Treat yourself to this scrumptious Kale, Apple, and Pumpkin Seed Salad recipe! This delightful kale salad has a wonderful sweet-savory flavor you'll crave, and it super easy to make. The perfect addition to any autumn meal!
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Ginnie's Take
I absolutely love a good kale salad! They're hearty enough to enjoy as a light meal and perfect for pairing with other foods, too. Now that autumn is officially here, I've added my favorite fall ingredients to my basic, go-to recipe, and this Kale, Apple, and Pumpkin Seed Salad is the result! This flavor-packed salad has a wonderful combination of cozy flavors and textures, plus an irresistible homemade dressing. It's been in constant rotation around here lately, and I know you're going to love it, too!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Scrumptious Flavor - This beautiful salad has the perfect blend textures, plus an mouthwatering sweet and savory flavor you're sure to fall in love with!
- Simple to Prepare - You'll need just a few ingredients to make this tasty salad, and it couldn't be easier to prepare.
- Perfect for Fall (or Anytime) - With its crisp apples, crunchy pumpkin seeds, and tart cranberries, this vibrant salad can be paired with any fall meal from casual dinners to special events, like Thanksgiving! The ingredients are easy to find year-round though, so you can make it anytime you get a craving.
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Ingredients
This Fall Kale Salad is made with easy to find ingredients! Here's what you'll need:
- Kale - You'll need some kale, of course. I used curly kale, but flat leaf kale (such as lacinto kale) also works well.
- Apples - For the best texture, use your favorite crisp apples, like Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith.
- Cranberries - Dried cranberries add a great chewy texture and a nice sweet-tart flavor to the salad.
- Pepitas - This recipe uses pepitas (a type of green pumpkin seed with no hull) two ways: as a garnish and in the homemade dressing.
- Dressing - Pepitas are a key ingredient in the easy Pumpkin Seed Salad Dressing which has a delish sweet-savory flavor. You'll also need apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper for the dressing.
- Olive Oil - You'll massage the kale with a little extra virgin olive oil and salt to tenderize it, before mixing it with the other ingredients.
This salad is naturally vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, nut free, and gluten free; all the good things. Which means that almost anyone can enjoy it!
You'll Also Need
To prepare the dressing, get out your food processor or high speed blender. You'll also need a sharp knife to prep the ingredients, plus a large bowl to mix everything together.
How to Make Kale Pumpkin Seed Salad
This Kale and Pepita Salad is quite easy to make! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's an overview of the steps:
- Make dressing. Start by soaking the pepitas in boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain them well, then add them to your food processor, along with some water, garlic, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Blend until mostly smooth, then mix in the olive oil.
- Prep kale. Remove the kale leaves from their tough stems, then slice.
- Massage kale. Drizzle the kale with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Use your hands to massage the oil and salt into the kale to tenderize it. It should be a darker green color when you're done.
- Toss kale with dressing. Add about half the dressing to the kale, then mix until it's well coated (stir in an extra tablespoon or two, if necessary).
- Add remaining ingredients. Top the salad with the apples and cranberries, then toss everything together. Serve sprinkled with extra pumpkin seeds.
Okay, your beautiful Kale, Apple, and Pumpkin Seed Salad is officially ready to eat! Doesn't it look delicious?
Variations
Can't resist experimenting the basic recipe? Here are a few ideas to try:
- Greens - Not a fan of kale? Free free to use spring mix or arugula instead.
- Fruit - Swap out the apples for pears or grapes. You could also use different dried fruits, such as cherries or figs.
- Nuts - Replace the pepitas with sunflower seeds or nuts (such as walnuts, pistachios, almonds, or pecans).
- Dressing - Substitute other dressings, such as this Maple Salad Dressing or this Honey Lemon Vinaigrette. This simple Lemon Salad Dressing is also a great option!
Serving Suggestions
For those days when you're craving something light, this Pumpkin Seed Salad makes a wonderful lunch or dinner when paired with some crusty bread (or Garlic Bread). And of course, you can enjoy it alongside all your favorite meals, too! Serve it with cozy soups (like this Creamy Broccoli Stem Soup or this Roasted Pumpkin Soup), simple pastas (such as this Mascarpone Tomato Pasta or this Pesto Ricotta Pasta), and other main dishes (like this Mushroom Cheddar Quiche or this Pumpkin Risotto).
The salad would make a lovely (and easy to make) Thanksgiving side dish, too! For a holiday meal, try pairing it with festive veggie dishes, like Quinoa Stuffed Delicata Squash, Veggie Wellington, Mushroom Strudel, or Vegetable Pie with Phyllo Crust.
Storage
This Kale Pumpkin Seed Salad is best served shortly after making it. While the kale will stay fresh for a few days, the apple slices will start to brown. That said, if you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in your refrigerator, and they should be good for two to three days.
Related Recipes
Looking for more creative kale salad ideas? You'll love these easy recipes, too:
- This lovely Fall Harvest Salad is bursting with flavorful ingredients!
- Pair this delicious Kale and Cranberry Salad with any meal.
- Get cozy with this Warm Farro and Kale Salad or this Kale, Quinoa, and Sweet Potato Salad. They both make a wonderful lunch or dinner!
- This Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad is chockfull of yummy ingredients.
- Clean out your fridge to make this tasty Kale Superfood Salad. It's loaded with fruits and veggies!
P.S. Searching for other ways to use pepitas? Try my Pumpkin Seed Granola and my Tropical Trail Mix next!
Kale, Apple, and Pumpkin Seed Salad
Ingredients
For Dressing:
- ½ cup pepitas
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For Salad:
- 12 cups sliced kale leaves, lightly packed (see note)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large apple, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons pepitas
Equipment
- Food Processor (or High Speed Blender)
Instructions
Prepare Dressing:
- Place pepitas in a heat proof bowl, then cover with boiling water. Let soak 30 minutes, then drain well.
- Combine pepitas with ¼ cup water, vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Blend until mostly smooth (about 5 minutes), scraping down sides of bowl occasionally.
- With motor running, stream in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Blend for a few more seconds, just until combined. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
Prepare Salad:
- While pepitas soak, prep kale leaves and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt.
- Use hands to massage oil and salt into kale for a few minutes. (The leaves should be a darker green when you're done.)
- When dressing is ready, add half to the kale, then mix until leaves are well coated. Add more dressing only if needed (you'll have leftovers).
- Mix apples and dried cranberries into kale. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve salad sprinkled with pepitas. Enjoy!
Notes
