Deb’s Kale Salad with Apple, Cranberries and Pecans
A flavorful, vegetarian raw kale salad loaded with Granny Smith apple, cranberries, pecans, radish and goat cheese, tossed in zippy honey mustard dressing.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
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I just walked into my closet, tugged on the little string that dangles from the ceiling for light and counted fourteen pairs of boots. Fourteen pairs. That’s twenty-eight individual boots. Most are black, a few pairs have heels, one pair of riding boots covers my knees, and all but the rain boots are made of leather. Needless to say, I love boots. They are my footwear of choice in the cold weather months and I will never have enough of them. At this rate, they will soon require a closet of their own.
I harbor the same deep affection for kale salads. Kale salads make me happy. They are a staple in my diet in the same way that boots are a staple in my wardrobe and I will never tire of them. Kale salads, I tell you, are the answer to all sorts of problems.
Too hot outside to cook anything? Kale salad. Tight jeans? Kale salad. Feeling sickly? Kale salad. Hung over? Wanna eat all your troubles away? Kale salad. Don’t know what to bring to a potluck with paleo, gluten-free and vegetarian attendees? Put on your best announcer’s voice and shout, “kaaaale salaaaaaaaad!”
There are a few tricks to making a kale salad taste really great, which I’ve elaborated on here. Every time I’ve heard from a real-life friend or commenter that one of my kale salad recipes turned them on to kale salads in general, I’m thrilled.
This salad is the fourth kale salad to appear on my blog and surely not the last. It’s hearty and holiday worthy, full of crunch from crisp apple, radish and pecans, studded with sweet, ruby red cranberries and tangy crumbled goat cheese, and tossed in a zippy honey mustard dressing. What’s not to love?
Watch How to Make Deb’s Kale Salad
The recipe came from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman, from which many more recipes are to come. I would imagine that if you’ve found your way to this food blog, then surely you are familiar with Smitten Kitchen.
Deb’s blog is, simply stated, the best. Honestly, I sometimes wonder why anyone (myself wholly included) bothers with food blogging when Deb has so clearly mastered the medium. Her writing is captivating and witty. Her recipes are unfailingly stellar in both concept and execution. Her photos make you want to quit whatever it is that you’re supposed to be doing when you find yourself drooling at her blog and hop into the kitchen immediately.
I had been eagerly awaiting the release of her cookbook for months and now that I have my own copy resting on my coffee table, I can say that it is magnificent. Every recipe has been meticulously tested and illustrated in photographs by Deb herself, and Deb never lets you down. If you like to cook, you are going to want this cookbook. If you’re not sure what to buy as gifts this holiday season, make it this cookbook. Seriously. Did I mention that she has a full vegetarian section and 90 pages of desserts in there?
I made a few alterations to Deb’s kale salad recipe, given the season and what I had in stock in my pantry. I added a chopped Granny Smith apple and traded dried cranberries for the dried cherries. I also used apple cider vinegar instead of white wine vinegar, though I’m not sure I can really taste the difference in the end result.
I’m making this salad again this evening for girls’ night with Downton Abbey and will be making it again for my family’s Thanksgiving. It’s a winner.
PrintDeb’s Kale Salad with Apple, Cranberries and Pecans
A hearty, holiday-worthy raw kale salad with chopped Granny Smith apple, cranberries, toasted pecans and goat cheese, tossed in a zippy honey mustard dressing. It’s both vegetarian and gluten free.
Ingredients
Salad
- ½ cup pecan halves
- 8 ounces kale (I used regular curly green kale, but Deb recommends Cavolo Nero or Lacinato, Dinosaur or Tuscan Kale)
- 4 to 5 medium radishes
- ½ cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
- 1 medium Granny Smith apple
- 2 ounces soft goat cheese, chilled
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons honey or maple syrup
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spread the pecans on a baking tray. Toast them until lightly golden and fragrant, about 5 to 10 minutes, tossing them once or twice to make sure they bake evenly. Remove the tray from the oven and set them aside to cool.
- Pull the kale leaves off from the tough stems and discard the stems. Use a chef’s knife to chop the kale into small, bite-sized pieces. Transfer the kale to a big salad bowl. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the kale and massage the leaves with your hands by lightly scrunching big handfuls at a time until the leaves are darker in color and fragrant.
- Thinly slice the radishes (this is easier to do if you first chop off the root end so you can place the base of the radish flat against your cutting board). Add them to the bowl.
- Coarsely chop the pecans and cranberries and add them to the bowl. Chop the apple into small, bite-sized pieces and add it to the bowl as well. Crumble the goat cheese over the top.
- In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour the dressing over the salad. Toss until the salad is evenly coated with dressing. Serve immediately, or for even better flavor, let the salad marinate for 10 to 20 minutes beforehand. This salad keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
Notes
Recipe adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman.
