Strawberry Balsamic Kale Salad

This Strawberry Balsamic Kale Salad is the ultimately light and delicious summery salad with candied nuts, feta cheese and tossed in a homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

It wasn’t until recently that I realized summer is going to be here in a hot minute. I feel like winter flew by (maybe because I have been in newborn land!) and next thing you know the produce section is filled with tons of fresh and colorful fruits and veggies to enjoy.

This strawberry kale salad is the ultimate refreshing salad to make. It has creaminess from the feta cheese, crunch from the cucumbers and both a crunch and sweetness from the candied nuts. Tossed in a homemade balsamic dressing, you guys are going to love this salad recipe.

The salad and dressing have such amazing flavor and the dressing is healthier than bottled salad dressings. And it sounds crazy and random but strawberries with balsamic is extremely underrated and delicious together.

What ingredients are in this strawberry balsamic kale salad:

• Fresh baby kale – see below for other kinds of kale I recommend
• Fresh strawberries – hulled and slices
• Feta cheese – or use goat cheese if you prefer
• Candied pecans or walnuts – I use this recipe
• Mini cucumbers- sliced seedless 
• Pumpkin seeds – I love adding these for a crunch but if you want to omit you can or sub pine nuts
• Balsamic vinegar –  this is key to make the dressing
• Maple syrup – optional but I like adding this for touch of sweetness
• Garlic clove – mince well so it isn’t chunky in the dressing 
• Dijon mustard – LOVE this touch in the dressing
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

How to make balsamic strawberry kale salad:

To make the salad:

1. Toss all of the salad ingredients together with your desired amount of dressing until combined and serve immediately

To make the dressing:

1. Whisk all of the ingredients together until combined
2. Store in fridge for up to 2 weeks

FAQs on making this strawberry balsamic kale salad:

• How do I get my kale to not be so bitter? Kale is a tough green and it needs massaging to make it tender. After you wash it, massage it with your hands and some dressing or oil!
• Do I eat the kale stems? You can but I personally don’t like to eat them. I do buy the pre-shredded kale often from Trader Joe’s though and it has stems, so in cases like that I just eat it. Nothing happens if you do, I just prefer to take the stems off kale when possible.
• What type of kale should I use? Really any variety can work between tuscan, curly kale, baby kale and lacinato kale.
• Is this salad a main dish? If you add some protein on top or with it, it can be a more of a meal. But it is more of a side dish in my opinion. It’s great with some grilled chicken on top.
• Can this recipe be prepared in advance? Absolutely! I do like to eat it within an hour or so of dressing though so it doesn’t get too soggy. Store in the fridge and serve cool. Although this recipe is really simple to make so you can have it ready in 10 minutes! 

A few other delicious summer recipes to make:

Grilled Yogurt Marinated Chicken

How to Make the Best Grilled Pizza

How to Make Grilled Salmon Kebabs!

How to Grill Vegetables!