Strawberry Kale Salad with Walnuts

26 May 2024

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Our Strawberry Kale Salad recipe celebrates the sweet flavor of juicy summer strawberries in a salad of crisp kale leaves. Nutty toasted walnuts add crunch and creamy feta and a tangy balsamic vinaigrette complete this simple, fresh, and delicious salad.

Strawberry kale salad on a white plate with a silver fork.

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Why you’ll love it

Simple ingredients. Just a few fresh ingredients and a simple vinaigrette are all that’s required to make this delicious strawberry kale salad.
Quick and easy. It takes just 10 minutes to make this easy kale salad.
Healthy. Juicy strawberries, kale, and walnuts are all super nutritious ingredients packed with nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants.
Customizable. There are lots of great additions you can add to this kale and strawberry salad (check the “variations” section of this post).

Strawberry kale salad with feta cheese crumbles on a plate with a silver fork.

Ingredient notes

Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Salad

Strawberries: Sweet strawberries are at their peak of freshness in the summertime, however, you can buy fresh strawberries year round at the grocery store. Look for bright red, shiny berries with no soft spots.
Kale: I usually use curly kale, which is most commonly available, but you can also use use lacinato kale, which is also called Tuscan kale, or dinosaur kale. Fresh kale should be crisp and green, with no yellow or brown spots.
Walnuts: Walnuts add a crunchy element to our strawberry kale salad. I like to toast the walnuts. It softens their raw taste, taming any bitter notes. Toasting also makes the walnuts crisper. However, you can use raw walnuts if you prefer. See further down this post for toasting instructions.
Red Onion: An aromatic to add flavor balance.
Feta Cheese: I like to use feta cheese crumbles, but you can buy a block of feta and crumble it yourself. For salads, I’m not a fan of feta that’s soaking in brine because it tends to be soggy even after draining. Instead of feta, you can substitute goat cheese or crumbled blue cheese.

Vinaigrette

Olive Oil: For salads, I always use extra virgin olive oil.
Balsamic Vinegar: White balsamic or regular balsamic work equally well.
Lemon Juice: Use the juice of half a lemon.
Honey: You can also use maple syrup, or agave syrup in equal amounts.
Red Pepper Flakes: Optional, but I like the very subtle heat that the pepper flakes add to the rest of the flavor elements. Omit, or if you like a little spice, add more.

The ingredients needed to make the salad dressing in glass bowls.

How to make strawberry kale salad

Whisk the salad dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, or put them in a jar with a lid and shake.
Toast the walnuts. (See instructions below)
Tear the kale leaves from the stems and chop them into bite sized pieces. Put them in a large bowl.
Add two teaspoons of olive oil, and use your hands to massage the kale leaves until they soften and turn a darker green.
Add the sliced strawberries, walnuts, red onion and feta to the massaged kale.
Pour the dressing over, and toss gently to combine.

The process of making the salad in step by step photos.

How To Toast Walnuts

For the best flavour and crunch, toast the walnuts. It’s very easy and doesn’t take long at all. You can toast the nuts in a skillet on the stovetop or you can use the oven. For a small amount of nuts, I use the stovetop.

To toast nuts on the stove, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the nuts to the pan in a single layer. Nuts are naturally high in fat, so there is no need to use any oil. Stir or shake the pan to keep them from burning, and heat until the nuts become fragrant and toasted, about 5 minutes.

To toast nuts in the oven, preheat the oven to 350°. Place the walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 6-7 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.

For both toasting methods, keep a close eye on them. Nuts can burn very easily. Transfer the toasted nuts immediately to a plate so that they don’t continue to cook.

Helpful tips and variations

Massage the kale. Don’t skip this step, it doesn’t take long and it’s worthwhile. Raw kale is tough and fibrous, which makes it ideal for cooking, like for my kale and sausage pasta. But when we use it for kale salads, like this kale strawberry salad, or this kale salad with beets and apples, massaging the kale leaves makes it more tender, while still maintaining its crispness. Don’t skip this step.
Soak the onion. Although red onion has a milder flavor than yellow or white onions, you may want to take out some of the intensity. Soak the onion slices in cold water for 10 minutes for a softer flavor. Drain and dry with paper towels before adding to the salad.
Nuts. I like walnuts in this strawberry salad because they have a slight bitterness that complements the sweet strawberries. But I have easily swapped walnuts for pecans, pistachios, or almond slivers with delicious results. You can also replace the nuts with toasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or hemp seeds.
Additions. This simple salad is perfect as is, but I often add avocado slices, bell pepper slices (I like orange or yellow for contrast), halved cherry tomatoes, or another leafy green, like spinach or arugula.
Protein: Chickpeas are a great way to add plant based protein, or you can add grilled chicken or any other favorite protein.
Vegan option: Make this recipe vegan by replacing the honey with maple syrup, and omitting the feta cheese, or using a vegan cheese.
Storage: This salad is best served right after adding the dressing. If you want to make it ahead, don’t add the dressing. Combine the salad ingredients and store both the salad (in an airtight container) and the dressing in the fridge before tossing with the vinaigrette when ready to serve.

Serving suggestions

This healthy salad is a complete meal on its own. Or a delicious side salad that goes great with any main dish, especially your summer favorite proteins. We love serving it with grilled chicken, grilled pork tenderloin, grilled salmon, grilled shrimp, or even air fryer steak, or air fryer country-style ribs.

More favorite salads:

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Recipe

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