Kale, apple and walnut salad (massaged kale)

By Nikola · Precision Nutrition L1 · Sources checked 5 November 2026

Raw kale is tough and a little bitter until you massage it. Two or three minutes of rubbing the leaves with some of the dressing and they turn darker, softer and sweeter, ready for crisp apple, toasted walnuts and a honey and lemon dressing. Unlike a lettuce salad, it does not go limp in the fridge, so it works for packed lunches and for making ahead.

Portion: 2 as a main · Difficulty: Easy, no oven · Diet: Vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free

Kale, apple and walnut salad

Massaged kale with crisp apple, toasted walnuts and a honey and lemon dressing. 25 minutes, no oven, and it keeps in the fridge for packed lunches.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Salads

Servings 4 servings

Calories 254 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 bunch kale about 200 g leaves after removing the stems (curly kale or cavolo nero)
• 2 crisp apples about 300 g, such as Granny Smith, Braeburn or Pink Lady
• 60 g walnuts
• 1/4 small red onion 30 g, very thinly sliced
• For the dressing: 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil about 40 g, 2 tbsp lemon juice (30 g), 1 tsp honey (7 g), 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/3 tsp fine salt 2 g
• Black pepper

Instructions

 

• Strip the kale leaves off the stems: hold the stem in one hand and pull the leaf away with the other. Wash the leaves, dry them well in a salad spinner or a clean towel, and tear them into bite-sized pieces.
• Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, mustard, salt and some pepper in a large bowl.
• Add the kale and pour about a third of the dressing over it. Massage the leaves with your hands for 2-3 minutes, squeezing and rubbing, until they turn dark green, shrink by about a third and feel soft.
• Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until they smell toasty. Let them cool and chop roughly.
• Core the apples and slice them thinly, skin on. Add the apples, onion, walnuts and the rest of the dressing to the kale and toss. Taste for salt and lemon and serve.

Keyword apples, autumn, dairy-free, gluten-free, honey lemon dressing, kale, make ahead, massaged kale, packed lunch, salad, vegetarian, walnuts

Nutrition per serving

Per serving, 1/4 of the salad, calculated from USDA FoodData Central for each ingredient, including all the dressing.

Data: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Kale, raw (FDC 168421); Apples, raw, with skin (FDC 171688); Nuts, walnuts, english (FDC 170187); Onions, raw (FDC 170000); Oil, olive, salad or cooking (FDC 171413); Lemon juice, raw (FDC 167747); Honey (FDC 169640). The mustard and black pepper are not included. Carbohydrate is USDA “by difference” and includes fibre.

Swaps and variations

• With cheese: crumble 50 g feta or shave a little Parmesan over the top.
• More filling: add 240 g cooked chickpeas or 150 g cooked quinoa and it becomes a main for two.
• Other fruit: a ripe but firm pear instead of apple, or a handful of pomegranate seeds.
• Vegan: maple syrup instead of honey.
• Nut-free: toasted pumpkin seeds instead of walnuts.

Storage

Massaged and dressed kale keeps 2 days in a closed container in the fridge. For the crispest result, add the apple and walnuts just before eating; if you slice the apple ahead, toss it in a little lemon juice so it does not brown. Not suitable for freezing.

Related

• Recipes: Beetroot and walnut salad · Baked apples with walnuts and cinnamon · Bulgur pilaf with mushrooms and walnuts
• Encyclopedia: Kale · Apples · Walnuts
• Diet: Mediterranean diet · 7-day Mediterranean meal plan

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