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The Best Kale Salad with Citrus Date Vinaigrette

Merritt Allen

The Best Kale Salad with Citrus Date Vinaigrette

By: Merritt Allen

I love salad! I eat salad year round, but I especially gravitate towards some crunchy greens during the spring and summer seasons. One of my favorites is kale salad with my homemade date salad dressing. This is the best kale salad as it is healthy, super easy to make, and is topped with a fantastic Medjool date dressing that is simple, bright, and delicious. It can be hard to come up with new salad ideas and new dressing ideas but this combination is versatile and easy to pair with so many different salad toppings.

The combination of ingredients for this kale salad is one I make often and never get tired of! The base is green kale with romaine lettuce. The kale is full micro nutrients while the romaine offers extra crunch and bulk. The toppings for this salad are nutrient packed ingredients like apple, pistachios, and goat cheese, and when topped with the notes of citrus and dates from the vinaigrette, you will have a new favorite salad!

Notes and Tips for a Healthy Kale Salad:

  • Salad is a versatile and easy dish to change up. My ingredient list is my tried and true add-ins that I love. If you have a different nut or cheese or fruit add it in! If you change it up, let me know if the comments below.

  • The amounts called out in the ingredient list are up for interpretation. If you love goat cheese, add in a lot! If you hate tomatoes, don’t add them! Salad is an open canvas and a time to experiment.

  • The kale in this kale salad is classic green kale. It also tastes great with Tuscan kale. I recommend chopping your greens into small bite size pieces. This makes it easy to massage and to eat.

  • The citrus date vinaigrette is made with olive oil but other oil like avocado or grapeseed works well too. I like olive oil since it adds a little spiciness and depth of flavor.

  • The salad dressing is sweetened with the natural sugar from the dates. This means you do not have to add any refined sugar and still get the sweet dressing for the kale salad. If you have leftover dressing, it goes great with chicken, tofu, or roasted vegetables. It is great mixed with a little mayonnaise and lime juice for a dipping sauce.

How To Make the Citrus Date Dressing:

  • I like to make my salad dressings using an immersion blender. You can also use a standard blender if you do not have an immersion blender. If you have neither a blender nor an immersion blender you can recreate the vinaigrette flavors by finely chopping the dates and sprinkling them in the salad. Mix all the other dressing ingredients in a bowl and pour over your kale salad to taste.

  • The salad dressing calls for Dijon mustard. It is a little spicy and adds a little extra vinegar. If you prefer yellow mustard instead of Dijon to avoid the spice, it is a good substitute.

What To Serve with Kale Salad:

This salad is so versatile! Try it alongside:

If you have a great pairing, let me know if the comments below!

Ingredients for Kale Salad with Citrus Date Vinaigrette:

Recipe for Citrus Date Vinaigrette

  • 1 tsp dijon mustard You can use yellow mustard too.
  • 1/4 cup olive oil You can use vegetable oil or any other oil you choose.
  • Juice and zest 1 lime Fresh is best.
  • Juice and zest of 1 orange Fresh is best.
  • 1 garlic clove Fresh garlic will add spice but you can use 1 tsp garlic powder if you do not have garlic cloves.
  • 2 Medjool Dates, lightly chopped and soft. If your dates are hard, soak them in warm water for 30-40 minutes, prior to blending.
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe for Kale Salad

  • 1-2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 2-3 cups chopped green kale You can also use Lacinato kale or purple kale.
  • 1 tomato, chopped or a handful of cherry tomatoes.
  • 1/2 cucumber, chopped into bite size pieces.
  • 1/2 apple chopped into small bite size pieces. I like using red apple but you can use any type you wish.
  • 1/4 cup roasted nuts I typically use pistachio
  • 1/4 cup chopped goat cheese If you do not have hard goat cheese, you can use goat cheese crumbles.
  • 2 Tbs cilantro, optional
  • 1 1/2 Tbs Citrus date vinaigrette See below for recipe
  • 1 lime wedge For serving
  • 1 Tbs olive oil For serving

 How To Make Citrus Date Dressing:

  1. To an immersion blender safe container, add the Dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic clove, zest and juice from the orange and lime, the chopped dates, and the salt and pepper.

  2. Blender until smooth and creamy, about 1 full minutes. If your dressing is really thick, I suggest adding in extra olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time until you achieve desired consistency.

  3. Enjoy 1 dollop at a time with future salads!

How To Make Kale Salad:

  1. Chop your kale and romaine and add to a large bowl.

  2. At will add in the chopped vegetables, fruit and nuts.

  3. Top with goat cheese and cilantro.

  4. Add 1.5 Tbs of the citrus date dressing, a squeeze of lime, a drizzle of olive oil.

  5. Mix well and adjust dressing to taste.

  6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy!

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