Fresh, flavorful, and totally tasty, this simple Lemon Parmesan Kale Salad is a breeze to toss together and ready in under 15 minutes!
Say hello to my new favorite side dish!
This lemony, garlicky kale salad is kissed with parmesan and dusted with crushed crouton crumbs for added texture and oomph!
It’s GLORIOUS and I’m going to insist you give it a try!
Especially if you love lemon… and garlic… and parmesan.
EVEN if you don’t love kale. I’m going to go out on a limb and say if you haven’t tried massaged kale yet, then you’re not allowed to tell me you don’t like it.
I’ve convinced oh so many people to gobble up bowls of this stuff simply by chopping it into itty bitty pieces and giving it a little rubdown until it’s tender and silky. SO GOOD.
The crispy crouton topping for this salad adds the most addictive texture and balances out the flavors of this lemon parmesan kale salad.
You can 100% use your favorite store bought croutons *BUT* if you are feeling frisky, get yo butt in the kitchen and make some homemade croutons!
Here’s how:
Homemade Croutons
- 1 cup diced bread (stale french baguette + ciabatta are my fav!)
- 1/2 TBSP olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
This is a perfect way to use up older/stale bread! Preheat oven to 375°F. Add cubed bread to a bowl with oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well (using your hands works best to really work it into every piece) and spread on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake on the center rack for 12-16 minutes or until golden and crisp. Times will vary slightly based on type and staleness of bread.
Easy Lemon Parmesan Kale Salad
The tasty recipe below yields 4 side salad sized servings.
(hah! try saying that 5x fast)
Lemon Parmesan Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups curly kale
- 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
- 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp fresh minced garlic
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper or to taste
- ½ cup croutons (homemade or store bought)
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- If starting with a bunch of curly kale, wash, dry, and remove leaves from stem.
- Finely chop kale leaves and add to a medium-large bowl.
- Whisk together dressing ingredients and drizzle a teeny bit (around 1/2 tsp) onto the kale leaves.
- Massage dressing into kale leaves until the leaves darken in color and become tender and silky.
- Toss with remaining dressing and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
- P&C Tip: for a little bit of parm in every bite, I like to finely grate the parmesan cheese with a box grater and then roughly chop into smaller bits. Almost like sprinkles but of the cheesy variety, lol!
- Place croutons in a plastic bag or between two paper towels. Use the bottle of olive oil to crush into small panko-sized pieces to sprinkle over the kale salad. The result is a delightfully cripsy topping that is dusted over ever bite of lemon and parmesan kissed kale. Love it so! Enjoy right away while topping is still perfectly cripsy.
Notes
Nutrition
If you get a chance to try this lemon parmesan 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!
KALE YEAH! More Tasty Kale Recipes:
- Mexican Kale Salad with Zesty Cilantro Lime Dressing
- NEW! Creamy Tortellini Minestrone
- Cheesy Kale Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Kale Risotto via Becky’s Bites
- Spicy Kale Chips
- Tropical Mango Kale Smoothie
Questions & Reviews
I really wanted to like Kale because of the nutrition. Up to now, I couldn’t eat it. But I searched your recipes and decided to try your Lemon Parmesan Kale Salad. I followed the directions exactly and WOW I LOVED it! I ate it with Baked Salmon and that was a winning combination for sure. I definitely will make this salad again! Thank you, Jenn!
Shirley, I’m so honored my kale recipe was the winner you needed to love kale! Thanks for your sweet comment! ❤️
The best salad! I use trader hoes rosemary croutons. So yummy.
Simple ingredients, BIG on taste. I could eat this daily. Thank you for the recipe!
I think I just started a love affair with Kale. It came in my veggie box and frankly the only way I’ve ever enjoyed it is in kale chips. I did this recipe and added toasted pine nuts. I didn’t have croutons so I used toasted panko with olive oil and garlic. So good. Can’t wait to taste it tomorrow after it mellows in the fridge overnight. Kale: I love you.
This recipe doesn’t look like much but once it’s all put together, it’s a delicious side! We had it with grilled shrimp.
So so glad you enjoyed it, Tracy! Thank you!
I made this without the croutons, because I didn’t have any, I added frozen peas and fresh mint. It’s a winner!
Peas and mint sound like the ultimate add-on! Love it! Thanks Lael 😃
Thanks for another easy delicious vegetarian recipe! I used Dino kale instead and added some chopped red cabbage for a nice crunchy crunch. I think I’ll add some chickpeas or black beans next time to make it a meal. If you can resist eating it right away, it’s even better the next day!
What if no parm cheese? Can I sub something else?
It’s really tasty with some crumbled feta!
Maybe nutritional yeast as it has a nice cheesy flavour and allows good coverage.
