Kale Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing
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A kale salad you’ll actually crave.
Believe it or not, this kale salad will have you eating your veggies with ravenous abandon. It’s filled with crunchy carrots and shredded red cabbage—which you can buy already prepped at the supermarket—and loads of toasted almonds, but it’s the Asian-style peanut dressing laced with ginger and garlic that makes it so good. You’ll want to drink it!
“When hubby saw me making salad with kale, he was far from impressed. But then he tried it…(gates of heaven opening, angel music playing)… OMG!!! Absolute gem, gorgeousness!!!! PLEASE try this people!”
What You’ll Need To Make Kale Salad With Ginger Peanut Dressing
- Curly Kale: Provides a hearty base for the salad with its robust texture and earthy flavor.
- Red Cabbage: Adds vibrant color and a satisfying crunch to the salad.
- Shredded Carrots: Offer subtle sweetness and additional texture to the dish.
- Red Bell Pepper: Contributes a pop of color and freshness to the salad.
- Slivered Almonds: Provide a crunchy contrast. Don’t skip the toasting step as it releases the almonds’ oils and makes them much more flavorful.
- Fresh Cilantro: Adds a burst of freshness and herbaceous aroma to the salad.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: Creates a creamy base and adds richness to the dressing. For a smooth dressing, avoid crunchy peanut butter.
- Unseasoned Rice Vinegar: Provides acidity and balances the flavors of the dressing.
- Lime Juice: Offers tanginess and brightness to the dressing.
- Vegetable Oil: Helps emulsify the ingredients and provides a smooth texture.
- Soy Sauce: Adds depth of flavor, umami, and saltiness to the dressing.
- Honey and Sugar: Provide sweetness to balance the acidity and spice in the dressing.
- Garlic and Ginger: Infuse the dressing with aromatic flavor and depth.
- Sriracha: Adds a kick of heat and complexity to the dressing.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: Offers a nutty aroma and enhances the Asian-inspired flavors of the dressing.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by arranging the almonds on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake until lightly golden and fragrant.
Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender.
Purée until smooth and creamy.
Combine the vegetables, almonds, and dressing in a large bowl and pour the dressing over top.
Toss well.
Let the salad sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes to allow the kale to soften. Toss again, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. As the salad sits, the flavors may dull; a squeeze of lime and/or pinch of salt will wake things up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure, you can replace the cilantro with flat-leaf (Italian) parsley.
Absolutely! Feel free to reduce the prep time by using these supermarket shortcuts.
Yes, it keeps well in the fridge for a few days, although it won’t be quite as pretty, as the colors dull once refrigerated. Make sure to cover the salad tightly—the cabbage has a strong odor.
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Asian Kale Slaw with Ginger Peanut Dressing
A kale salad you’ll actually crave.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 4 cups chopped curly kale, thick stems removed (patted dry)
- 3 cups shredded red cabbage
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into bite-sized pieces
- ¾ cup slivered almonds
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
For the Dressing
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from one lime
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 large clove garlic, roughly chopped
- 1-inch square piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped (see note)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Bake the almonds until lightly golden and fragrant, 5-10 minutes. (Keep a close eye on them; nuts burn quickly.) Transfer the nuts to a small plate to cool.
- Meanwhile, combine all of the ingredients for the dressing in a food processor or blender; process until smooth and creamy.
- Combine the ingredients for the salad in a large mixing bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Let the salad sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow the kale to soften. Toss again, and then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. (As the salad sits, the flavors may dull; a squeeze of lime juice will wake things up.)
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 282
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Sugar: 17g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 7g
- Sodium: 505mg
- Cholesterol: 0
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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My daughter likes kale; I do not. However, after making this recipe for her, I actually started to eat it and like it! I think it’s the creamy peanut dressing-that delicious umami flavor balances the bitterness of the kale so perfectly. Delicious.
The salad is delicious and is worth the effort! I make the dressing in double batches to speed up the prep time.
I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago and have made it several times since. It is absolutely delicious! It comes together quickly and is family-friendly. Kids especially loved the peanut butter in the dressing, adults thought it gave it a more intriguing element. You can’t go wrong with this salad.
This is the first recipe that I ever tried from ouac. A friend brought it to a party, back when we were allowed to have parties, and I loved it so much I asked for the recipe. She pointed me to Jenn’s website and now this is the first place I come when looking for something new. We’ve tried countless recipes from this site and we are never disappointed.
Fabulous recipe!! Have made this several times and everyone loves it! ❤️
Thanks Jenn!!
My family could not get enough of this salad. The best part was that the salad held up overnight, even with the dressing, and we ate it for lunch the next two days! Can’t wait to make this one again.
