This kale apple salad starts with massaged kale and layers on tender poached chicken, chewy bulgar, apples, blue cheese, and a sprinkling of toasty hazelnuts.
We douse it in a maple-sweetened apple cider dressing that pulls everything together. Maple syrup, apples, blue cheese, and hazelnuts? Count me in!
Not all salads are created equal.
There are bowls of lettuce with dressing on them that serve the purpose of freshness, simplicity, and vegetables. And then there are the works-of-art salads. When I have time and energy, I love to make the latter.
These are salads with a few steps, several different ingredients, and a delicious dressing made just for it. They take some planning and probably some grocery shopping, but they’re so good and so memorable, it’s worth it.
I would love to eat these salads for every meal. Not because they’re so easy, or because they’re so healthy, but because they’re so darn satisfying.
Keep reading to learn how to make this kale and apple salad, and scroll all the way down to find a list of my favorite show-stopper salads!
ingredients:
- kale
- apples
- cooked bulgar
- chicken breasts
- hazelnuts
- dried cranberries
- blue cheese
- garlic
- herbs
- apple cider vinegar
- dijon mustard
- maple syrup
- extra-virgin olive oil
how to make apple kale salad:
- Gently poach chicken breasts in herb-infused water.
- Let cool then chop and set aside.
- Make dressing with apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Massage kale with salt.
- Toss kale and bulgar with a splash of dressing and transfer to serving dish.
- Top salad with sliced apples, chopped chicken, hazelnuts, cranberries, and blue cheese.
- Drizzle with more dressing and serve.
tips for this kale and apple salad recipe:
- Skip the chicken for a light and quick fall salad! Or swap it for smoked salmon, sliced steak, or gently poached shrimp.
- Use any type of kale you want. Just make sure to massage it with salt until softened and tender.
- Always toss the kale with dressing first, then layer up the remaining toppings.
- Poach the chicken and make the dressing a day ahead of time, if desired.
- Swap any cooked grain in for the bulgar-- quinoa, farro, wild rice
what to serve with kale apple salad:
I love to serve this kale apple salad with our creamy butternut squash risotto for the best fall meal. It also makes a great side for a pizza party (try it with our black truffle pizza or wild mushroom pizza)!
For a simple meal, serve it with these herby mashed rutabaga or even our butternut squash fritters.
how many calories are in kale and apple salad?
One serving of this kale apple salad is 421 calories, assuming all of the dressing is used. I tend to have dressing leftover, so it's likl;y less!
more kale salad recipes to try:
quinoa kale salad with oranges
kale and brussels sprout salad
kale apple salad
This kale apple salad layers tender kale, apples, poached chicken, bulgar, cranberries, hazelnuts, and blue cheese for a show-stopping salad.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Salad
- Method: Tossed
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
apple cider vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
kale apple salad:
- kosher salt
- 2 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 garlic clove
- handful of fresh herbs, tied together (such as thyme, oregano, parsley)
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 bunches kale, ribs discarded, leaves chopped into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup cooked bulgar (can substitute any cooked grain, such as farro, quinoa, brown rice)
- 2 apples, cored, quartered, and thinly sliced
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- 4 oz blue cheese, crumbled
Instructions
apple cider vinaigrette
- Combine vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a jar. Stir together with a spoon or small whisk until combined.
- Add olive oil and shake the jar until thick and emulsified. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper if needed.
kale apple salad:
- Fill a medium pot with water and add 1 tablespoon salt, peppercorns, bay leaf, garlic, and herbs. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve salt. Add chicken breasts, return to a boil, and reduce to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit 15- 20 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F.
- Transfer to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest 5 minutes. When cool enough to handle, chop chicken and set aside.
- Place kale in a mixing bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Massage until it’s tender and dark green. Add bulgar and toss with a few tablespoons of vinaigrette.
- Transfer to a large serving platter and top with chopped chicken, apples, cranberries, hazelnuts, and blue cheese. Drizzle with more dressing and serve, passing extra dressing on the side.
Notes
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 421
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 310mg
- Fat: 29g
- Saturated Fat: 6.7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 4.4g
- Protein: 19g
- Cholesterol: 48mg
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