I notice you use a lot of kale. I’ll use. Spinach. Is that okay?
It’s also really good with arugula! Spinach will have a different flavor/texture but if you feel like experimenting you’re welcome to tweak it and make it your own!
So delicious! Loved the tang of the lemon-will definitely be making this a lot!!
Yay! So happy to hear it! Thanks Susan 😃
Yum
I made this last night, and it was the perfect light side to go with a protein. I added a splash of apple cider vinegar to the dressing for the additional health benefits but the dressing was great without it as well. Will be adding this into my weekly rotation
Thank you Angie! I’m glad you enjoyed it ❤️
Delicious and a great use for all my homegrown kale!
I need to start growing it now that we’ve settled in the new house. So tasty! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Lori! xo
Okay, wow?! I thought this would be a nice recipe, but this dead simple recipe was amazing and easy to scale down or up. How have I never heard of massaging kale?
It was like a completely different vegetable. I love kale as it is, but this is a game changer. I added freshly roasted chicken, didn’t do the croutons but will deffo try another time. Thanks so much for sharing this delicious recipe!! x
So flipping happy you adored it! Thank you Caitlin! The first time I massaged kale I knew there was no going back – it basically became my favorite salad green after that.
I’ve never thought to add crushed croutons! I’ve made lemon- massaged make in the past, but this recipe and method is THE BEST. I love your tips, and the ingredients are so well balanced. Never doing this any other way – thank you!!
So stoked you’re loving the recipe, Lori! Thank you!
I added quinoa, green onion and English cucumber, soo good!!
Love that you added extra veggies and quinoa! Yum!
Delicious and easy to make! Added an extra tablespoon of oil. We use this dressing as an alternative to caesar dressing, everything is the same but we add bacon bits 🙂
Delicious! I used the kale from my garden (dinosaur not curly) added a little tajin and it was sooooo yummy!!!
Such a tasty addition!
Delicious and quick salad – great flavours and a great healthy option for mealtime!
Loved it! I thought I didn’t like kale until I made this salad
Loved this kale salad!! It was super easy and delicious! The curly kale came from my garden and chopping it finely and massaging the dressing into it are essential for optimal taste. The suggestions to crush the croutons and finely grated the Parmesan cheese were spot on! This salad will be added to my regular rotation! Thank you!!
Loved this salad! I used it as a main dish so added chopped walnuts for protein. Increased lemon juice a bit. Delicious!
Absolutely delicious! I have Russian Kale in my summer garden, it’s tender and mild, my company who don’t like kale love this salad and are so surprised when they find out it is kale!
I don’t usually leave reviews, but it was KALE’ing me how great, convenient , and delicious this was! One for the books! I’ve had it countless times, so a good olive oil brand is a must, and you can’t go wrong with xxxxxtra Parmesan (;
Bahaha love it! Thank you Anabel!
This is my FAVORITE! Thank you. Even my kids like this one!
Stays in my families dinner rotation! Make it often and the whole family loves it! So good! Grew our own kale this year and made some for tonight’s dinner! Never any leftovers! 10 stars ⭐️ 🤤
Best news ever! Thank you Kim! I need to follow suit and try growing kale 😃
You are misrepresenting vegetarian food. Vegetarians do not eat foods that contain animal based products that require the killing of an animal for ingredient. While most cheeses are vegetarian friendly (not vegan) Parmesan is not, due to the fact that rennet (dried animal stomach) is used to create the texture. Not a vegetarian meal!!!!
Hi Brooke. I absolutely understand your frustration. I have found that there are so many delicious vegetarian options for Parmesan that strict vegetarians may choose. BelGioioso makes an excellent vegetarian-made Parmesan cheese as does Mauro & Gianni. There are usually a few varieties at my local grocery store.
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Can this salad be made a day ahead?
Yes totally! When I prep this in advance I save the crispy breadcrumbs and grated parmesan to add just before serving.
I made this to go alongside a savoury tart for dinner tonight and it was great. The salad is similar to a kale Caesar but super simple. I love how lemony the dressing is and it’s the perfect topping to help soften up the kale. Will definitely make this again soon!
Perfect!! This lightly dressed salad is a perfect addition to any meal!!
Just wanted to confirm the ingredients for the dressing are the lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper?
Yup! It’s super simple and the flavors really shine.
I made this salad the other night and we loved it! So quick and easy. Very tasty.
So happy to hear it Tina! Thank you!
I also add pepitas or sunflower seeds, adds great crunch.
Love it!
What a great way to use kale!
So yummy!!! I don’t love lemon, but this was a perfect balance with the Parmesan. So glad I tried it, now I can eat kale 🙂
Ahhh yay! So so excited that you’re team kale now!
