Kale, Apple, and Pumpkin Seed Salad
This delicious fall kale salad recipe is super easy to make ... the perfect addition to any autumn meal!
Servings: 6 to 8 people
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
Pepitas - Pepitas are green pumpkin seeds that do not have hulls. Both raw and roasted pepitas will work for this recipe.
Kale - You'll need about 1 pound (454 grams) curly or flat-leaf kale for this recipe. To remove the stems, firmly grasp the stem just below the leaf with one hand. Place your other hand just above it, then quickly pull up. Discard the tough stems, then slice the leaves about ½-inch thick.
Dressing - The dressing recipe makes about 1 cup, and you'll only use about half of it for this recipe. You can use the leftovers on other salads, serve it as a dip, drizzle it over veggies, add it to bowl meals, and more.
More - Check out the info before this recipe card for helpful tips, recipe variations, serving suggestions, and more!