Inspired by Chick-Fil-A, this kale crunch salad comes together in about 10 minutes for a simple side salad. Curly kale and green cabbage are tossed in a sweet and tangy apple cider maple vinaigrette and topped with roasted almonds.
My favorite fast food restaurant growing up (and while pregnant) was Chick-Fil-A. I would always get a large pack of chicken nuggets, waffle fries and of course, the Chick-Fil-A sauce. As I got older and started incorporating more veggies into my diet, the Chick-Fil-A kale crunch salad became my new go-to. It’s crunchy, tangy and slightly sweet and it was absolutely delicious when topped with the chicken nuggets!
Given my love for copycat recipes and salads I decided it was time to make a homemade version of the Chick-Fil-A kale salad without any weird ingredients, so I could enjoy it at home whenever a craving hits.
I love making this salad for lunch and topping it with a grilled chicken breast or grilled salmon, but it also makes for the perfect side salad to serve with dinner.
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Why You’ll Love This Salad
- Healthier – If you look at the ingredients of the Chick-Fil-A salad it has soybean oil, natural flavor, calcium disodium EDTA and weird preservatives like potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate. This recipe is made with fresh, real-food ingredients that you can actually pronounce!
- Less expensive – Buying food out can be pricy, but this salad is pretty inexpensive to make at home.
- Easy to Make – This salad is so simple to make. Just whisk together the dressing, drizzle it over the kale and cabbage, top with almonds and enjoy!
- Versatile – It can be enjoyed as a simple side salad for dinner pair or add some protein like grilled shrimp or air fryer chicken breast to make it a meal-sized salad.
Ingredients Needed
- kale – I love using curly green kale for this salad because it holds up well with the dressing and has a great texture. Make sure to de-stem, chop, and wash it thoroughly.
- green cabbage – thinly sliced cabbage adds a nice crunch and complements the kale beautifully.
- almonds – this recipe calls for roasted salted almonds, but you can always use raw or un-salted almonds if you prefer.
- apple cider maple vinaigrette – a sweet and tangy dressing made with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, fresh lemon juice, honey or maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Recipe Substitutions
- Swap the almonds: Even though the original recipe is made with almonds you can totally swap it with pecans or walnuts. To make this salad nut-free skip the almonds or swap them with roasted salted sunflower seeds or pepitas (otherwise known as pumpkin seeds).
- Want to reduce the sweetness level? You can use less maple syrup or honey based on your personal taste preference.
- Want to use a different dressing? This salad was specifically designed to be a copycat for the Chick-Fil-A salad, so if you’re looking for a salad with a different dressing try this easy kale salad or massaged kale salad instead.
How to Make Kale Crunch Salad
Step 1: De-stem, chop and wash your kale.
Step 2: Use a salad spinner to dry the kale or dry it with paper towels or kitchen towels. Add your chopped and dry kale to a large bowl along with the cabbage.
Step 3: In a small mixing bowl whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Step 4: Drizzle the dressing over the kale and cabbage and using your hands massage the kale with the dressing. Top with chopped almonds and serve!
Brittany’s Tip!
Don’t skip massaging the kale with the dressing because it helps break down the tough fibers and makes it more tender and easier to digest. It also helps the kale absorb the dressing better, enhancing the overall flavor of the salad.
What to Serve With Kale Crunch Salad
This kale crunch salad pairs wonderfully with a variety of dishes from soups to hearty proteins. Here are a a few serving suggestions:
How to Store
Store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 2 days. The flavors meld together beautifully as it sits, making it even tastier the next day! Just a note that the almonds will get softer as they sit with the dressing.
If you’re planning to store the salad for more than 2 days or if you’re wanting to prep it ahead of time, I recommend storing the dressing separately in the fridge and adding it right before serving. This will help keep the cabbage and kale nice and crunchy. I would also wait to add the almonds until right before serving otherwise they’ll get soft.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Both kale and cabbage are high in vitamins and minerals like vitamin C and vitamin K as well as calcium, potassium and manganese. They’re also both high in fiber, which is essential for digestive health.
While the Chick-Fil-A kale crunch salad is made with curly green kale you can certainly use baby kale or Lacinato kale (otherwise known as dinosaur kale) if that’s what you have on hand.
Absolutely! Feel free to add other ingredients to make this salad your own. You could add more veggies like shredded carrots, bell peppers, red onion or cherry tomatoes. Some other good mix-in’s are dried cranberries, avocado, feta cheese or parmesan cheese.
More Popular Salad Recipes
Be sure to check out all of my kale recipes as well as the full collection of salad recipes on EBF!
