Kale Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing

Believe it or not, this salad will have you eating your veggies with ravenous abandon. Loaded with shredded red cabbage and carrots, red bell pepper, and toasted almonds, this kale salad recipe gets its real magic from the creamy peanut dressing laced with ginger, garlic, lime, and sesame.

One of the best things about kale is that it can stand up to a substantial dressing without wilting. Here, letting the dressed salad sit for about 15 minutes softens the kale just enough while the other vegetables stay crisp—no massaging required. It makes a great side dish for an Asian-inspired meal, but it’s hearty enough for lunch, too. And while there’s some chopping involved, you can take a shortcut with pre-shredded carrots and cabbage from the supermarket.

• Curly Kale, Red Cabbage, Carrots & Red Bell Pepper: The colorful, crunchy base of the salad, bringing hearty texture, crispness, and natural sweetness. Remove the tough center stems from the kale, chop the leaves, and pat them dry so the dressing clings well.
• Slivered Almonds: Give the salad plenty of crunch. Toasting them first brings out their nutty flavor, so don’t skip that step.
• Fresh Cilantro: Adds a fresh, herbal note. If you don’t care for cilantro, flat-leaf parsley works well in its place.
• Creamy Peanut Butter: Forms the base of the dressing, making it creamy and helping it cling to the vegetables. Stick with smooth peanut butter rather than crunchy.
• Unseasoned Rice Vinegar & Lime Juice: Give the dressing its bright, tangy backbone. Be sure to use unseasoned rice vinegar, which doesn’t have the added sugar and salt found in seasoned varieties.
• Vegetable Oil: Thins the peanut butter and helps the dressing blend into a smooth, pourable consistency.
• Soy Sauce: Adds salt and savory depth to the dressing.
• Honey & Sugar: Balance the vinegar, lime, and heat and round out the dressing.
• Garlic & Fresh Ginger: Give the dressing its punchy, aromatic flavor.
• Sriracha: Adds a little heat; you can adjust the amount depending on how spicy you like it.
• Sesame Oil: A little goes a long way and adds a toasty, nutty note to the dressing. Look for dark, toasted sesame oil (not the light kind, which has little flavor).
• Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Toast the almonds and make the dressing: Toast the almonds until lightly golden and fragrant, keeping a close eye on them toward the end—they can go from toasted to burnt pretty quickly. Meanwhile, blend the dressing until smooth and creamy.

Toss the salad: Combine the kale, cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, cilantro, and toasted almonds in a large bowl, then add the dressing and toss well. Kale is sturdy and can take a good toss, so make sure everything gets nicely coated.

Let it sit and serve: Let the salad sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes to give the dressing a chance to soften the kale, then toss again and taste before serving. The flavors can mellow a bit as the salad sits, so a squeeze of lime or a pinch of salt will perk things right back up. The salad keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days—just make sure to cover it tightly—the cabbage has a strong odor.

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