This sweet and crunchy kale apple salad is packed full of flavor! It’s an easy recipe topped with chickpeas, crunchy toasted pecans, and vegan feta cheese in a zesty apple cider vinaigrette.
This amazingly delicious kale apple salad is jam-packed with all the good stuff. Tender massaged kale, hearty chickpeas, and crunchy toasted pecans rounded out with creamy vegan feta cheese and the zestiest apple cider vinaigrette. The salad and the dressing are quick to put together. This recipe has so many delicious flavors wrapped up in a single bowl, not to mention the combination of textures. It’s perfect as a cold lunch, picnic side dish, or even a holiday side!
Why You’ll Love This Kale Apple Salad
- Sweet and crunchy. The combination of earthy kale, sweet apples, toasty pecans, and creamy feta is next-level good. The zingy apple cider dressing ties everything together perfectly.
- Easy ingredients. This salad packs tons of flavor for the short list of ingredients involved. Everything you need is easy to come by in most local grocers, and organic food stores.
- Quick. It takes minutes to assemble this salad. After giving the kale a quick massage (yes, it’s a thing! More on this later), you simply toss in the other ingredients and enjoy.
Notes on Ingredients
Here are some brief notes on the ingredients you’ll need for this easy apple kale salad and the vinaigrette dressing. Scroll to the recipe card for a printable ingredients list.
- Kale – You’ll want to trim the kale leaves from the hard stems, wash them, and tear them into smaller pieces.
- Chickpeas – You can use a can of raw chickpeas (remember to drain and rinse them first), or you can make this salad with crispy roasted chickpeas .
- Apples – Use any apple variety you’d like. I find that the best apples for salads are crisp, crunchy varieties that don’t brown quickly, like Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples.
- Pecans – I use toasted pecans, but you can also leave the nuts raw and chop them. Candied pecans are also a nice twist!
- Vegan Feta Cheese – You can make vegan feta from tofu (it’s SO easy, with just 6 ingredients), or use your favorite brand of plant-based feta from the store.
For the Dressing
- Maple Syrup – I love the unique sweetness of pure maple syrup, but agave nectar is a close second!
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Apple cider vinegar plays nicely off the apples in this salad, but you can replace it with red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar in a pinch.
- Olive Oil – Choose a good-quality olive oil, or you can use another kind of oil, like avocado oil. You’ll also need salt and pepper to round out the seasoning.
Can I Use Another Salad Dressing?
Certainly! If you’d prefer to swap out the vinaigrette in this recipe, try a honey apple dressing , or the lemon poppyseed dressing from my kale chickpea salad . A classic balsamic dressing would also be tasty here, as would the simple sweet dressing from my kale slaw recipe.
How to Make Kale Apple Salad
This kale and apple salad couldn’t be easier to make. Check out the steps below, and scroll down to the recipe card for the printable recipe instructions.
- Make the dressing. First, you’ll whisk together the dressing ingredients (you can also combine them in a jar with a lid and give it a shake).
- Massage the kale. Add your washed and chopped kale to a large bowl. Drizzle over about half the dressing, and use your hands to work it into the leaves. Do this for a good 1-2 minutes so that the kale becomes soft. For an in-depth tutorial on how to massage kale, see my classic kale salad recipe .
- Add the toppings. Add your chickpeas, apples, pecans, and feta. Top the salad with the last of the dressing, toss, and enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Substitute the kale. If kale isn’t your jam, you can still make a delicious salad! Feel free to substitute the kale in this recipe with arugula or lettuce. Since other types of lettuce tend to break down more quickly in the dressing, I suggest leaving off the dressing until you’re ready to serve.
- More toppings. There are so many ways that you can customize a kale apple salad! Try adding seasonal veggies like cooked butternut squash, beetroot, Brussels sprouts , or asparagus .
- Fruit and nuts. In place of pecans, top this salad with chopped walnuts, slivered almonds, dried cranberries, currants, or raisins.
