Easy Kale Crunch Salad with a peanut vinaigrette is a wonderful side dish or light lunch. Crave worthy flavors with lots of crunchy textures.

Why Make This Kale Crunch Salad

This salad checks all the boxes. It’s crunchy and full of textures which in my book makes a salad so much more pleasing and filling.

Easy to make. no cooking required! Whip this salad up quickly with minimal effort, not to mention it tastes phenomenal. The whole family will enjoy this as an appetizer, side dish to any protein or as a lighter meal like my Kale And Lentil Salad. If you want something a little more filling, consider my Poke Chicken Bowls.

Ingredients Needed

Kale. I prefer tuscan kale also known as Lacinato kale. It’s a bit softer in texture compared to other varieties.

Green Cabbage. Adds a wonderful “crunch” to the Kale Crunch Salad.

Rice Vinegar. This is a must! It makes the dressing have an addictive Unique flavor. Rice vinegar is so mild and has a little sweetness to it which pairs wonderfully with the other notes in the dressing.

Peanuts. Used to top the salad and add crunch.

Peanut Butter. This is added to the dressing and gives it huge flavor. You are going to love it.

All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post. 

Recipe Variations & Substitutions

Kale. Use any variation of kale you prefer. You can also use spinach or mixed greens.

Peanuts. Cashews or almonds will also work great.

Peanut Butter. Use almond butter in place of peanut butter if needed.

Soy Sauce. You can sub tamari or coconut aminos to make it gluten free.

Steps To Make This Recipe

Step One. Discard the stems of the kale and finely chop it into bite sized pieces, place it into a large serving bowl. Drizzle 1 tsp of olive oil over the kale and gently massage it to soften it a bit.

Step Two. Add chopped cabbage, chopped, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, green onions and chopped mini peppers to the large serving bowl.

Step Three. Make the dressing. Add all the ingredients to a small blender or food processor; peanut butter, oil, cilantro, soy sauce, rice vinegar, salt & pepper, garlic, shallot, maple syrup. Blitz the ingredients well until everything is well blended. Give it a taste and adjust if needed (add a pinch more salt or maple syrup if you prefer).

Step Four. Drizzle 3/4ths of the dressing over the salad, mix well. Serve the salad, drizzle the rest of the dressing over the salad if desired, enjoy!

*if meal prepping or making this ahead of time, leave the dressing off to the side until ready to serve. You can keep it in a jar and give it a shake before pouring over the salad.

Recipe FAQs

Recipe Tips

Massage The Kale. Massaging the kale with a small bit of oil really helps to soften and make the texture a bit better. This is optional, but I love how it helps soften things.

Taste the dressing and adjust as needed. You can easily add a pinch more salt or maple syrup to make it a bit sweeter, I always suggest this to be sure it suits your tastebuds.

If Meal Prepping this Salad. leave the dressing off until you are ready to enjoy. Store the dressing in a jar and shake well before using.

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Recipe Pairings

This salad makes for a great lighter meal paired with protein but is also works as a tasty, nutrient dense side dish. Try it with my Blackened Salmon, or Garlic Lemon Chicken. You can also pair it with my Naked Chicken Tenders.

Other Great Side Salads To Try

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