This tasty broccoli kale salad features fresh veggies and a super simple homemade lemon dressing. It’s fantastic as a healthy side dish or light lunch!
Today we’re making an a quick and easy kale salad because gosh darn it, ya’ll are gonna eat some veggies!
When winter hits, salads sort of go out the window as a viable option. But that’s completely silly, since tasty salad ingredients like spinach, kale, broccoli, and carrots are all gloriously in-season right now!
So keep making your soups, chilis, and casseroles galore, but pair them with this fresh and healthy salad. Deal? Deal!
This easy peasy massaged kale salad is loaded with tasty mix-ins. I chose to add carrots, broccoli, red onion, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and almonds, but you could totally get creative here and empty out your crisper drawer!
Dried raisins would work excellent in place of cranberries, and if you’re not feeling the dried fruit, simply load it up with extra veggies! I also used a little cubed cheddar cheese here but feta or goat cheese would work marvelous too. You could even go dairy-free and make this scrumptious salad vegan! The cheese won’t be missed at all!
meal prep tip: how to massage kale
After washing and drying your kale, remove the ribs/stem from each kale leaf. Tear or chop the kale into bite-sized pieces, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Next pour a little olive oil in your hands and work your way through the kale, massaging the leaves until they darken in color and tenderize. I swear it tastes a million times better once it’s massaged – we wouldn’t prep kale any other way!
Prefer to massage your kale without oil? Try a little fresh-squeezed lemon juice instead! You can also use a combination of the two if you’d like.
kale yeah!
I love how I can prep a head of kale quickly over the weekend and know that I’ll have it on hand as a salad green all week long. Instead of simply prepping what I need, I always massage the entire bunch of kale and keep it in a baggie in the fridge, meal-prep style. It stays fresh much longer than any other salad greens and is a great addition to all your favorite recipes!
Leftover kale can be stirred into pasta, blended into pesto, and even baked into crispy kale chips when the craving strikes! The possibilities are endless. I even love a little kale on my pizza when I have it handy. It’s SO crazy versatile.
Broccoli Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing
This scrumptious salad is fresh, delicious, and totally make-ahead so feel free to prep this bad boy the night before and pack it along in lunches the next day if you’d like!
Broccoli Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing
Ingredients
- 5 cups chopped kale
- 1-2 tsp olive oil
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 cups chopped broccoli
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4-1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup cranberries
LEMON DRESSING
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp sweetener of choice (honey, agave, sugar, etc...)
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
- 1/4-1/2 cup cheese (cheddar, feta, or goat cheese)
- 1-2 tsp poppy seeds
- extra veggies
Instructions
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First make your dressing by combining ingredients above in a lidded mason jar then shake well to emulsify. Dip a kale leaf in the dressing and adjust sweetener, salt, and pepper to taste. You can make this dressing as sweet or tart as your heart desires! I like mine a bit tart and even add a little lemon zest to the dressing. To reduce tartness, simply add a little extra sweetness, to taste.
-
Next massage your chopped kale with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt. Rub with your fingers until leaves begin to darken and tenderize. This makes it taste great and gives the kale a silky texture!
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In a large bowl, combine massaged kale, broccoli, almonds, cheese, carrots, onion, sunflower seeds, cranberries.
-
Shake your dressing once more and pour about 1/3 of the dressing over the salad. Toss to coat and add extra dressing, to taste. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Skipping the optional cheese will make this salad both vegan and paleo. Nix the dried fruit and use a compliant sweetener for the dressing and it'll also be low-carb and keto friendly. Do both and you've got yourself some whole 30 approved vegetarian eats. Woot!
Nutrition Facts below are an estimate gathered using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Values below calculated for both dressing and salad but do not include optional extras. Adjust as needed based on sweetener of choice and extras added and enjoy!
special diets and swaps
Skipping the optional cheese will make this salad both vegan and paleo.
Apparently “pegan” is a new term for recipes that are both paleo and vegan? Fun fact!
Nix the dried fruit and it’ll also be low-carb and keto friendly.
Leave out both the cheese and the fruit and you’ve got yourself some whole 30 approved vegetarian eats. Woot!
Simply skip the ingredients entirely or add some extra veggies in its place and you’re good to go. Need further assistance adjusting a recipe to your dietary needs? Shoot me a comment or email and I’d be happy to help! xo
hungry for more?
- Roasted Butternut Squash Kale Salad with Chickpeas and Cranberries
- Fire-Roasted Tomato Soup
- Easy Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
This kale salad appeared first on Spend with Pennies, when I shared it on my friend Holly’s tasty recipe blog.
If you get a chance to try this lemony broccoli kale salad, let me know! Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation! I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
Ashley
My entire family loved this recipe. So delicious!
Jenn
I’m so stoked it was a hit! Thanks Ashley!
Renee Goerger
I’m all about this salad! The flavors are so fresh and delicious!!
Linda
This salad looks colouurful, delicious, healthy and a crowd pleaser. My daughter and daughter in law love it. Both making it for themselves now.
Melané Fahner-Botha
This salad blew my mind. I had kale fresh from the garden (which is still soft and sweet and does not need a massage) and some small roast beetroot and a spoonful of cooked buckwheat for some carbs and I ate a huuuuge portion. Thank you for the recipe! I wish I could show the picture of my enormous bowl of delicious😁
Jenn
I’m so over-the-moon excited you’re loving the salad, Melané! Kale is on my list of veggies to try growing this year – I have never had it fresh from the garden and cannot wait! If you have a photo have instagram/twitter/facebook you can totally tag me so I can see it! My handle is @peasandcrayons on all three <3
Victoria Bigelow
My family really enjoyed this. I left the red onion out because I can’t eat it, and I thought it might overwhelm the recipe. I also added a bit more broccoli, as I had extra, and subbed cherries for cranberries (used what I had). It worked.
I had some really fresh kale from the farmer’s market, which was a real plus. I find that sometimes older kale can be pretty darn bitter.
Massaging the kale was a brilliant suggestion.
Thank you for this recipe.
Noelle
This salad was so great! I made it for lunch and have had it the past few days and it just doesnt get old!
Jenn
Thanks Noelle! I could probably eat this one forever and never tire of it!
Melané Fahner-Botha
This salad blew my mind. I had kale fresh from the garden (which is still soft and sweet and does not need a massage) and some small roast beetroot and a spoonful of cooked buckwheat for some carbs and I ate a huuuuge portion. Thank you for the recipe! I wish I could show the picture of my enormous bowl of delicious😁
Helene
My sister in law recommended this salad. It’s my new lunchtime favorite!
Jenn
Yay! So glad you’re loving it Helene!
Ev
This was really good (even though I didn’t massage the kale LOL), went with the feta instead of cheddar. Really like the dressing on this one.
Jenn
Haha it’s totally an optional step but omg Ev, you’ve got to try massaging it! Game-changer!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
Love this easy salad, perfect for lunch!
Jenn
Thanks Shadi!
Robin Gagnon
Fantastic salad for winter!
Jenn
Totally! Thanks Robin!
April Blake
This looks awesome! I love kale even if people say it’s played out.
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