My Easy Kale and White Bean Salad comes together quickly and is packed with tons of nutritious ingredients. The kale gets massaged with a flavorful homemade dressing for perfect texture and then the salad gets loaded up with hearty white beans, goat cheese, dried cranberries and toasted walnuts. This easy kale salad can be enjoyed for lunch or a health side dish on your holiday table this year.
I know I have a lot of kale salad recipes on this site, but in my opinion, you can never have too many. Kale is considered to be a superfood because it is packed with important vitamins and minerals, and is always a great addition to your diet. This Easy Kale and White Bean Salad is part of my Thanksgiving series and is great for a veggie side dish or you can pack it up and bring it to a potluck. The kale is tossed with a flavorful dressing and then gets mixed with the white beans, onion, walnuts, cranberries and goat cheese for a hearty salad that is perfect for the holidays.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Kale Salad Recipe
- Great potluck dish – When planning a recipe to bring to a potluck, I like to bring something light and refreshing, but also hearty and filling. This Kale and white bean salad checks all of those boxes. The dressing is bright and zippy, while the goat cheese and white beans add protein to fill you up.
- Easy to make – This kale salad gets thrown together in just about 15 minutes and only requires a few ingredients, aside from the homemade dressing. I make this salad often when I need an easy lunch or a side dish for a large gathering.
- Packed with nutrients – From the kale to the white beans and walnuts, this salad is packed with lots of healthy ingredients that contain antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and nutrients your body needs.
Why Your Body Loves A Kale Salad
Kale is a member of the Cruciferae family and comes in several varieties, including curly, lacinato, and purple. It’s a hearty green that can withstand colder temperatures. Kale can be enjoyed in both cooked and raw forms. I love massaging raw kale and adding it to salads. It’s hearty and has some texture, while also being refreshing. Kale wilts quickly, making it easy to incorporate into soups, stir-fries, and pasta dishes.
Kale is considered a superfood because it’s packed with a variety of vitamins and nutrients. Dark, leafy greens are essential to include in our diets, and kale is a great way to do so. Kale contains four times more vitamin C than spinach, and twice the amount of selenium. It’s also low in calories, making it an excellent choice for maintaining a healthy weight.
Kale and White Bean Salad Recipe Ingredients
- Kale – I used lacinato kale for this salad, but curly kale will also work. If you prefer not to use kale, you can substitute with another green of choice.
- White Beans – I used two cans of great northern beans. Canellini beans, or even chickpeas, would also work for this salad recipe.
- Red Onion – I always feel the need to add some fresh red onion to my salads. I love the flavor that it adds, but if you’re not a fan of raw red onion, you can use thinly sliced green onion or just omit it.
- Dried Cranberries – I’ve been adding dried cranberries to everything lately and they also happen to go well in this kale salad. They add some sweetness, as well as a nice chewy texture. Dried cherries or even raisins can be substituted.
- Nuts – I love adding toasted nuts to salads in place of croutons. They add tons of flavor, texture and health benefits. I used toasted walnuts, but any kind of nut, or seed, will also work.
- Goat Cheese – Goat cheese adds a creaminess and a tangy flavor to this salad. It goes well with the dried cranberries and walnuts. Feta cheese can also be used.
- Dressing – I just made a quick homemade dressing using: olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Any kind of dressing can be used though.
How To Make My Easy Kale and White Bean Salad
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a jar, place the lid on and shake until dressing is completely combined. Give it a quick taste and add any extra ingredients desired. You can also whisk it in a bowl, if needed.
- Wash and dry kale leaves well and then remove the leaves from the stems. Discard the stems and then chop up the kale leaves into small, bit size pieces and add them to a large bowl. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the dressing over the kale leaves and use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale for about 30 seconds.
- Next, add in the white beans, red onion, dried cranberries and walnuts. Mix the salad together well and then add in the crumbled goat cheese and any extra dressing needed. Carefully mix salad together again and serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Season with any extra salt or pepper needed.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- This recipe is gluten free.
- Make this salad vegan by using a vegan goat cheese substitute, or omitting the cheese altogether.
- Can this salad be made ahead of time? This kale salad can be made in advance, but I would recommend prepping parts of it in advance and then assembling it just before serving. As hearty of a green as kale is, once it gets massaged with the dressing, it is more likely to get soggy quickly.
- How long do leftovers last? If stored in an air-tight container, in the refrigerator, leftovers should last for about 4 days.
- Can the kale be substituted? Yes, you can easily substitute the kale for another green of choice. Spinach or arugula would be great options.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below and I will get back to you ASAP!
Looking For More Healthy Kale Recipes?
Lemony Kale Salad with Feta Cheese
Holiday Salad with Cabbage and Kale
Quick and Easy Chickpea Curry with Kale
Garlicky Kale with White Beans and Lemon
Print
Easy Kale and White Bean Salad
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
My Easy Kale and White Bean Salad comes together quickly and is packed with tons of nutritious ingredients. The kale gets massaged with a flavorful homemade dressing for perfect texture and then the salad gets loaded up with hearty white beans, goat cheese, dried cranberries and toasted walnuts. This easy kale salad can be enjoyed for lunch or a health side dish on your holiday table this year.
Ingredients
- 12 oz bunch of kale, about 8 cups lightly packed once diced (either curly or lacinato)
- 2 (15 oz) cans white beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup sliced red onion
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup toasted walnuts
- 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a jar, place the lid on and shake until dressing is completely combined. Give it a quick taste and add any extra ingredients desired. You can also whisk it in a bowl, if needed.
- Wash and dry kale leaves well and then remove the leaves from the stems. Discard the stems and then chop up the kale leaves into small, bit size pieces and add them to a large bowl. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the dressing over the kale leaves and use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale for about 30 seconds.
- Next, add in the white beans, red onion, dried cranberries and walnuts. Mix the salad together well and then add in the crumbled goat cheese and any extra dressing needed. Carefully mix salad together again and serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Season with any extra salt or pepper needed.
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Category: Lunch, Vegetarian
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
Leave a Reply