If you still think kale salad recipes are all the same, then you haven’t tasted this tuscan kale chopped salad! This easy recipe with homemade creamy vegan dressing is bursting with color and texture and gives you a bit of everything in each bite! Dino kale recipes like this one make it easy and delicious to get in some nourishing greens….and you can pull this chopped salad together in under 15 minutes.
Ingredient Notes
- Tuscan kale: also called lacinato kale or dinosaur kale. Any hearty leafy green like green or red curly kale, brussel sprouts leaves, or collard greens would be good subs.
- Bell peppers: When recipe testing, I loved the way the bright red of the peppers gave a pop of color to this salad, but yellow would do the same.
- Scallion: I find them easier to eat raw than other onions, except maybe shallots.
- Marcona almonds: Swap with any nut and try toasting them in a dry pan to add flavor and crunch. When I have friends coming over with nut allergies, I add pumpkin seeds or roasted chickpeas or crispy black beans instead.
- Miso dressing: Ah-mazing…but if you’re not into miso then go ahead and sub Tahini Dressing or Vegan Caesar or a simple Homemade Italian Dressing.
Miso Dressing
This Balsamic Miso Dressing takes just a couple minutes to whisk together.
How to make it
First prep the kale. This is how I prep tuscan kale for salad and I would use the same method with curly kale. Give it a good wash. Soak it in water to remove all dirt and debris. Use a salad spinner to get most of the water off and then wrap in a clean dish towel to further dry.
- This is what Tuscan Kale (aka: dinosaur kale or lacinato kale) looks like, front and back. It’s a bit darker and more tender than curly kale, making it an awesome choice for a chopped salad.
- Stack the kale leaves on top of each other and begin to thinly slice, starting with end that doesn’t have the woody stem. Continue slicing until the stem becomes thick and woody, about ⅔ way down.
- Hold the bottom stem in one hand and then, using the other hand, push the leafy part on both sides of the stem so it separates from the stem.
- Thinly slice the rest of the leaves.
- Discard the woody stems into your compost or save them to juice.
Place kale in a large salad bowl. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt before massaging gently with your hands. If you’re cutting back on sodium, just skip the salt, but don’t skip the massage! Really, it’s the massaging that helps to tenderize the kale, making is softer and more easily digested. The best way to massage the kale is by hand, with or without the added salt. You don’t need to massage the dressing onto the kale.
While the kale sits and softens, make the dressing.
Gather the miso, balsamic vinegar, mustard, maple syrup and water.
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth and creamy.
Once the kale has been massaged, start loading in the chopped veggies. It doesn’t matter too much what shapes you cut the veggies into, but the best chopped salads have bite sized pieces.
Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Start with ½ the dressing. Taste.
Add more dressing as desired or serve with just half the dressing and pass a pitcher around so everyone can add more to their taste.
Debra’s Pro Tips
- A mandoline or food processor will expedite the chopping. Personally, I find chopping veggies meditative, so that’s what I usually do…and it takes me less than 10 minutes to chop everything for this salad, including the kale.
- Throw on some chickpeas, shelled edamame beans, cooked lentils or black beans to make this a main dish salad.
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📖 Recipe
Tuscan Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 1 bunch lacinato kale
- 4 scallions thinly sliced
- 3 small Persian cucumbers diced
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 3 carrots chopped into thin rounds
- 1 red pepper diced
- ¾ cup marcona almonds
- OPTIONAL: ¼ teaspoon sea salt*
Balsamic Miso Dressing
- ¼ cup light miso*
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- ¼ cup water
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Wash the kale. Stack the leaves and place the top leaf so that the stem is horizontal. Start on the non-woody stem end to make thin slices until about ¾ down. Then de-stem the remaining portion of each kale leaf, removing the harder stem. Roughly chop remaining kale.
- Place kale in large bowl and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. Gently massage kale with your hands, breaking down the fibers. Let kale sit to further soften while you prepare remaining ingredients.
- MAKE THE DRESSING: In a small bowl, whisk together miso, mustard, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and water.
- Thinly slice scallions; dice cucumbers and red peppers, thinly slice cabbage and carrots. Add to bowl with kale. Sprinkle on marcona almonds.
