Lemony Kale Salad
This simple kale salad recipe features a bright lemon dressing and freshly-grated pecorino romano cheese. This side salad is bold, not boring!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
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Trust me, you need this lemony kale salad recipe. It might not look like much at first glance, but this hearty green salad is boldly flavored and just what you need to round out tonight’s dinner.
This simple kale salad features finely shredded Tuscan kale tossed in a bold, lemony dressing with freshly-grated pecorino romano or Parmesan cheese.
Tuscan kale goes by many names—you might know it as lacinato kale, dinosaur kale or cavolo nero (literally “black cabbage” in Italian). It’s less curly than standard kale, which makes it easier to stack, roll and thinly slice. Once prepared, this salad is almost slaw-like in texture. It’s really irresistible.
This food blog has no less than 22 kale salad recipes already, plus this kale salad roundup with tips. But the collection truly isn’t complete without this one, which draws heavy inspiration from the mother of all kale salads created by Joshua McFadden in 2007.
I always order a salad like this one when we eat at True Foods Kitchen. The main difference between this salad and the aforementioned kale salads is that this recipe omits the bread crumbs. I tried with and without, and the breadcrumbs didn’t do a whole lot in terms of flavor and don’t keep well on the salad for leftovers.
You’ll find the recipe and instructional video below. I’m also sharing my best tips that will help you create consistently flavored batches of salad, which is honestly tricky!
How to Make Lemony Kale Salad
Here’s the funny thing about kale—it’s sold in bunches that are not consistent by weight. Is this a kale-spiracy? Quite possibly. This recipe calls for specifically for one medium-to-large bunch of Tuscan kale, which is about eight ounces by weight. If your kale bunches are quite small, you might even need two of them.
The recipe offers a suggested range of lemon juice since kale bunches vary in size, and even a bit in flavor from one bunch to the next. We’ll start with one tablespoon, and you can add up to one more to taste at the end. You want the salad to taste a little puckery because the tartness of the lemon helps counter the bitterness of the kale.
You’ll need to finely shred and massage the kale for best results. This sounds fussy, but it’s not very difficult, I promise! Finely shredding the kale yields an awesome texture, which is improved further by massaging the kale. If you’ve ever struggled to eat a poky, large-leafed kale salad, this one is a totally different ballgame. You’ll find the full how-tos in the recipe below, and you can see these techniques in action in the video.
Pecorino romano vs. Parmesan: Pecorino is my top pick, but Parmesan will work if that’s what you have. They’re similar because they’re both aged hard cheeses, though pecorino is made from sheep’s milk and Parmesan is from cow’s milk. Pecorino has a sharper flavor and it’s more salty, so it really stands out more in this salad. The salty aspect is a plus because salt helps counter the bitterness of the kale (you can always add another pinch of salt, to taste, if needed).
Watch How to Make Kale Salad
Kale Salad Serving Suggestions
This versatile kale salad will brighten any meal that’s on the heavier or more traditional side. It goes well with hearty Italian meals like Eggplant Parmesan, and creamy soups and pastas. Hear are just a few suggestions to make a full meal:
- Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables
- Best Vegetable Lasagna
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
- Pasta alla Norma
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Roasted Carrots with Farro, Chickpeas & Herbed Crème Fraîche
More Kale Salads to Enjoy
View all kale salads here. Below are a few select favorites (I love them all, though).
- Anything-Goes Kale Salad with Green Tahini Dressing
- Autumn Kale Salad with Fennel, Honeycrisp and Goat Cheese
- Balsamic Butternut, Kale and Cranberry Panzanella
- Deb’s Kale Salad with Apple, Cranberries and Pecans
- Farro and Kale Salad with Goat Cheese
Please let me know how your kale salad turns out in the comments! I’d be delighted to hear from you.
Lemony Kale Salad
Make this lemony kale salad! It’s a simple kale salad recipe featuring a bright lemon dressing and freshly-grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese. This boldly flavored kale salad is the perfect side salad to complement your meal. Recipe yields 4 to 6 side salads, and is easily doubled.