I love healthy a healthy salad, but it’s hard to get my husband to love them. This kale salad has a delicious crunchy texture and with the peanut dressing, my husband is onboard. My only set back is how to easily finely grate the ginger. It took some time for me and I would love to know how others accomplish this step.
I don’t know if your question was answered, but I use a microplane grater. If you’ve never used one, I think you would love it for grating ginger and citrus rind as well.
I made this salad recently to use the kale that I had leftover from making the Kale & Walnut pesto. I don’t generally consider myself a fan of kale, but this salad has completely changed my mind. The flavors are perfect and I love the crunch that the almonds add. With some chicken added on top, the leftovers served as my lunch for numerous days in a row (I kept the dressing separate and added it about 30 minuted before I was ready to eat the salad).
Delicious! This is one of our favorite salads at our house. Even our veggie challenged teen will eat it with the yummy peanut butter dressing.
THIS IS BLOODY DELICIOUS. That’s my review. Yuuuuuuum!!
will make this tonight as I have most of the ingredients in the house now so will not have to buy all of them.
So good. To make it whole30 compliant, I subbed peanutbutter for almondbutter and soy sauce for coconut aminos. Left out sugar and honey. Definitely not the same, but still yummy.
Amazing way to get your veggies. Delicious.
Hi Jenn,
It’s January and I’ve been focused on watching my calories since the new year. That means cooking healthy meals with lots of vegetables. An amazing thing about your site is that you provide tons of great, reliable and tasty recipes. I’ve never paid too much attention to the nutritional information until NOW. It makes your site the only one I go to because I already loved it before. This recipe is so delicious and a great calorie count. I wouldn’t have tried it, because of the peanut butter, but with your thorough nutrition guide, I knew it was a winner! Thank you
This is absolutely phenomenal. A great side to any grilled meat for a really healthy meal. Have made it a couple of times now.
Loved this recipe! My old favorite used to be the Thai Crunch salad with peanut dressing but this could edge that one out! Its sweet, sour and savory and so easy to make. Served it with grilled salmon and the family loved it 🙂
This is a fabulous salad dressing.it is one of my staples. If you add chicken it is a meal.
This was yum!
We don’t eat much peanut butter and I didn’t get the taste of it at all in this.
Also I’ve had a hard time trying to make a good salad. Tried a few recipes before but never turned out great. But this on the other hand was great!
Finally I can make and eat some tasty salads. Thank you for the recipe!!
This was excellent. Dressing was great. Made it for a small group as a side dish and everyone loved it. Will definitely be making again.
Can you substitute the vegetable oil for olive oil? Is there is any concerns with using vegetable oil over olive or grape seed?
Hi Shanell, I like vegetable oil here as it’s more mild-tasting than olive oil, but olive or grapeseed oil would be fine here. Enjoy!
This salad was everything I wanted it to be. Even my husband, who said kale wasn’t his first choice, went back for more.
I made this salad for my 2 nieces and they both loved it.
I think next time I might add more kale because it was a lot of dressing.
I will definitely make again.
Thank you for another amazing recipe. This recipe came in the email from Jenn and I had all the ingredients, so I made it as a side for dinner. Could have been the main course as my family loved it! I was out of almonds, so I substituted pine nuts and it was great. I’d say this is a great base recipe and you could easily make changes based on what you have in your fridge. The dressing is just fantastic and though the leftover salad wilted a bit in the fridge overnight, the veggies really soaked up the dressing and made for a perfect lunch next day.
This is a fantastic recipe! Defintiely 5 star. Thank you!
I made this salad and it was so delicious! I added a jalapeño to the dressing because I love spice. This is sure to become my “go to” kale salad. Thank you.
Superb recipe, it’s so fresh and vibrant! Followed exactly, except as for all recipes, substituted Bragg’s liquid aminos for the soy sauce to gain more nutritional benefits.
Love your recipes, can often look no further than your site for recipes and ideas!
Jenn:
I’m new to your site and cookbook. My sister and I both bought your cookbook almost at the same time after seeing some of your recipes. I can’t get off your website! A
Anyway, this salad, can I cut it in half, can it be refrigerated overnight so I can eat the second half the next day and can I buy any where can I buy some of these veggies already prepped?
So glad you enjoy the recipes, Susan! You can definitely buy the veggies already prepped and you can cut the recipe in half. It keeps well for a few days in the fridge, although it won’t be quite as pretty as the colors dull once refrigerated (cover it tightly in the fridge — the cabbage has a strong odor).
