I love a hearty entrée salad, and this recipe is one of my favorites. A good entrée salad is made up of flavors and textures that marry well together. Tender, juicy rotisserie chicken, tart apples, sharp cheddar, and curly kale are the star ingredients of this Kale Chicken Salad.  The ingredients are basic, and come together to create a fabulous, hearty entrée salad that you and your guests are sure to enjoy!

Print Pin

Kale Chicken Salad with Apples and Cheddar

An easy, delicious, and clean kale salad recipe that highlights the best of early fall produce!

Servings 5 Servings

Author Chef Tiffany Blackmon

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
• 1 tsp. honey
• 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
• 6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 apple, thinly sliced
• ¾ cup white cheddar cheese, cut into small pieces
• 1 ½ cups shredded rotisserie chiken
• ½ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, honey, and vinegar. Slowly add olive oil, whisking constantly. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a large bowl, toss kale with dressing. Using your hands, gently massage kale until tender (2-3 minutes). Add apple, cheddar, and chicken.
• Garnish with pumpkin seeds and serve!

Notes

TIFFY’S TIPS:

• This recipe is fabulous with curly kale. Massaging kale is a technique that involves rubbing the leaves between your hands to break down the fibrous structure of the kale. This produces a slightly sweeter, much silkier texture.
• Although this recipe calls for kale, you can substitute your favorite greens.
• 1 rotisserie chicken yields approximately 3 cups of chicken. Grilled chicken is a great substitution.
• Adjust ingredients to your palette for salad dressings. I use 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar to 6 tablespoons olive oil, building other ingredients depending on your recipe to yield 1/2 cup dressing.
• To keep apples from turning brown, soak the apple slices in 1 part lemon juice to 1 part cold water until you’re ready to use. This mixture keeps apples from turning brown by preventing oxidation.

Tiffy’s Tips

~This recipe is fabulous with curly kale or substitute your favorite greens. Massaging this variety of kale will assist in breaking up the cellulose structure, producing a slightly sweeter, much silkier texture. 

~ 1 rotisserie chicken yields approximately 3 cups of chicken, grilled chicken is a great substitution.

~Adjust ingredients to your palette for salad dressings. I use 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar to 6 tablespoons olive oil, building other ingredients depending on your recipe to yield 1/2 cup dressing. 

~To keep apples from turning brown, thinly slice and soak in 1 part lemon juice to 1 part cold water until ready to use.

Let me know how much you love this delicious kale chicken salad recipe in the comments below!