Kale Crunch Salad

5 from 2 votes
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Easy Kale Crunch Salad with a peanut vinaigrette is a wonderful side dish or light lunch. Crave worthy flavors with lots of crunchy textures.

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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

Ingredients on a counter in mall bowls  and on small plates.

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.

Pink ceramic bowl with kale salad and dressing on top.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare Kale Crunch Salad ahead of time. Just get everything chopped and prepped the night before and add the dressing when you are ready to serve.

Can I add protein to this salad?

Grilled chicken or salmon pairs wonderfully with this salad. You can also checkout the “recipe pairings” section for more recipes to pair with the Kale Crunch Salad.

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

If you loved this recipe let me know! Also, follow me on Instagram & Pinterest for even more fun recipes to make you feel good from the inside out. Thanks for being here.

Grey plate with kale and peanuts. Dressing and fork on the side.
5 from 2 votes

Kale Crunch Salad

Easy Kale Crunch Salad with a peanut vinaigrette is a wonderful side dish or light lunch. Crave worthy flavors with lots of crunchy textures.
Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • small blender or food processor

Ingredients 

  • 6-7 cups Lacinato kale, stems removed, chopped, about 2 bunches
  • 3 cups green cabbage, chopped
  • cup mini peppers, chopped
  • ¼ cup salted peanuts, chopped
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
  • cup green onions, chopped , about one bunch

Peanut Vinaigrette

  • ½ cup avocado oil , *see notes
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro
  • Tbsp peanut butter
  • Tbsp rice vinegar , *see notes
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 Tbsp shallot
  • Tsp maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce, low sodium
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • ¼ tsp salt
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Instructions 

  • 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.
  • Add chopped cabbage, chopped, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, green onions and chopped mini peppers to the large serving bowl. 
  • 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).
  • Drizzle 3/4ths of the dressing over the salad, mix well. Serve the salad, feel free to garnish with extra chopped peanuts. Drizzle the rest of the dressing over the salad if desired (I always do!) enjoy! 

Notes

*use any kale you prefer, you can also use spinach if you don’t like kale 
*olive oil will also work great, be sure it is neutral in flavor. 
*apple cider vinegar will also work well. 
*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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cup | Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 495mg | Potassium: 587mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 6128IU | Vitamin C: 165mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Bailey
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 423
Keyword: 20 minute, salad, Side Dish
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5 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I could DRINK the dressing, this was so great. I cannot wait to make it again.

  2. 5 stars
    Wonderful combination of flavors here, I didnโ€™t know what to expect with the peanut dressing but we loved it I actually decided to make the dressing again for some chicken tenders today. Thank you.

    1. Hi! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know, enjoy!