Kale Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing
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This kale salad recipe might just win over the skeptics, with plenty of color, crunch, and a knockout 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.
“OMG!!! Absolute gem, gorgeousness!!!! PLEASE try this people!”
What You’ll Need To Make Kale Salad With Ginger Peanut Dressing
- 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
How To Make Kale Salad WIth Ginger Peanut Dressing
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.
More Asian-Inspired Salads You May Like
Kale Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
For the Salad
- ¾ cup slivered almonds
- 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
- 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-in square piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Bake the almonds until lightly golden and fragrant, 5 to 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.)
Nutrition Information
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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This is a staple in our house! I love the recipe as is and frequently just make the dressing to use on a variety of salads. The only real change I make are to cut/shred the veggies myself. I turn this into a vegetarian entree with the addition of baked, marinated tofu, adding chicken works well.
This is a fantastic recipe, except the dressing doesn’t need so much sweetener. I used 2 tablespoons honey and no sugar, and it was delicious. The recipe lends itself to all kinds of versatility and substitutions in the vegetables, oils and nuts. Thanks!
Amazing salad. My husband had 3 helpings and my two young boys ate all of it.
I brought this salad, tossed and ready to go, to a tennis league lunch and it held up well after sitting in a cooler for 4 hours!! There was almost a fight over the last spoonful of salad…Next time I will triple the recipe!!!..My friends now ask me which Jenn Segal recipe are they eating….seems like they’d rather eat the salad instead of playing tennis!! LOL!!
This is my all time favorite salad. Super versatile. Thank you!
I can’t wait to try this recipe…Why do we need to buy the red cabbage & carrots preshredded? I do wish I could put the dressing on hours before serving…I am surprised the salad would wilt with the ingredients listed…
Hi Wendy, It’s fine to shred the veggies yourself if you prefer; I use pre-shredded for convenience. The salad will hold up for a bit but I find the dressing gets a little watery if it’s left to sit too long.
This dressing is EVERYTHING! I have made this recipe exactly as posted with great results. I’ve also made it using other veggies that I had on hand with equally yummy results. Now I double the dressing recipe to keep extra available to add to stir-fry or noodle dishes. This one’s a keeper!
This is the second recipe that I have tried from your website (that was forwarded to me by my mom). I made this exactly as the recipe called for and would not change a thing. I made the first batch and took it to a social event. I received 3 requests for a copy of the recipe. We have made it several times since. Very fresh!
Delicious. I make it for the week for lunches. Toss with grilled chicken and it’s a perfect meal. I add more peppers and don’t skimp on the fresh ginger. I brought this to a pot luck and was asked many times over for the recipe.
This salad is perfection! I made the recipe nearly as written, with 2 minor exceptions:
1) Prior to mixing the veggies together, I sprinkled 1/2 tsp, of the 3/4 tsp of salt called for in the dressing, onto the chopped Kale, then “massaged” the salt into the Kale for 30-60 seconds. This breaks down the Kale somewhat, making it more tender. I used the remaining 1/4 tsp salt in the dressing.
2) I substituted pistachios for the almonds, as that’s what I had in my pantry.
I served this as an entree, as it is a hearty salad. The combination of flavors, between the veggies and dressing are absolutely amazing!