Was craving a big, impromptu kale salad and this was the first to come up on Pinterest! I already had most of the ingredients, I literally just had to buy lemons (And kale 😂)! Regardless im soo glad I tried it and I followed another reviewer’s addition and put some dijon mustard in the dressing as well. 10/10! Will def be a new staple for sure
My family all loved this! Definitely a keeper! Easy and delicious!
Yay!!! Thanks Lindsay!
This was so dang good. I ate it while doing the happy dance in the kitchen
Ok now I’m the one doing a happy dance! So so glad you loved it Allison!
If I could give this 10 stars, I would! Had to force myself to stop eating it, I is that good!! I first got a taste for kale salads after trying a version at a “very” popular chicken chain. This salad puts it to shame. I’m going to buy more kale to make this for lunches next week. The awesome thing about kale, it retains its crunch so no sogginess later in the week.
Thanks for the glowing review, Andrea! I’m so thrilled you’re loving the recipe!
Something weird just happened…. my husband went for seconds 😦 I know you don’t know him so let me just say… this is a big deal!
Ahhhh!!! Huge deal! So glad the salad was a hit!
This kale salad is sooo good. Thank you for sharing!
This is crazy delicious!!!!! We made it tonight with homemade croutons and Romano, rather than Parm. OMG!!!!!! Thanks, Jenn!
This was bomb! Totally about to become a staple.
Woooot! I’m so stoked you enjoyed it Lauren. Thanks!
Such a simple yet awesome Kale Salad! Definitely use fresh squeezed lemon juice and good quality parmesan. Thanks for a great recipe!
Very good. But Too much lemon. Cut to 1 Tbsp.
I love this, gotta try this at home, omg
This was delicious! Great salad recipe and great way to incorporate kale into my diet. Fresh, light and tasty!!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it!
This is so delicious!!!!! I’m trying to eat more salads so I tried this recipe yesterday and wow. So light but still really flavorful and hearty. Next time I will try adding chicken!!
Thank you Emma!
I’ve been obsessed with this salad! Made a batch last weekend and I’m making more today. Such an easy but delicious salad 😋
Where has this salad been all my life? I added some Dijon to make it taste even more like a traditional Caesar. It is now my favorite go-to salad and I will be growing a couple of extra Kale plants this summer just to use for this salad. The crushed croutons are genius. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Ahhh yay! So happy to hear you’re loving the salad and the added dijon is fantastic – so trying that next round. Thanks Roya!
This salad looks amazing! I’m trying to incorporate kale into my regular diet, but sometimes it can be hard since I’m not sure how to cook it or what to make with it! This recipe looks great and healthy!
Great way to get kale in for a meal. Great swap out for romaine.
Its really awesome and nice recipe
If using a bag of chopped, pre-washed kale, do I still need to massage the tiny amt of dressing onto the leaves?
Hi Karen! You can skip massaging as it’s totally personal preference, but I feel like it improves the texture of the leaves greatly. I’ve gotten so spoiled by the silky texture it gives kale that when I order kale salads at restaurants I’m always little disappointed the leaves are dry, lol! But it’s 100% up to you!
I made this today for lunch, just after I realized my refrigerated mushrooms have seen better days. Guess what – I didn’t miss them! This recipe is so delicious and I can’t wait to make it again! Made with spinach because that is what I had on hand and it was super. 🙂
So glad it works with spinach too!
This salad is so delicious and very easy to put together! My house request this salad once a week!
Woot woot! So happy to hear it, Shannon – thanks!
So tasty! Thank you for a simple, healthy and delicious recipe.
You’re super welcome! Glad it was a hit! xoxo
Yum! What a fresh salad idea to change things up.
This was a great light salad! I added a little more salt to the greens once everything was combined, still very tasty!
I loved this salad! It seems like the perfect thing to take to all the holiday parties.
So glad you’re loving it! It’s one of our fav side salads!
This salad is amazing! I was sceptical about the half teaspoon of dressing for the massage but it really worked! My husband loved the salad and is not known to be a kale guy. Definitely will be picking up kale more often and whipping up this quick, easy, delicious and nutritious salad.
Hi Jenn! That looks wonderful. Funny thing- I subscribe to Dr. Andrew Weil’s newsletter and he was just talking about all the nutrients in kale! You must be psychic haha. Can’t wait to make this.
I was amazed by how good this salad was. At first I thought “massaging” the dressing into the kale sounded a bit strange, but it completely changed the texture of the kale (in the best way possible). This salad was light and delicious. Highly recommend!
Yay! Thanks Ashley!
So good! We LOVE kale salads but had been a little bored with the same thing over and over. I’ve never added parmesan and WOW! So glad I found this recipe!