Toss cooked quinoa (thoroughly cooled) with olive oil and salt. Spread onto two sheet pans in thin layers.
- Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix together sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hempseeds, sesame seeds with 1 tablespoon tamari or Braggs. Spread onto a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes or until desired toastiness.
- After the seeds completely cool, mix with the crispy quinoa and store in an airtight container up to a month.
Assembly
- Drizzle in about half of the dressing over the kale, taste and adjust salt, pepper and add more dressing to your preference.
- Layer on onions and dill. Top with 1/2 cup or more of quinoa crunchies.
- Reserve the crunchy quinoa topper for sprinkling on when serving immediately.
Notes
- The buttermilk dressing can be made a day or two ahead for best flavor.
- The crunchy quinoa topper can be stored in an airtight container for up to a month.
- For extra tender kale, massage the leaves for longer than 5 minutes.
