Kale Apple Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing
This easy Kale Apple Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing is a copycat version of the one they sell at Jimbo's Naturally! It has kale, cucumber, red pepper, apple, red onion, and poppy seeds and it's tossed with a light honey dijon dressing. This is the perfect summer salad for any barbecue!
If you love organic salads with fresh veggies, then check out some of my other favorite salads like Chicken Sausage Greek Salad, Gut Healthy Chicken Salad, or Strawberry Balsamic Broccoli Salad.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Kale Apple Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing
- Ready In: 10 minutes
- Makes: 6 servings
- Main Ingredients: kale, apples, red onion, cucumber
- Flavor Profile: fresh, crispy greens and apples with tangy vinegar
- Dietary Info: vegan, gluten free, eggless, no seed oils
- Difficulty: Easy!
- Why You’ll Love It: Jimbo's salad copycat recipe!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Jimbo's Copycat: If you're fan of Jimbo's this homemade kale salad tastes just like their Kale Apple Salad!
- Honey Dijon Dressing: Made with only 4 organic ingredients, this homemade honey dijon vinaigrette is light and sweet.
- Side Salad or Meal: This homemade kale salad is a great side salad as is, or you can add in protein like chicken or summer sausage and make it into a meal.
- Light and Fresh: This organic salad is light and fresh. The addition of crunchy sweet apples combined with the vinegar and light cucumbers gives this salad all the healthy vibes!
- Quick and Easy: This Apple Kale Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing takes only 10 minutes to mix up! It's a great salad with big flavor for when you're short on time.
Jump to:
- A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients
- Flavor Variations
- Tips for Homemade Kale Salad
- How to Make Kale Apple Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing
- Serving Suggestions
- Kale Apple Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing FAQ’s
- More Organic Salad Recipes
- Kale Apple Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing
- The Bake Shop
Ingredients
- Kale: I use curly kale, but you can also use tuscan kale as well, as it works great for salads and it's less bitter.
- EVOO: I use organic extra virgin olive oil as the base for the honey dijon dressing.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: This adds some tang to the honey dijon dressing.
- Red Onion: I love organic red onion in salads as it brings great depth of flavor.
- Apples: I use organic Fuji apples in this recipe. The apples add a wonderful crunch and texture to this salad.
*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.
Flavor Variations
- Add in chopped nuts for a hearty flavor. Almonds, pecans, walnuts or cashews are all a great choice! Add in 1 cup of nuts of choice.
- If you want to add in seeds, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds are a great choice.
- Add in feta cheese or goat cheese for a salty and tangy element, which cuts through kale’s slightly bitter, earthy flavor. This will bring contrast and depth to this salad, plus added protein! Break up 6 to 8 ounces of block organic feta and add in, I love Organic Valley! Never use crumbled feta as this can have unnecessary stabilizers and other ingredients that are not ideal. As my dad always says, the true Greeks never buy crumbled feta!
- Add in grilled chicken, steak or summer sausage for protein to make this into a meal. This is a wonderful way to use leftovers. Add in 3 cups of chopped meat of choice. If you have leftover Apple Cider Honey Baked Ham, Savory Mustard Herb Ham, or Slow Cooker Turkey from the holidays it makes a perfect addition.
Tips for Homemade Kale Salad
- While I'm using kale you can use any leafy green that you like!
- Make sure to remove the stems from the kale. If you buy kale in a bag, you won't have to do this.
- You can massage the kale for 1-2 minutes a more tender texture if you are not used to eating raw kale. Simply massage in the dressing (yes, just with your hands for a few minutes) before adding the other ingredients. This will build flavor, reduce bitterness, and tenderize this leafy green to make it more enjoyable. This is optional, but give it a try for the best flavor especially if you are new to eating raw kale!
- Make this into a complete meal by adding in grilled chicken, summer sausage, steak, or even deli turkey or ham. You can also add in quinoa or serve with a slice of bread or toast.
- Only dress what you're going to eat to avoid a soggy salad. If you plan to save some for later, just save the dressing as well and dress before eating.
How to Make Kale Apple Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing
- In a medium bowl, add the olive oil, water, apple cider vinegar, honey, mustard and poppy seeds. Whisk together. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the chopped kale, apples, cucumber, red pepper, and red onions. Toss together.
- Add the salad dressing and toss to coat completely. If you're not going to eat the entire salad now, just scoop out a portion and dress, then store the extra salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. And store the dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve this Kale Apple Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing as a side to Organic Meatloaf with Bone Broth, Garlic Herb Beef Tenderloin Steak, or Quick Homemade Flatbread Pizza Dough (No Yeast).
- This makes a wonderful Thanksgiving side salad served beside Roasted Herb Butter Turkey and Bone Broth Mashed Potatoes for a pop of vibrant color and fresh veggies!
- The perfect side salad for soup season. Enjoy alongside Ham Bone Soup or Healthy Beef Soup with Leeks.
- Enjoy as a side salad to soups or stews like How to Make Turkey Carcass Soup With Bone Broth, Slow Cooker Pumpkin Stew, or Slow Cooker Beef Brisket Stew.
Kale Apple Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing FAQ's
You can use any kind of kale you like.
You don't need to, but it can help remove some of the bitterness and taste better especially if you are new to eating raw kale.
Massaging the kale will help break down its tough cell walls. The physical pressure of the massage is what does this.
Yes, if you don't have kale feel free to substitute for another type like Romaine or a mixed greens. It will be delicious with whatever lettuce you have on hand.
I use Fuji in this recipe, which is a sweet apple. I would recommend using a sweet apple as it pairs so well with the hearty kale and the honey mustard. You could use Gala, Pink Ladys or another reddish apple with a sweet flavor.
Yes, this goes great with grilled chicken, summer sausage, steak or even deli turkey or ham.
You can, but if you dress it all it can become soggy. I recommend just making the salad in advance and dressing it when you are ready to serve.
This is best enjoyed within 2 to 3 days.
I love serving this as a side dish like steak, grilled chicken or fish. You could add in summer sausage, chicken, or turkey lunch meat to the salad as well to make it a meal for a light lunch. Quinoa, rice, or sourdough also go great as a side!
More Organic Salad Recipes
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Kale Apple Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Dressing
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup water
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 2 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Salad
- 8 cups kale leaves (de-stemmed)
- 2 Fuji apples (diced)
- 1 cucumber (diced)
- 1 red pepper (diced)
- ½ cup red onion (diced)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add the olive oil, water, apple cider vinegar, honey, mustard and poppy seeds. Whisk together. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the chopped kale, apples, cucumber, red pepper, and red onions. Toss together.
- Add the salad dressing and toss to coat completely. If you're not going to eat the entire salad now, just scoop out a portion and dress, then store the extra salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. And store the dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- While I'm using kale you can use any leafy green that you like!
- Make sure to remove the stems from the kale. If you buy kale in a bag, you won't have to do this.
- You can massage the kale for 1-2 minutes a more tender texture if you are not used to eating raw kale. Simply massage in the dressing (yes, just with your hands for a few minutes) before adding the other ingredients. This will build flavor, reduce bitterness, and tenderize this leafy green to make it more enjoyable. This is optional, but give it a try for the best flavor especially if you are new to eating raw kale!
- Make this into a complete meal by adding in grilled chicken, summer sausage, steak, or even deli turkey or ham. You can also add in quinoa or serve with a slice of bread or toast.
- Only dress what you're going to eat to avoid a soggy salad. If you plan to save some for later, just save the dressing as well and dress before eating.
- High Altitude — Follow the recipe as noted.
Nutrition
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Obsessed with this salad!