Strawberry Kale Salad

This 10-minute strawberry kale salad is summertime in a bowl! Simple fresh ingredients are combined for a delicious salad that’s the perfect combination of sweet and savory. Made with kale, strawberries, and almonds for some crunch and an easy dressing that mixes up in minutes.

Are you bored with your salad? I know I get tired of eating the same old lettuce salad all the time. 

This strawberry kale salad definitely mixes things up! Such simple ingredients really bring an interesting combination of flavors. It’s my go-to salad during the summer when berries are at their peak.

If you love fruit in savory salads, check out this black bean and mango salad and quinoa salad with grapefruit. 

Add this salad to any meal like pasta dishes or turn it into a main dish with a healthy plant protein such as tofu, chickpeas, or white beans. 

Why This Recipe Works

• Healthy ingredients: Kale, strawberries, and almonds provide you with lots of healthy nutrients to support your body. 
• Great flavors: The perfect combination of salty, sweet, and savory.
• Quick and easy: The homemade dressing comes together in just minutes to toss with the fresh kale, strawberries, and almonds.

What Goes Into This Recipe

Fresh produce and easy staple ingredients are all it takes to make this easy strawberry kale salad.

• Fresh kale: Use curly or laccinato kale (also called Tuscan kale or dinosaur kale) to make this salad. If you decide to use baby kale leaves, skip the step of massaging the greens.
• Almond slivers: Almonds add the perfect crunch. Slices or chopped almonds work too.
• Strawberries: Choose fresh, ripe organic strawberries to make this fruit and kale salad. Fresh strawberries are available year-round but their main season is the summer which is also when they usually have the juiciest, sweetest flavor. Organic is best if they aren’t too pricey since strawberries are usually part of the Dirty Dozen and often contain high amounts of pesticides.
• Olive oil: Opt for extra virgin when making dressings.
• Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice will give the best flavor to the dressing.
• Soy sauce: Adds umami flavor to the dressing. For gluten-free, you can use coconut aminos or miso.
• Balsamic vinegar: The slightly sweet and acid flavor balances out the saltiness of the soy sauce.
• Seasonings: Oregano, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper add great flavor to the simple dressing.

How To Make Kale Salad with Strawberries

• 1) Chop the kale and add it to a large bowl. Massage the kale, by rubbing the leaves together until they soften and turn a darker green. Then add the strawberries and almonds.

• 2) In a smaller bowl, whisk the rest of the ingredients, add to the salad until it's distributed evenly and cover all the ingredients.

Tip: Not sure how to cut kale? Watch this kale cutting tutorial to find out exactly how to do it easily.

Expert Tips

• Don’t skip the massage. I know it seems like an extra step but it’s quite tasty. It softens the greens and reduces some of the bitterness in the kale leaves. 
• Best flavor. Use fresh, in-season, ripe strawberries.
• Serve immediately. This strawberry kale salad is best eaten right after adding the dressing. If transporting or waiting to serve, add the dressing right before and mix everything together.

FAQS

Variations

Here are some different ways you can change up your kale and strawberry salad!

• Berries: Use a mix of berries or replace the strawberries with blueberries.
• Avocado: Chop up some fresh avocado and add it to the salad to boost the healthy fats.
• Nuts: Walnuts or pecans work great too. I even like to sometimes replace them with these flavored nuts.
• Seeds: Ditch the nuts and use pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds instead.
• No kale? Use spinach, baby greens, or romaine instead and skip the massaging!
• Main dish: Add crunchy tofu, marinated tofu, crispy chickpeas, canned black beans, or some quinoa to turn this dish into a main course meal.

More Salad Recipes

• Panzanella Salad
• Mediterranean Lentil Salad
• Shaved Brussels
• Bean Salad
• Sesame Noodle Salad

Photos by Alfonso Revilla