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    Home » Recipes » Salads » Easy Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing

    Easy Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing

    By Sherri On April 29, 2020 10 Comments

    8830 shares
    4.91 from 10 votes
    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    A bowl of kale salad with almond slices
    kale salad with lemon dressing
    kale salad with lemon dressing

    This easy Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette is a healthy addition to any lunch or dinner. The added sliced almonds and parmesan cheese pair perfectly with the tangy lemon dressing.

    Like last week’s Spinach, Asparagus, Tomato Salad with Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette, this Kale Salad with lemon vinaigrette is a fresh salad you can make it just a few minutes.

    A bowl of kale salad with slices of almonds

    I love using kale as a base to my salads. Kale is also one of those fabulous “volume” foods, foods that will make your belly feel full. You can eat a lot of it and not be consuming loads of carbs. 2 cups of kale (85 grams) has only 9 carbs.

    When using kale leaves in a salad, I highly recommend is to massage the kale for a few minutes. Yep, that’s right. Just get in there and give that kale the best massage ever. Kind of like you are kneading bread. Doing this will get rid of the bitterness that kale is notorious for. It will turn a lovely darker green in color.

    Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette2

    The ingredients need for this kale salad are very basic. You just need one bunch of kale with the fibrous stems (in the middle of the leaf) removed, grated parmesan cheese and slivered almonds. Then you simply create the simple lemon vinaigrette with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and dijon mustard.

    How to make this Kale Salad

    Remove the fibrous stems from the kale leaves, leaving just the greens.

    A close up of a piece of kale

    Place the leaves on top of each other and massage with your hands (like you are kneading bread) for about three to five minutes. It may sound strange but it gets rid of the notorious bitterness.

    Break or cut the kale into bite size pieces.

    For the dressing, add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk together until combined.

    Kale Salad recipe

    Place the kale into a large bowl and top with sliced almonds and Parmesan cheese.

    Pour some of the dressing over top and toss to combine.  (using more or less as desired)

    A bowl of kale salad, with dressing being poured over.

    ENJOY!!

    A bowl of kale salad with almond slices

    Simple Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

    A healthy lunch or dinner for a busy night. Added sliced almonds and parmesan cheese pair perfectly with the tangy lemon dressing.
    4.91 from 10 votes
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    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 281kcal
    Author: Sherri Hagymas

    Ingredients

    • 8 ounces kale fibrous stems (in the middle of the leaf) removed
    • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • ½ cup slivered almonds
    • For the dressing:
    • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
    • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon garlic grated
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • ⅛ teaspoon pepper

    Instructions

    • Remove the fibrous stems from the kale leaves, leaving just the greens.
    • Place the leaves on top of each other and massage with your hands (like you are kneading bread) for about three to five minutes. It may sound strange but it gets rid of the notorious bitterness.
    • Break or cut the kale into bite size pieces.
    • For the dressing, add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk together until combined.
    • Place the kale into a large bowl and top with sliced almonds and Parmesan cheese.
    • Pour some of the dressing over top and toss to combine. (using more or less as desired)

    Nutrition

    Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 227mg | Potassium: 389mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 5770IU | Vitamin C: 71mg | Calcium: 259mg | Iron: 1.5mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @ToSimplyInspire or tag #ToSimplyInspire!
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    Filed Under: Healthy Recipes, Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetables

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lorna

      May 15, 2021 at 7:56 pm

      5 stars
      Perfect! Delicious! Healthy! Thanks for sharing the recipe

      Reply
    2. Miz Helen

      September 01, 2016 at 3:04 pm

      5 stars
      Congratulations!
      Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. Enjoy your weekend and your new Red Plate!
      Come Back Soon!
      Miz Helen

      Reply
    3. April J Harris

      August 30, 2016 at 6:55 am

      5 stars
      I’ve heard massaging kale can make a real difference to the flavour. Your salad looks delicious – love the dressing! Will pin your Salads post pin. Thank you for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Hop. Hope to ‘see’ you again this week!

      Reply
    4. Easy Peasy Life Matters

      August 27, 2016 at 1:00 am

      Gotta love kale and with this lemon dressing, so good! 🙂

      Reply
      • Susie

        June 10, 2022 at 5:23 pm

        5 stars
        I added a teaspoon of honey and four drops of DoTerra wild orange essential oil to the salad dressing and added dried some dried craisins to the top of our kale salad and it was a huge hit. My 2 year old grandson loved it so much he kept saying more Nanna, more!

        Reply
    5. Kate

      August 26, 2016 at 10:17 am

      This looks delicious! I love Kale!
      Kate | TheOrganizedDream.com

      Reply
    6. Camille

      August 25, 2016 at 9:20 pm

      4 stars
      This looks delicious. Good to know about “massaging” kale.
      Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    7. Janet Vinyard

      August 24, 2016 at 11:58 am

      Hi Sherri, I recently overcame my reluctance to eat kale based on memories of tons of it lining salad bars in the past! I tried the kale salad at Chick Fil-A after a friend dared me to do so and lo and behold I liked it! So, I look forward to trying your version of kale salad. Thanks for sharing! Blessings, Janet

      Reply
    8. Cathy Lawdanski

      August 23, 2016 at 5:17 pm

      I love a good Kale Salad! Pinning this one!

      Reply
    9. Naomi@WhatJoyIsMine

      August 22, 2016 at 4:28 pm

      Sherri…We eat kale regularly in our home so I am looking forward to trying this recipe of yours. It sounds and looks delish. Thank you for sharing at Monday’s Musings. 🙂

      Reply

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    Hi there! I’m Sherri I love creating a variety of easy recipes that anyone can make and enjoy! From healthy to comforting, I hope you find something that inspires you!.

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