- Pour ½ the dressing over the salad and mix until everything is well incorporated. Pour on additional dressing, as desired and mix again.
Notes
MEAL PREP AND STORAGE
- Serve: Serve as a side salad, or make it a meal by adding in some plant based protein like beans or lentils.
- Prep: Make the dressing in advance. It will stay good in the fridge for a week. Wash and chop the kale a couple days or a couple hours in advance. Don’t massage it until you’re ready to dress and toss. The veggies can also be chopped and left in the fridge in an airtight container until you’re ready to toss the salad.
- Store: Undressed salad will stay good in the fridge for 4 days. Dressed salad will stay good for 1-2 days.
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Ramona
Beautiful and super heathy
Lexa
Always on the lookout for creative kale salad ideas. Loved this one!
Jan
A great way to use all those kale leaves I had
Michelle
So Good!
Andrea White
this kale salad is sooo good! love how simple it is to make too!
Jeannie
this salad has amazing flavors and is not boring at all, very healthy too
Amy
Love a good kale salad and even better that it can be done in 10 minutes!
serena
Delish! Love a great salad
Oscar
This recipe looks so good, can’t wait to make it this weekend.
Jan
Such a lovely recipe
Michelle
FIVE Stars! This is super delicious!
Debra Klein
Totally agree…thanks for letting me know!
Linda
This is a must-try and be sure to make extra!
Megan Ellam
Looks super tasty. I am a fan of both lacinato kale and almonds so I will definitely have to try!
Brianna May
So tasty
jan
the flavours of this salad and dressing were delish. I made a big batch and happily ate the bowl.
Debra Klein
Thanks….exactly what I do…eat the whole bowl!!
Ramona
Oh my goodness this kale salad looks absolutely wonderful so colourful and healthy. I particularly love the miso dressing. I cannot wait to try this with the kale I have the fridge that I was even wondering what I could make with. So glad I found this recipe, thank you so much for sharing!
Debra Klein
You’re welcome…I adore that miso dressing.
Denise
The colors are gorgeous and it’s delicious!
Debra Klein
Oh…you know we eat with our eyes first…so it’s important that a salad looks super appetizing!
Elizabeth
Absolutely delicious! We’ll definitely be making this again!
Angela
I love this fresh salad. The balsamic miso dressing is a hit.
Andrea
This looks so good. I love that it has miso dressing. Looking forward to trying it.
Lilly
I love the flavors of this salad. it’s so hearty.
Toni
Such an amazing salad! So flavorful!
Jen
My family really loved it!
Carole
Excellent dressing…. who can resist miso? and balsamic? YUM!
Debra Klein
I feel the same!
Elizabeth
Love a good kale salad – so good! Thanks for the recipe!
Debra Klein
Right? They’re the best!
Gloria
This is a healthy salad for dinner any night of the week. After the holidays eating healthy will be a must for sure. This will be a great addition.
Debra Klein
A good kale salad is a must all through the year!
Priya
Made this salad today and I must say it turned out really great!
Debra Klein
Yay! Thanks for sharing.
Rachael
I’m obsessed. I don’t typically like salads, but Tuscan kale chopped salad is amazing. I love the simple homemade salad dressing with punchy flavor that makes this salad different than your average boring salad. Thank you!
Debra Klein
We are obsessed too…definitely not a boring salad!
Giangi
Mouthwatering and so delicious. Thank you for your picture explanations. I am always having a hard time cutting the kale.
Great recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Debra Klein
So glad those photos helped!
Rhonda
You forgot the maple syrup in the instructions for dressing I think. Gunna try this for sure!
Debra Klein
Thanks for catching that. I updated the instructions. Check back in and let us know how you like it.
Lynn
Salad was as good as it looked. Loved it! But I would like to know how much kale to use, mine was chopped in a bag so it was hard to know how much ‘1 bunch’ would be.
Thank you
Debra Klein
If you loved it, I would use the same amount of kale next time! Whatever ratio you prefer is the perfect amount. That said, my guess would be about 3 cups.
Vana
Debra , your kale chopped salad has very good combination of colorful vegetables, vegans friendly dressing. Excellent salad. Kudos to you.
Debra Klein
Thank you Vana…so glad you’re enjoying it!