What to Serve With Kale and Apple Salad
I love this salad as a light lunch during the week, topped with marinated tofu , tempeh , or vegan chicken to make it a bit more hearty. You can also serve it as a side to pasta dishes like this creamy pumpkin alfredo or this garlic and mushroom pasta . It’s also festive enough to serve as a holiday side dish next to vegan turkey and vegan stuffing !
How to Store Leftovers
- Refrigerate. It’s best to store the salad and dressing separately. Store the salad inside an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the dressing in a mason jar and refrigerate it for up to 2 weeks.
More Salad Recipes
- Vegan Watermelon Feta Salad
- Greek Cucumber Salad
- Easy Vegan Caesar Salad
- Roasted Beet “Feta” Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salad
- 6 cups kale , de-stemmed, washed and torn
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1 apple , sliced thinly
- 3 tablespoons toasted pecans
- 3 tablespoons crumbled vegan tofu feta cheese or store-bought vegan feta
Instructions
Salad
- In a bowl, place the kale. Add in half the dressing and massage into the kale for two minutes, until the kale has been broken down. Add the rest of the ingredients and the rest of the dressing. Toss to combine. If you’d like, place the pecans and feta cheese in a bowl first, then sprinkle on top.
Maple-Apple Vinaigrette Dressing
- Whisk or shake the ingredients together in a jar with a lid. Enjoy!
Notes
- TO STORE: You can store this salad in an airtight tupperware container in the fridge without the dressing. You can store the dressing in a mason jar . The salad lasts about 3 days in the fridge. The dressing can last up to two weeks if stored properly.
Kale Apple Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salad
- 6 cups kale de-stemmed, washed and torn
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1 apple sliced thinly
- 3 tablespoons toasted pecans
- 3 tablespoons crumbled vegan tofu feta cheese or store-bought vegan feta
Instructions
Salad
- In a bowl, place the kale. Add in half the dressing and massage into the kale for two minutes, until the kale has been broken down. Add the rest of the ingredients and the rest of the dressing. Toss to combine. If you’d like, place the pecans and feta cheese in a bowl first, then sprinkle on top.
Maple-Apple Vinaigrette Dressing
- Whisk or shake the ingredients together in a jar with a lid. Enjoy!
Notes
- TO STORE: You can store this salad in an airtight tupperware container in the fridge without the dressing. You can store the dressing in a mason jar . The salad lasts about 3 days in the fridge. The dressing can last up to two weeks if stored properly.
Nutrition
Kale Apple Salad https://jessicainthekitchen.com/kale-apple-and-chickpea-salad-with-vegan-feta/ August 12, 2019
“How do you describe a week long wellness retreat in Mexico that feels like in just three days it’s taken 5 years of stress off of your life? Magic. I feel like this photo perfectly captures everything Rancho La Puerta has been for me so far. A getaway. An escape. A portal into everything I’ve ever wanted out of wellness – amazing nourishing food, daily constant exercise, brilliant conversations with the kindest people, and unforgettable experiences. I can’t wait to share more about my week here but right now I’m going back to being off the grid. Besos de Mexico ”
What is Rancho La Puerta?
The Food at Rancho La Puerta
The Week at Rancho & How to Get There
Top five things to try while at Rancho La Puerta
1) The dance classes/something new
2) The Breakfast Hike
3) Bingo night
4) A massage
After some of the intense days that I had at Rancho La Puerta, a massage was a very welcome treat! The Hot Stone Massage I received was one of my best ever, and it was such an overall amazing spa experience.
5) A leisurely day
Lessons learned at Rancho
1) Life doesn’t need to be overplanned and over packed to be enjoyable.
2) In life; always try something new.
3) You can turn anything into a paradise or a prison.
4) Memories are a lot better when we are disconnected.
Rancho La Puerta has a few simple rules, one of them being, no phones at dinner or anywhere other than in your rooms or the lounge. That forced me to disconnect greatly, and for two days I didn’t even bring my phone with me. They provide you with a phone sleep bag which I also loved, because it felt really intentional to tuck my phone away in there. As such, I feel like the memories of the week are bright and vibrant. I spent more time taking photos on my camera than on my phone, and I feel like I was much more immersed. I can’t wait to go back, I think everyone deserves a week like this.
