Kale Salad with Avocado Dressing

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Kale salad with avocado dressing is a delicious and healthy way to enjoy your greens. The baby kale provides a crisp texture, while the creamy avocado dressing adds a nice flavor that will leave you wanting more.

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Here is what you will need

This is an overview of the ingredients and steps to make this baby kale salad recipe; scroll down for a printable recipe card with exact measurements and detailed instructions.

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🛒Ingredients

Baby kale
Onion
Fresh lemon juice
Olive oil
Ripe avocado
Garlic
Parmesan cheese (freshly shredded)
Croutons (homemade or store-bought)

🥄Equipment

Large bowl
Chef’s knife
Cheese grater
Garlic crusher
Small bowl or mason jar

This salad packs a flavor punch with baby kale as the main ingredient for its subtle taste. Creamy dressing made with avocado and lemon ties together the flavors, and tangy parmesan cheese and air-fryer croutons make the salad extra delicious.

Why you will 🤍 this recipe

It’s a simple kale salad to make with only a few simple ingredients.
It’s healthy! Kale is packed with vitamins and minerals.

How to make baby kale salad with creamy avocado dressing

Step 1. Prepare the Kale

Once it has been rinsed and dried, trim any tough kale stems from the kale leaves. Since kale is less tender than lettuce it’s best to chop the kale into small pieces and place it into a salad bowl.

Step 2. Add onions

Chop the onion and add it to the bowl with the kale.

Step 3. Mix the dressing

Remove the avocado flesh from the avocado and place it into a small bowl or jar and mash it with a fork. Use a garlic crusher to crush the garlic and add it to the bowl with the avocado. Whisk in the olive oil and fresh lemon juice until the dressing is creamy and smooth.

Step 4. Mix it all together

Add the grated parmesan cheese and croutons. Pour half of the dressing into the salad and toss gently. Sprinkle the salad with a little bit of sea salt and black pepper and serve.

Ingredient notes and substitutions

Kale – The best kale to use in this salad is baby kale because it is tender and mild in flavor. If baby kale is not available, it can be substituted with Russian kale, curly kale or lacinato kale.

Parmesan cheese – Adds a little bit of a salty taste to this salad. It can be left out or substituted with vegan parmesan cheese for a free or vegan kale salad.

Onion – I like to use red onion or yellow onion to make this salad, but any kind of onion will work. You can also leave the onion out.

An overhead view of kale caesar salad with a fork

How to store leftovers

Kale is pretty hearty and this salad will last for a few days left over. Place it into an airtight container and use it within three days. I don’t recommend storing the leftover salad with the coupons in it as they will become soggy.

If you anticipate having leftover salad, serve the dressing and croutons on the side.

What to serve with Kale Salad

Serve avocado kale salad topped with homemade croutons with just about any entree such as white bean soup, chicken giambotta, grilled pork chops, or grilled chicken breast.

This salad is so hearty, you can also serve it topped with grilled chicken, steak, or shrimp for a full main dish.

Recipe variations

Kale salad with bacon – Add a slice or two of cooked crumbled bacon.

Kale salad with mushrooms – Add 3 to 4 sliced raw or cooked mushrooms to the salad.

Change up the dressing – add 1/2 teaspoon of dijon mustard or Worcestershire sauce.

Add nuts or seeds – toss in chopped walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds for a little extra crunch.

Gluten-free kale salad – This salad is not gluten-free with the croutons. Try using roasted and crispy chickpeas in place of croutons.

💡Tips

Here’s an easy way to chop the kale into thin ribbons: stack a few kale leaves on top of each other and roll them up, then slice the rolls with a sharp knife to make ribbons.
If you don’t have a garlic crusher, place the back of a wooden spoon or spatula on top of the garlic cloves and press down to crush them.

How to make kale salad ahead of time?

This is an easy salad to prepare ahead of time. Simply prepare the kale and place it into a bowl along with the chopped onions and store it in a sealed bowl for up to two days. Make the dressing and store it in a separate airtight container for a few days.

Do you have to massage kale before adding it to a salad?

Baby kale is tender and it’s not necessary to massage it before adding it to a salad. If you are using another type of kale such as curly kale, tuscan kale, or Russian kale, you may need to massage it with a little bit of olive oil to tenderize it before adding it to the salad.

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