Kale, Clementine and Feta Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing
Colorful raw kale salad made with clementines, radish, avocado and pepitas, tossed in a honey, lime and jalapeño dressing. This salad is gluten free.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
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Would you look at that? She’s a stunner, that salad. Like sunshine in a bowl. Kale got all gussied up for us today with dazzling clementines and pomegranate, avocado and pepitas, tossed in a honey, lime and jalapeño dressing. (Insert cat call here.)
I’m treating my body kindly this week—cue the kale salad—in preparation for a fancy-pants event at the art museum this Saturday. So far, I’ve rented a dress for the occasion (from Rent the Runway/that’s a referral link/have you tried it?). I visited my hair stylist for a much-needed trim this afternoon and stopped for fresh juice before heading home. As long as I can get some beauty rest between now and then, I think I should be good to go. Champagne, please!
I’m looking forward to checking my coat at the door and dancing around in this short blue number all night. Dreary winters are made more bearable with a little color and sparkle, aren’t they? If you’re desperate for springtime already, I hope you find some relief in this vibrant salad.
I’ll be the first to admit that there’s a lot going here, but each component adds a bit of sweetness or crunch or salty creaminess. The recipe takes cues from Deb’s kale salad, but I swapped lime for lemon and added chili peppers for a south-of-the-border twist. I also added clementines since they’re so good this time of year (any type of sweet citrus would be nice, though). Feel free to trade the pomegranate for a handful of dried cranberries for a more simple (and less seedy) salad.
Kale, Clementine and Feta Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing
Colorful raw kale salad made with clementines, radish, avocado and pepitas, tossed in a honey, lime and jalapeño dressing. This salad is gluten free and easily made vegan by omitting the feta and substituting agave nectar for the honey.
Ingredients
Kale salad
- 1 bunch kale
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 medium pomegranate, arils removed, or a handful of dried cranberries
- 4 clementines, peeled and sliced into rounds or small strips
- 4 small radishes, sliced into thin rounds and then into skinny strips
- Handful fresh cilantro, chopped
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta
- ¼ cup pepitas (AKA pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seeds
Honey-Lime Dressing
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 small limes)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium jalapeño, membranes and seeds removed, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons honey (or agave nectar)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
Instructions
- First, make the dressing by whisking together all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Prepare the kale by slicing out the stems and chopping out the leaves into small, bite-sized pieces. Transfer the kale to a big salad bowl. Sprinkle a small pinch of sea 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.
- Drizzle salad dressing over the kale (you might not need all of the dressing) and toss well so the kale is lightly coated with dressing. Add the prepared avocado, pomegranate (or dried cranberries), clementines, radishes, cilantro and feta to the bowl.
- Toast the pepitas in a skillet over medium-low heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until they smell fragrant and toasty. Transfer the pepitas to the salad bowl. Toss the salad to combine and serve.
Notes
This salad takes cues from my recipe for Deb’s kale salad with apple, cranberries and pecans.
Storage suggestions: This salad should keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for a couple of days. For best results, add avocado just before serving.
Make it vegan: Skip the feta and use agave nectar for the dressing.
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.
delicious, fresh, perfect for January! My carnivore boyfriend loved it!
Great! I’m glad it was just what you were looking for, Laura.
I LOVE THIS SALAD SO MUCH!! I have made it 2 days in a row for lunch and cannot wait to have it again tomorrow. The toasted pumpkin seeds are a game changer. And the dressing is seriously delicious. The spicy jalapeño combined with the sweet honey and citrus from the lime, my mouth is watering. My carnivore husband can’t wait to try this with me tmrw and I know he’s going to love it too. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I love pumpkin seeds! I’m glad you do, too. Thanks for sharing how much you loved this one, Jenn!
I loved this!!! It was like if a margarita could be a salad
Hi, Kate. Would this dressing be a good accompaniment to a slaw with purple cabbage, carrots, kale and red pepper? I’m looking for a mayo-free, cilantro-free dressing that will work well with smoked brisket, and I know you’ll have the solution. Thank you.
I think that sounds delicious to go on that salad mix.
Thanks, Kate. Your site is my go-to resource. I’ve made so many of your recipes (always with rave reviews) and have pointed others to your site, too.
How come this one did not make it in your Best kale salad list?!
I absolutely love this salad!!!! I just discovered it last month and have made it at least three times by now. Love it!!
Wonderful, Kayla! Thank you for your review.
If I added a bean to this, what kind do you think could go well? Edamame, garbanzo, something else? Thanks!
Hi, I think garbanzo is usually a great option to add a subtle change and protein.
One of our favorites, we make this one several times a month. I leave out the jalapeño for our spice-sensitive kids. Delicious!
I love so many of your recipes! They have totally revolutionized the way I make salads and have helped to shift our family toward more vegetarian meals. I could comment on about 20+ of your recipes, but I wanted to comment on this one in particular because it is SO good but it’s not one of your most popular recipes.
This combination is really incredible and I have started to buy extra pomegranates when in season so I can flash freeze the arils. And I find that orange (available year-round) works just as well as clementines. The radish… the kale… Amazing! Everyone should try it.
Thank you!