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The Best Kale Salad

The Best Kale Salad recipe is full of healthy greens like kale and broccoli along with walnuts, dried cherries and sweet and sour dressing.

A CHICK-FIL-A INSPIRED RECIPE

This kale salad recipe is inspired by Chick-fil-A’s Super food salad! Do y’all remember when Chick-fil-A used to have Carrot Raisin Salad? They took it off the menu and it broke my heart. I guess the idea was to put up some healthier options. I am not even sure they make this exact salad anymore. I believe the only kale salad they have is the kale crunch salad but it’s not the same as the original. No worries, I got you covered if you really liked this one!

kale salad shown on a small round white plate with a white bowl in the background sit-in on a wood surface.

CAN I USE ANY OTHER DRESSINGS?

Can’t find sweet and sour dressing? Just pick up some cole slaw dressing. It has that same balance of flavors that will work great in this. Or use my homemade version HERE. Also I have a homemade sweet and sour dressing in my recipe for Broccoli Salad. I’ve also typed it up in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Chick-fil-A Superfood salad shown closeup on a small round white plate with dried cranberries and walnuts scattered around the plate.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • fresh kale
  • broccoli
  • lemon juice and olive oil
  • dried cranberries (or cherries)
  • chopped walnuts
  • sweet and sour dressing
sweet and sour dressing, chopped walnuts, broccoli, kale, Craisins.

WHERE DO I FIND SWEET AND SOUR DRESSING?

If you have never heard of Sweet & Sour dressing, let me assure you it does exist. I live in a pretty small area so if I can find it, I know that most folks around the country can find it too. Here are two different types. One is the Kroger store brand and the other is made by Marzetti. You can find these dressings where all the other salad dressings are located.

a photo showing two bottles of sweet and sour dressing. Bottle on the left is Marietta Sweet and Sour dressing and bottle on the right is Kroger brand Sweet and Sour dressing.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST KALE SALAD:

First things first – give the kale a good rinse.

kale in a colander being rinsed under water in a sink.

Then begin chopping up the kale and broccoli. If you’ve never worked with kale or any other type of greens before, then here’s a picture to show you what to do. All you have to do is cut around the stem.

kale on a cutting board with the stem cut out.

Discard the stem and finish chopping it up into bite-size pieces. The next step is super crucial. To soften up the kale, you need to massage it. I will put the chopped kale in a bowl and top with about a tablespoon lemon juice and olive oil. Use clean hands to massage for about 3 minutes to soften the leaves.

finely chopped kale on a wooden cutting board.

Chop up the broccoli into bite-size pieces. I remove the bulky part of the broccoli stem but you can chop that up too and add it in – up to you.

chopped broccoli on a wooden cutting board.

Add it all into a large bowl.

kale and broccoli shown in a large white bowl with handles.

Then toss in the dried cranberries (or cherries) and chopped walnuts.

walnuts nad cranberries added on top of kale and broccoli in large white bowl.

Pour dressing on top.

sweet and sour dressing shown being poured over kale salad.

Then toss it all together and coat all the veggies as best as possible.

a pair of silver salad tongs shown in a white bowl filled with kale salad.

Cover with plastic wrap and place into the fridge for at least 2 hours.

kale salad shown in a white bowl with handles and covered in plastic wrap.

kale s

close-up overhead photo of a serving of kale salad on a small round white plate with a fork in the background.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Superfood Salad

The Best Kale Salad

This Kale Salad recipe is full of chopped kale and broccoli along with walnuts, dried cherries and a sweet and sour dressing. Inspired by the Chick-fil-A superfood salad!
4.95 from 20 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Resting Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 6 cups kale chopped into bite size pieces
  • lemon juice and olive oil
  • 3 cups broccoli chopped into bite size pieces, or baby broccoli
  • 1 cup dried cranberries or cherries
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 16 ounce bottle sweet & sour dressing

Instructions

  • Rinse kale and broccoli and chop into bite size pieces (discarding the stems.)
  • The next step is super crucial. To soften up the kale, you need to massage it. Put the chopped kale in a bowl and top with about a tablespoon lemon juice and olive oil. Use clean hands to massage for about 3 minutes to soften the leaves. 
  • Add the chopped broccoli in with the massaged kale.
  • Then toss in the dried cranberries (or cherries) and chopped walnuts.
  • Pour dressing on top.
  • Toss it all together and coat all the veggies as best as possible.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and place into the fridge for at least 2 hours. Then serve.

Notes

To make your own sweet and sour dressing: 
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
Whisk everything to combine then pour over salad and stir. 
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 399kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 29g | Sodium: 433mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Recipe Rating




22 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Delicious!! I just picked up some Cole slaw dressing. Same thing as sweet and sour dressing.

  2. 5 stars
    I tried your recipe the other day and I did have to substitute the salad dressing. After staring at all of my options I chose to use an Apple Cider Vinegarette. It was delicious and everyone asked for the recipe!

  3. 5 stars
    I’m excited to make this for a potluck tomorrow! I tried it a few weeks ago and my hubby loved it (he doesn’t like greens!!) Just wondering how far in advance I can add the dressing? I’ll be leaving the house at 6.30am and I’m guessing lunch will be around 12.30pm.. if I added the dressing at 6am would it be ok? I’ll have the salad in a cooler..

  4. 5 stars
    Hi there!

    To clarify, the Chick-Fil-A Superfood Salad has broccolini, not broccoli. Your recipe looks good and has easy to find ingredients to substitute for some of the more “exotic’ original salad ingredients.

  5. 5 stars
    Love your kale salad, but have you ever tried putting the kale in blender with water and chopping it that way. Turns out like purchased kale salad kits have it, and much easier.

  6. 5 stars
    I actually make this quite often, however, I make my own sweet and sour dressing. Mine is lower calorie. If anyone wants my recipe I’d be happy to share it. Warning … I ‘m an old fashioned cook taught by my grandmother, so I don’t measure anything, however, it’s very simple to do.

  7. 5 stars
    We don’t have that restaurant around here and I have always to try their food. Now thanks to you I can! This definitely looks good to try.

  8. I have been to 3 stores in Asheville, NC and cannot find this salad dressing. Don’t have Kroger’s. Can you find out which store sells this or can I use a substitute dressing?

  9. 5 stars
    Which of the two salad dressings do you prefer? The Kroger brand looks the best but we don’t have a Kroger, so I’d have to order it.

  10. 5 stars
    Hi Brandie,
    Have you ever tried “Massaged wilted fresh kale” for a salad? You may be interested in this concept. I tried this recipe a couple years ago and it became a favorite of mine.