A quick and delicious kale and cranberry salad with lemon dijon dressing! The perfect side dish to a weeknight dinner or holiday meal.

This kale and cranberry salad is so easy to mix up and delicious! Filled with super healthy ingredients, it is my go-to end-of-summer and early fall salad. It mixes up in less than 20 minutes and keeps for a few days in the fridge – hello leftovers for a healthy lunch!

Free from: Wheat, gluten, dairy (optional), casein (optional), eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, mollusks, celery, corn, sesame, mustard (optional), lupin, sulfites, and more

overview of a kale and cranberry salad with fennel and apple slices in a dark bowl with a dark metal fork on a wood table. ingredients like apples and more kale surround the bowl.

Why You’ll Love this Kale and Cranberry Salad

Super healthy + delicious! Kale is full of vitamins and minerals like A, C, E, K, calcium, iron, and potassium. The dressing and additions like fennel, honey crisp apple, and cranberries make it taste so good. It’s such a healthy salad full of dietary fiber but tastes so good you won’t know it’s healthy.
Quick to make! Get this on the table in fewer than 20 minutes for a great side dish.
Full of end of summer flavors and fresh fruit to perfectly transition into fall, or enjoy at a holiday meal.

Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients from the grocery store to make this salad.

Kale – I typically reach for curly kale to make this salad. The bright green and curly leaves make for a beautiful presentation. You can also use lacinato kale which has softer and darker leaves. Both are delicious!
Fennel – If you haven’t tried fennel in a kale salad you have been missing out! This vegetable tastes like a tart apple, providing great crunch and texture.
Apple – Speaking of apples, I love to add apples as well. I reach for honeycrisp or Fuji for their sweet-tart flavor. But feel free to use your favorite here.
Parmesan Cheese – I love the flavor combination of kale and parmesan. The cheese makes it a little salty and pairs so well with cranberries.
Cranberries + Pumpkin seeds – Something sweet and providing great texture to the salad.
You’ll also need the dressing ingredients: Lemon juice, dijon mustard, olive oil, maple syrup or date syrup, salt + pepper

Allergy Substitutions

If you are allergic to mustard, you can still enjoy this salad! Replace the lemon dijon dressing with just plain lemon vinaigrette or your favorite balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

To make this dairy free, simply omit the parmesan cheese.

Instructions

The full recipe, complete with measurements, can be found in the recipe card below.

Start by making your salad dressing. In a medium bowl, or a mason jar with a whisk ball, whisk together the lemon juice, dijon mustard, olive oil, and maple syrup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set this aside while you finish the salad.

Prep the kale by cutting or tearing the kale eaves away from the stem. Then, roughly chop them into bite-sized pieces. Wash them well in cool water, drain and rinse in a salad spinner, and then dry the kale on a towel or paper towel. Add it to a large bowl for mixing.

glass bowl filled with the ingredients for a kale and cranberry salad before mixing it all together. a wood spoon and a single apple are next to the bowl.

Now it’s time to massage the kale. This step seems silly but makes all the difference! Massaging the kale leaves helps to break down the kale, making it easier to digest. It also removes some of the bitterness. If this is your first time enjoying a kale salad, don’t skip this step! Massage it for about 2 to 3 minutes. The kale should wilt down slightly, becoming darker in color.

Other varieties of kale, like lacinato kale, do not need to be massaged.

After massaging the kale, it’s time to prep the final ingredients. Thinly slice the fennel and apples before adding it to the kale. Next, add the pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries. Finally, sprinkle in the parmesan cheese.

Finally, drizzle over your dressing. Give it a good mix so everything is incorporated. Serve and enjoy!

Tip! The longer the kale sits in the dressing, the softer and less bitter the kale will become. Make it an hour or two before dinner so it is perfect right in time for dinner.

Variations

Try this salad with fresh pomegranate seeds in place of dried cranberries.
In place of fennel, use sliced pears and apples.
Make this with your favorite balsamic vinaigrette dressing for a tangy twist!
Want to replace the parmesean? Try this with creamy goat cheese.
Want to replace the pumpkin seeds? No worries! Try sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, pecans, or candied pecans if you are feeling fancy!

Tips for the Best Kale Salad

Massage the kale! It seems a little silly, but I promise it makes all the difference in the final texture and flavor of the kale.
To cut down on prep time, you can use pre shredded kale from the grocery store. Just make sure to remove any stem pieces that may have snuck in there.
The longer the kale sits in the dressing, the more delicious kale salad you will have. Make it to enjoy today and the next day for even better flavor.

How to Store

This salad is best the day it is made, but will keep well in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you store the dressing and salad separately, it makes for a great meal prep and lunch box item!

More Salad Recipes to Love

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