Made this salad for lunch. I had no rice vinegar so I used apple cider vinegar instead and my daughter insisted on adding cranberries. We loved it, ate it all up, when I realized I forgot the cilantro!
Excellent and very easy to make!
My daughter is allergic to peanut butter, but this looks really good. How do you think the dressing would turn out if I just omitted the peanut butter?
Hi Cindy, Could you use almond butter instead?
Can she eat almonds? You could try tahini.
It’s very good! And super filling! Thanks so much!
This salad is a keeper. The salad dressing is delicious, my family loved it.
Thank you Jenn.
Hi Jen
We tried a lot of your recipes and we liked them all. But this is an absolute ripper! Everyone loved it so much!
Do you think almond butter could be substituted for peanut butter in the dressing?
Yep!
This salad is awesome! I used chopped dry roasted peanuts instead of almonds and added some chopped jicama . Delicious!
Made this last night for dinner. Husband said it was the best salad yet. You can’t stop eating it. Used regular almonds and just chopped them before roasting and didn’t have cilantro. Delicious!
Delicious dressing. Used baby kale. Had a fabulous crunch
Made a version of this tonight based on what I had in my fridge & pantry: lots of red cabbage and carrots, a bit of yellow pepper, plain untoasted whole almonds & a few raisins. (I love dried fruit in salads of all kinds.) I had to fudge the dressing too, but it was still absolutely delicious! No honey, so used a little maple syrup. No lime so used grapefruit juice. No rice vinegar so added a little more grapefruit juice. But as I say, it was delicious. We ate lots and have plenty left for tomorrow. I made a quick rice & pork stir fry with Jenn’s stir fry sauce from another recipe. It was a great combination.
Another fantastic recipe! The dressing had all the right notes of sweet, salty and peanut flavor!
Awesome salad, loved by all even the non salad lovers!! I have a cabbage sensitivity so I subbed it with chopped up celery, worked great!
Hi. Just want to give a suggestion. Add wasabi peas. It adds such an amazing flavor and texture to the salad
Made this and ate a lot. Delicious, mmm. Question: how much is a serving, 1/12 cups? I ate way more, Yikes.
Yes, I’d guesstimate a serving would be 1/5 to 1.75 cups. 🙂
5 Stars! Definitely a keeper!
This is BOMB. Used peanuts instead of almonds. Will be making and craving this forever!
This salad has become one of my “go to” recipes and I am frequently asked for the recipe. The ginger peanut dressing is fabulous and I sometimes make extra for other uses. I substitute dry roasted peanuts for the almonds due to allergies.
Restaurant quality! I made this recipe as written a couple of times, and have also changed up the vegetables based upon what I had on hand a couple of times (e.g., broccoli, onion, green cabbage, apple, celery, etc.). We loved them all because the dressing is the real star. Next, I’m planning to make summer rolls and use the dressing as a dip. Needless to say, this recipe is a winner and it will continue to be a regular part of my meal planning.
Thank you Jenn, for generously sharing such a terrific recipe!
Wow! This is a great salad. I made it last week for a gathering, and received much praise and a request for the recipe. Thanks for a great, healthy recipe we can make in winter in Canada!! Yay!!! (I did not add the sugar, but I did use the honey.)
Oh yeah! Ate the heck out of this. I ommitted the sugar and it was sweet enough for our taste with only awesome honey in there. Colorful, tasty and a great main meal with a boneless pork chop (or some shredded chicken). For some reason, I usually have all the ingredients needed for this and will happily make it again! Thanks, Jenn!
Two words:
Restaurant Quality!
Soooooo delicious!
Jenn, thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I will certainly be making this again, soon.
Because this is so tasty, I noted several of your other (vegan) recipes to try. Looking forward to many more taste adventures from your blog.
Thanks again!
This salad is easy to make and delicious- truly a perfect blend of taste, texture and color. I used 1T of local, wildflower honey to suit my taste, instead of 3T.
I’ve made this salad many times and it’s a hit every time. The dressing can also be used in other dishes, so it’s a double win.
PheNOMenal. The dressing makes it, but I have to say the veggies make it sing. I didn’t have slivered almonds and used honey roasted almonds (found in salad condiments). Wonderful recipe!
I love this recipe! I add minced garlic and use sambal Oelek instead of sriracha. Sometimes I change it up based on veggies in my fridge. Great recipe!!
How well would this keep in the fridge? I’m a college student so I usually make most of my food on Sunday and eat it throughout the week. My mom has cooked a lot of your recipes and I’ve enjoyed recreating them for myself. I’ve had this recipe before and loved it!
It keeps really well, Hadley – should be good for a few days.