Ingredients
Lemon dressing
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
- Several twists of freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Kale salad
- 1 medium-to-large bunch of Tuscan kale (8 ounces)
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ cup (1 ½ ounces) finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients (use just 1 tablespoon lemon juice) and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- To prepare the kale, fold the leaf so the larger rib side is out and pull the tough rib out from the kale to make each leaf into two separate halves. Stack a few leaves at a time and roll them up, from one short end to the other. Using a sharp chef’s knife, slice them as thinly as possible across the roll. Then use a chop or two to cut all of the rounds in half.
- Transfer the chopped kale to a medium serving bowl and sprinkle it with the salt. Massage the leaves with your hands by lightly scrunching big handfuls at a time, over and over until the leaves are darker in color and fragrant.
- Drizzle in all of the dressing, add all of the cheese and gently toss until thoroughly combined. Taste, and add more lemon juice if desired—it should taste pleasantly lemony and a little tart (the tartness helps cut the bitterness of the kale).
- Ideally, let the salad rest for 10 minutes or more before serving. This salad will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days.
Notes
Make it dairy free/vegan: Substitute Easy Vegan Parmesan Cheese, to taste.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
A popular Toronto restaurant makes almost exactly this salad, but it’s amped with currants and toasted pine nuts…total perfection!
That sounds great! You could take this salad in so many directions.
How long does the dressing last if I made ahead?
It will last up to 4 days. It might solidify some so you will want to let it come to room temp to gently reheat.
My wife got me your book and we enjoy several of your recipes weekly as we enjoy trying new Vegan dishes!
While some food prices have risen, if a person is careful he or she can still buy all the ingredients for your dishes on even a tight budget.
Lots of groceries (not WHole Foods though!) have frequent sales on most items such as Brussels Sprouts and Asparagus and one can always get in season items when available.
I work for a grocery here in Florissant, MO and always advise customers how to eat healthy and creatively.
Thanks!
Thanks Stephen! Delighted that you found my blog. I agree, shopping seasonal sales can save a bundle!
Made this tonight and it was a hit with my family. No leftovers. Prepping the kale ahead of time made the final mixing go quickly. Also very forgiving recipe.
Glad to hear it! Thank you for taking the time to let me know!
Thank you Kate. So little effort for such a big reward.
Made this to serve alongside some pasta tonight and it was delicious. This will remain a staple at my dinner table from now on!
Truly delighted to read your review. Thank you, Katie!
Found my new go-to recipe to match traditional ravioli dinner with meatballs. This is perfect for balance….color and heaviness. Great job presenting….I love your cookbook.
Awesome! Thank you, Karen. Glad you enjoyed this salad.
Hey Kate:
There was still a small amount of dinosaur kale in our garden here in Nova Scotia, despite some recent below freezing temps. I was in a pinch for an interesting salad to go with a quick omelette meal and this seemed perfect. I didn’t want to use up all the remaining dinosaur kale, so also added purple cabbage. I loved the colour contrast, then to add even more colour I decided at the last minute to throw in some chopped red pepper. It looked great and tasted even better. Yummy dressing. My husband, who is not usually the biggest fan of kale, loved it. Next year I will definitely be growing more of this variety of kale so we can enjoy it more often. Thanks for the great recipe.
Phyllis, your homegrown variation sounds wonderful! I’ll have to add some cabbage and bell pepper next time—I bet that really brightens it visually.
Made this for a potluck brunch today and it disappeared. Great combination of flavors. I love this technique because overly large greens in salads is a power peeve of mine. I’m also a fan off your collard greens recipe that uses the same chiffonade technique.
Thank you, Carol! Big fan of the chiffonade slice for hearty greens. I’m with you on the awkwardly large salad leaves! Glad everyone enjoyed this one.
I can’t find the video, would like to see how to shred the kale.
It looks fantastic!
Penny
Hi Penny! It’s at the bottom of the section labeled “How to Make Lemony Kale Salad,” just above the fourth photo. Hope that helps!
Made this to accompany a fondue spread, and it was the perfect side to offset the heaviness of all the cheese. Delightful, healthful, and enjoyed by all! The texture of the kale, as a result of the slicing technique and massaging, really ends up being perfect. I doubled the recipe but still only used one tbsp of fresh lemon juice and found it to be an appropriate amount.