Make it vegan: Omit the goat cheese, and use maple syrup instead of honey in the dressing.
If you love this recipe: Be sure to check out my kale salads roundup here!
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.
The whole family really enjoyed this recipe!! I didn’t have pecans on hand so I subbed with raw pistachios. I can’t handle goat cheese so I subbed feta. ;-) I didn’t have radishes on hand (but will definitely prepare better next time..sounds like the flavor would compliment well!). I think I may try adding red onion next time!
Thanks for the great recipe, as always!!
~Natalie
In a word GREAT! Husband loved it too! Love you’re recipes!
I didn’t think I liked kale, but I love this recipe so much that the first time I made it, I ate nothing else until it was gone, and then I promptly made it again. I had thought it would be strange to have radishes and dried cranberries together, but they are wonderfully complementary. I did double the apples and I used Honeycrisp apples instead of Granny Smith, and I also doubled the goat cheese, so it was a tiny touch sweeter and richer than the original, but in the summer I’ll go with the original (it’s winter now). This is now in my stable of thoroughbred go-to recipes!
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Kelly. Thank you for sharing.
My husband, a meat & potatoes kinda guy, absolutely loves this salad and requested that we have it every other day! I use a mandolin to slice the radishes super thin. I think a vegetable peeler might also work. Whenever there’s a group dinner, this is requested from me
This was fantastic! Roasting the pecans and marinating the salad is a must! The flavor combination was delightful; the goat cheese, cranberries, and granny smith apples were perfect!
I’m excited you enjoyed this, Angela!
This salad is in my regular rotation; the whole family loves it! I typically use spring mix as the base as the kids (12, 16, 18) don’t adore kale like I do. If I’m out of pecans, I’ll toss in pepitas, sunflower seeds or whatever nuts I have on hand. The creaminess of the goat cheese peefectly complements the sweet and tangy apples and cranberries. The dressing is so simple but sooo good! Thank you for this incredible recipe!
You’re welcome, Angi! I appreciate your review.
Great recipe. I use it every summer and people love it!!
Delicious blend of ingredients. I thought some of the ingredients might clash, but since I had everything available, followed the recipe anyway, hoping for the best. It did not disappoint. I’m saving this for future use.
This is an AMAZING salad. I don’t love radishes so left those out, otherwise I followed the recipe. We have been making it once a week for a few months now so I thought I should leave a review. Thanks for a keeper!
Thank you, Rachel!
This salad has been in my rotation for years. Outstanding!
Wow! We haven’t eaten much kale until now. This salad is a game changer. So delicious. My husband took charge of the salad prep and assembly which was clearly outlined in your post. We substituted feta for goat cheese as that’s what we had on hand. We both couldn’t stop exclaiming “This salad is SO good!” We served the salad with a simple leek and potato soup. A winner of a dinner! Thank-you!
You’re welcome, Lorie!
Made this salad with what I had around the house (subbed parm for goat cheese, and almonds for pecans) and still really enjoyed it. Looking forward to making this regularly!
Am I correct that 4 cups of chopped Kale equals 8oz?
I don’t have the weight so I’m not sure. Sorry!
My favorite winter salad, and the reason I now plant kale in my garden. I like to roasted up a pan of root veggies and mix them in which makes this a meal.
Great to hear, Trish! Thank you for your review.
Oh my lord! This was the best thing I’ve eaten in quite some time! Love how it is both savory and sweet. So addictive. I ate the whole thing for dinner tonight! I also loved the way the radishes and walnuts tasted together-a combination I would have never thought to put together. I almost left out the radishes but I’m so glad I didn’t. Thank goodness for food bloggers/recipe developers like you! Subbed vegan feta for the goat cheese and I think that worked well. Amazing recipe! Will definitely make again and again! Many thanks to you and Deb!
That’s great to hear, Jess! Thank you for your review.
I found this recipe awhile ago and it is a favorite! I make the dressing a lot and just riff on the ingredients. Last few times I’ve made it a meal by roasting chickpeas and sweet potato chunks and adding them at the bottom of the bowl, then the salad on top, plus avocado. Looking forward to it!
The family so enjoyed the salad, it has become a regular dinner item and the dressing has no become my go to for a lot of other salads. Thank you.
This was AMAZING! I had zero expectations for what it would taste like but I tried it because I had most of the ingredients at home. I’m SO HAPPY I did!! This is going to be added to my rotation now!
I need kale for bone density and this sounds like the perfect recipe!!!
I planted kale in our garden this year and it has been growing wonderfully. I have tried many kale salad recipes over the years but was always disappointed. This one is a winner! This is now our go to Kale salad! My husband just loves it and asks for it all the time. Love it!
That’s great to hear, Micheline! Thank you for your review.