This copycat recipe for the Chick-fil-A Kale Crunch Salad is spot on with all of the flavors! Full of kale & cabbage in an apple dijon vinaigrette and topped with toasted almonds – it’s a great side dish for any meal!
What You Will ❤️ About Kale Crunch Salad
- Quick to Make! This only takes about 10 minutes to put together!
- Healthy! Kale is a superfood and has so many nutrients – anytime you can get more into your diet – you’re taking care of you!
- Cheap! A big bunch of kale is only $1 and you need 1-2 bunches depending on their size.
Copycat Chick-Fil-A Kale Crunch Salad Ingredients
Lots of folks ask, “What’s in the Kale Crunch at Chick-fil-A?” – I have the answer! It’s a Kale & Cabbage salad with a yummy dressing featuring apple cider vinegar and dijon mustard. That combo of apple cider vinegar & dijon taste so good – very bright!!
- Kale Salad
- Curly Kale – you could also use baby kale if you want a more tender salad
- Green Cabbage – it’s about 1:5 cabbage to kale ratio – so you don’t need much – about 1/4 small head. You could also use purple cabbage if you like or even shredded brussels sprouts!
- Slivered Almonds – I’ll share how to toast the almonds but it’s not completely necessary if you don’t feel like it.
- Apple Cider Vinegar & Dijon Vinaigrette
- Apple Cider Vinegar – you could substitute white wine vinegar but it’s going to lose a bit of the citrus flavor because Apple Cider Vinegar is so pungent.
- Maple Syrup – you could also use honey – I ALWAYS have pure maple syrup on hand!
- Shallots – don’t have a shallot? Mince 2 tbsp of sweet onion.
- Dijon Mustard – no substituting here!! It’s my favorite! You could with another type of unique mustard – it will give a different flavor profile – but don’t use plain yellow!
- Lemon Juice – fresh is best, but bottled is fine.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt & Black Pepper
Recipe Variations for Kale Crunch Side Salad
I’m always tweaking salad recipes based on what I have in my fridge or what I’m feeling like eating. Here are some ideas for you:
- Spring Greens – not a fan of Kale? Swap out and use spring greens. Leftovers won’t last as long – but it’ll still be delicious!
- Protein – add grilled chicken or salmon to make it a complete meal
- Fruit – add mandarin oranges, dried cranberries and strawberries for some springy additions
- Nuts – switch out the roasted almonds for pecans, walnuts or even pistachios
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How to make Apple Dijon Dressing
Salad dressings are so simple to make! No need to buy a big bottle – you can make this in a couple of minutes.
- Peel and chop one small shallot.
- In a medium bowl, whisk apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, maple syrup and dijon mustard and then add in the minced shallots and whisk again.
- You could also use a food processor but its a bit of overkill for this small amount.
- While whisking, slowly pour olive oil into the vinegar mixture.
- Set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
How to Make Chick Fil-A Kale Crunch Salad
Once your salad dressing is made – this salad goes together in less time than it takes the almonds to toast!
- Place almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet and roast in oven (or in basket for air fryer). Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. They’ll start to brown a little and smell more “nutty” when they are ready.
- AIR FRYER: Toast at 380º for 4-5 minutes
- OVEN: Toast at 375º for 8-9 minutes
- Rinse and roughly chop kale and shred cabbage.
- In a large bowl, add the chopped kale and cabbage.
- Drizzle with the apple cider-dijon dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle toasted almonds over the top of the salad.
Tips, Tricks & FAQs
The Chick-Fil-A version has 120 calories in a side. My version has 160 for one cup – which is a little larger serving than Chick-fil-A
First – WASH YOUR KALE. I didn’t and had to make the salad twice. It was super gritty. Now – if you’re buy pre-packaged, chopped kale – it’s probably already been washed. I bought a “bunch” and it was not!
After that, cut the leaf part off of the stems and then chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
Well I have to admit – this one I had to research. We all know kale is a pretty “rough” green. Well I guess if you add a little dressing and rub the kale with your hands for a few minutes – it softens the leaves so they’re a little more palatable. I did not do this and think it still tasted fine. Also – if you’re using baby kale – this isn’t necessary because it’s already a lot more tender.
Store leftovers in an airtight container (I like these glass ones or in a mason jar) in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Kale holds up fairly well with the dressing.
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More Copycat Salad Recipes
Salad Dressing Recipes
More Kale Recipes
Chick-fil-A Kale Crunch Salad
Ingredients
Apple Cider Vinegar & Dijon Dressing
- 2 tbsp shallot minced
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Kale Crunch Salad
- 5 cups curly kale chopped
- 1 cup green cabbage chopped or shredded
- 1/4 cup almonds slivered & toasted
Instructions
Apple Cider Vinegar & Dijon Dressing
- Peel and chop one small shallot.2 tbsp shallot
- In a medium bowl, whisk apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, maple syrup, dijon mustard, salt & pepper and then add in the minced shallots and whisk again.2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper
- While whisking, slowly pour olive oil into the vinegar mixture.1/4 cup olive oil
- Set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
Kale Crunch Salad
- Place almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet and roast in oven (or in basket for air fryer). Keep an eye on them so they don't burn. They'll start to brown a little and smell more "nutty" when they are ready.AIR FRYER: Toast at 380º for 4-5 minutesOVEN: Toast at 375º for 8-9 minutes1/4 cup almonds
- Rinse and roughly chop kale and shred cabbage.5 cups curly kale, 1 cup green cabbage
- In a large bowl, add the chopped kale and cabbage.
- Drizzle with the apple cider-dijon dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle toasted almonds over the top of the salad.
Baylah Penquite says
Can’t stop, won’t stop making this recipe. This dup is to die for. May I even say… better than the original?!?