Kale Apple Salad with Edamame and Maple Vinaigrette
This easy kale apple salad with cabbage, edamame, and sunflower seeds is a holiday favorite. Even my mom, who dislikes kale, loves it!
Do you have someone at your Thanksgiving table who doesn’t like kale? For me, that’s my mom. She dislikes most veggies (iceberg lettuce not included), but she really likes this kale apple salad. In my family, that’s about the best praise a salad can get!
Chopped kale, purple cabbage, Granny Smith apples, dried berries, edamame, and sunflower seeds are all mixed with a simple maple vinaigrette.
The salad is colorful, looks great on a holiday buffet, and you can prep most of it in advance. That’s why I make it almost every Thanksgiving, bring it to potlucks, and often serve it at Christmas too.
I first tried a version of this salad years ago at Urban Plates, one of my favorite healthy spots in San Diego. I liked it so much that I wanted to make my own version at home. It might not be exactly the same, but it’s been a favorite ever since.
Why You’ll Love This Kale Apple Salad
🥗 Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll need a handful of simple ingredients for this yummy salad.
- Kale: Curly or lacinato Tuscan) kale both work. Remove the tough stems and finely chop the leaves.
- Purple cabbage: For crunch and that gorgeous color.
- Granny Smith apples: Tart and crisp. Use Honeycrisp if you like a sweeter salad,
- Dried berries: I use either dried tart cherries or dried blueberries. Dried cranberries are a festive Thanksgiving swap.
- Edamame: Shelled, frozen edamame; thaw and add, no cooking needed.
- Raw sunflower seeds: For crunch, plant protein, and healthy fats,
- Mung bean sprouts (optional): Or any sprouts you like.
- Maple vinaigrette: Extra-virgin olive oil, white balsamic or apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, garlic powder, and salt
How to Make Kale Apple Salad
- Make the dressing. Add everything to a lidded jar and shake.
- Chop. Finely chop the kale, cabbage, and apples.
- Toss and serve. Combine everything in a big bowl. Pour on the dressing and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
👩🍳 Tips for the Best Kale Apple Salad
- Chop the kale finely. Smaller pieces are more tender and easier to eat, which is why the salad wins over kale skeptics. If your kale is tough, massage it with a spoonful of the dressing for a minute before adding everything else.
- Make it ahead for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Chop the kale and cabbage and make the dressing the day before. Store them separately in the fridge. Chop the apples and toss everything together shortly before serving so the apples stay crisp
- Keep the apples from browning. If you’re chopping them early, toss them with a splash of the vinegar.
- Taking it to a potluck? Pack the dressing in a jar and toss the salad when you get there.
- Make it your own. Swap pumpkin seeds for sunflower seeds, chickpeas for edamame, or add pomegranate arils for holiday sparkle. Experiment with whatever veggies, fruit, nuts, and seeds you love
Is Kale Apple Salad Healthy?
Yes! Kale and purple cabbage are cruciferous vegetables, and purple cabbage gets its color from anthocyanins, plant compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Edamame and sunflower seeds provide plant protein, and fiber from the veggies and fruit feeds your gut microbiome. Each serving has 4 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein.
Leafy greens also support your brain-it’s MIND diet friendly! In a study of 960 older adults, those who ate the most leafy greens (about 1.3 servings a day) had a slower rate of cognitive decline over about five years than those who ate the least. (1) It’s an observational study, so it can’t prove cause-and-effect, but it’s a pretty good reason to pile on the kale!
Kale Apple Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar , or apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
- pinch garlic powder
- pinch salt
Salad
- 4 cups finely chopped kale, about 1 bunch
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped purple cabbage
- 3/4 cup dried tart cherries, or dried blueberries
- 1/2 cup shelled frozen edamame, thawed
- 1/2 cup shelled raw sunflower seeds
- 2 Granny Smith apples, cubed
- 1/2 cup mung bean or other sprouts, optional
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the dressing. Add the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, garlic powder, and salt to a lidded jar. Shake well to combine. Set aside until ready to use.
- Combine the salad. In a large bowl, add the kale, cabbage, berries/cherries, edamame, sunflower seeds, apples, and sprouts (if using).
- Toss and serve. Pour most of the dressing over the salad and toss well. Add the rest to taste, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Notes
- Cherries or berries? I use either dried tart cherries, dried blueberries, or both. Dried cranberries are a delicious Thanksgiving swap.
- Make ahead. Chop the kale and cabbage and make the dressing up to 1 day ahead. Store separately in the fridge. Chop the apples and toss everything together shortly before serving.
- Storage. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for a day or two, especially if you add the dressing right before serving.
- Love extra dressing? Double it, then keep leftovers in a well-sealed jar, in low light, at room temperature for up to one week.
Nutrition
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