Chick-Fil-A Kale Salad (Copycat Recipe!)
I love making my own Chick-fil-A kale salad at home. This copycat recipe uses fresh kale, cabbage, and a tangy apple dijon vinaigrette. It is light, crisp, slightly sweet, full of texture, and comes together in just 10 minutes. I prefer this version thanks to my smart ingredient swaps.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 288kcal
Ingredients
For The Salad Base
- 1 bunch curly kale
- 3½ oz shredded green cabbage
- ½ cup roasted almonds roughly chopped
For The Dressing
- 4 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing by adding all ingredients into a glass jar, screw the lid on tightly and shake vigorously to combine. Alternatively, you can whisk all ingredients in a bowl.
- Set dressing aside and prepare the salad by washing and removing the kale leaves from the stems.
- Roughly chop the kale and place in a mixing bowl.
- Next, add the shredded cabbage.
- Drizzle ½ of the salad dressing over top.
- Using clean hands, massage to soften the kale.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes - 1 hour.
- When ready to serve add the roasted almonds, reserving some to sprinkle on top, and toss to combine. Add more dressing if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this Chick-fil-A kale salad recipe is to massage the kale leaves properly. This step softens the leaves, makes them more digestible, enhances flavor absorption, and removes any bitterness, making the salad extremely palatable.
- Refrigerate for best texture: The resting time in the refrigerator actually improves the texture of the kale leaves. Kale thrives in cool, humid environments, and the acid and oil in the dressing break down the tough cellulose structure in the leaves.
- Shred finely: I shred my cabbage very thinly to a more refined texture and bite. Using baby cabbage and a chiffonade cut works really well for this recipe.
- Dress lightly: I always taste the salad before adding the remaining dressing, as sometimes it is not required. Instead, I serve the leftover dressing on the side and let everyone dress their own leaves.
- Chop kale finely: I chop the kale into small pieces to ensure a neat and complete forkful of salad with each bite.
- Add almonds last: Add the almonds just before serving, to help keep their crunch.
Nutrition
Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 253mg | Potassium: 388mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g