June 21, 2023

Kale Strawberry Salad

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The Kale Strawberry Salad with goat cheese is the ultimate salad for spring and summer. This simple salad features simple ingredients like baby kale, strawberries, goat cheese, Marcona almonds, and simple red wine vinegar dressing.

Love kale salads? Also, try my Summer Berry Kale Salad, Healthy Kale Ceasar Salad, and Chopped Kale Salad.

Kale Strawberry Salad

This Kale Strawberry Salad is a celebration of the best of summer and spring foods. Featuring garden fresh baby kale and fresh summer strawberries, you can't go wrong with this classic salad combination. The entire simple salad is elevated by creamy goat cheese, salty Marcona almonds, red onion, and a homemade salad dressing!

This is hands down one of my favorite salad combos ever. I even throw in a few fancy Marcona almonds to really make this meal restaurant quality.

If you happen to have some fresh summer berries, this is the best time to make and enjoy this strawberry salad.

Whether you serve this Strawberry Kale Salad as a vegetarian meal or side dish or top it with your favorite protein like shrimp, salmon, mahi mahi, or chicken, you can't go wrong with the versatile salad that celebrates the best of summer foods.

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Why You'll Love this Kale Strawberry Salad...

This Kale Strawberry Salad is super simple and lets fresh summer ingredients shine.
It's nutritious and filling!
The ingredients in this are really good for you! Kale is a wonderful superfood, while strawberries are filled with vitamin C, almonds have healthy fats and goat cheese is a great way to add some calcium to the salad.
The flavors of salty, sweet, and savory are all there.
This salad comes together in less than 10 minutes with no fuss.
It's vegetarian, gluten-free, and clean eating.

Ingredients

Here's an overview of what you'll need to make this Kale Strawberry Salad recipe, but keep scrolling for the full recipe amounts.

For the Salad:

Kale: I like to make this particular Kale Strawberry Salad with baby kale found near the spinach. I like that it's tender and has a nice texture with this kind of salad. You can also use curly kale or dinosaur kale, but you will need to massage the kale before adding it to the salad. To do that add a touch of olive oil and lemon to the cleaned and chopped kale. Use your hands to massage the kale to break down the tougher fibers making it easier to eat. You can also substitute spinach or mixed greens.
Strawberries: There is no substitute for fresh strawberries! Look for the ones with the brightest color and no blemishes. Frozen berries will not work.
Red Onions: I like to add a touch of red onion for a bite of savory to add to the salad. The sliced onions are delicious.
Marcona Almonds: Marcona Almonds are such a treat! Buy some here for this salad. If you don't have those you can easily swap out regular almonds, pecans, pistachios or walnuts.
Goat Cheese: Look for crumbled goat cheese to add to the salad. You can also use feta cheese or feta crumbles.

For the Dressing:

Olive Oil: Look for a well-balanced extra virgin olive oil that's higher quality for salad dressings. I like to use this one.
Red Wine Vinegar: Red wine vinegar brings some tartness with richness to the dressing. Look for a high-quality bottle for this too. I like this one.
Honey: A touch of honey sweetness in this dressing balances the sweetness of the strawberries.
Lemon: Lemon juice adds some freshness.
Salt and Pepper: To taste.

Other Dressing Options:

If you don't like the salad dressing listed, this would be delicious with several other homemade salad dressings on Running in a Skirt. You can also really save time with some of the store-bought dressing ideas below.

Homemade - Red Wine Vinaigrette, Greek Yogurt Poppyseed Dressing, or Healthy Basil Vinaigrette.
Storebought - Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette, Strawberry Poppyseed, Blush Wine Vinaigrette, or Raspberry Vinaigrette.

Instructions:

This is an overview of the instructions to make this Kale Strawberry Salad recipe, but the full detailed printable recipe is below in the recipe card.

Carefully toss the kale, strawberries, onion, and almonds together in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, and lemon. Salt and pepper to taste.
Carefully toss the dressing and the salad together.
Plate the salad and top with the crumbled goat cheese. Serve and enjoy!

Variations:

I love this Kale Strawberry Salad recipe as written, but here are some fun variations.

Add More Veggies: This is a simple salad but other tasty additions would be cucumber, avocado, or tomato.
Add Different Fruit: Keep it just strawberries or mix in blueberries, raspberries, or grapes.
Make it Vegan or Dairy Free: Leave off the cheese and add avocado. Sub agave or maple syrup for the honey.
Make a Strawberry Spinach Salad: Sub out baby spinach for the kale.
Swap out the Nuts: To make it nut-free leave off the nuts or swap them for regular almonds, pecans, or walnuts.
Add Grains: To make this more of a meal, add a grain like quinoa, farro or wheat berries.
Add a Protein: Make this a more well-rounded meal with tofu, tempeh, chicken, fish, or pork.

FAQ

Storage & Leftovers

Any undressed salad can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days. This salad is best served freshly made. It will not freeze.

Can you eat kale raw in a salad?

Yes! You can eat raw kale in a salad. If it's baby kale, like this salad suggests, you can eat it raw right out of the package. If you are using curly kale or dinosaur kale, you can also eat it raw but I do recommend massaging it before eating it.

Can you use kale instead of lettuce in a salad?

Yes! Kale is an ultimate superfood and can be swapped out for lettuce in most salads. Its rich flavor works perfectly in this Kale Strawberry Salad.

This Kale Strawberry Salad is the Best Summer Salad!

The Kale Strawberry Salad is truly the best summer salad! The sweet berries really add something special to your basic salad making this dish easy enough for a weeknight dinner but fancy enough for your next dinner party.

This salad pairs well with so many dishes, but here are some lovely ideas to serve it with. As always, I hope you enjoy this as much as my family did.

Serve it With:

Kale Strawberry Salad from Running in a Skirt Share on X

More Summer Salads to Try:

If you make this Kale Strawberry Salad recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating ★ below. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!

Kale Strawberry Salad

Julie Wunder

The Kale Strawberry Salad with goat cheese is the ultimate salad for spring and summer. This simple salad features simple ingredients like baby kale, strawberries, goat cheese, Marcona almonds, and simple red wine vinegar dressing.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings salads

Calories 367 kcal