This Chicken Kale Salad recipe is bursting with fresh fruit flavors that work fantastic all summer and fall long.
With each refreshing bite, the strawberries, peaches, goat cheese, and honey all melt together for the most perfect chopped kale salad ever.
Why you should make this summer salad
Depending on where you live, this kale salad maybe a summer salad or an early fall/autumn salad option.
Peaches are not always available year-round (tend to be a May-September fruit), but don’t let that stop you from a fruit substitute to eat down those healthy greens.
TikTok Chicken Kale Salad
This uber-popular viral chicken kale salad came across our stream last summer. We filed it away for a hot summer day, but with so many other viral recipe ideas taking hold, it got forgotten about.
Today as the 70-degree weather started to take, I was reminded again of all the viral side dish recipes we had yet to enjoy and dug this one out. And wow, what a great surprise! The strawberries and kale combined with the dressing was a faultless dance on the tongue.
You can see the full video recipe below and follow violet.cooks for more fabulous ideas like this one.
Dressing Ingredients
This fresh, homemade garlicky dressing is something to write home about. With the tangy taste of Dijon mustard and the sweet taste of honey, this dressing is perfectly balanced to smother those kale leaves.
- dijon mustard
- minced garlic
- fresh lemon
- Virgin olive oil
- tablespoon honey
- pinch of salt and black pepper
How to make Garlicky Dressing
- Mix mustard, minced garlic (or garlic clove), and fresh lemon juice of one lemon.
- Add olive oil and honey.
- Season with kosher salt and pepper.
- Whisk well and set aside for the rest of the garlicky kale salad.
Salad Ingredients
Prep salad ingredients by slicing up the fruits, vegetables, and cooking/grilling/baking juicy chicken.
- curly kale – As always, with store-bought veggies, prep kale by washing and drying the kale with a paper towel. Chop up raw kale leaves, massage them, and set them aside.
- Fruit – Slice up fresh peaches, and fresh strawberries (tops removed and strawberries sliced)
- red onions – thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces.
- chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken breast should be cooked and cubed.
- goat cheese – The original salad recipe uses goat cheese but other cheese options like fresh parmesan, feta or goat cheese are all savory options for salads.
- sliced almonds
How to make Chicken Kale Salad
- Add chopped green kale to a large bowl and pour dressing on top. Mix well to coat the kale evenly.
- Top kale mixture with peaches, strawberries, onions, chicken, almonds, and goat cheese.
- Serve immediately in salad bowls or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
How to serve Chicken Kale Salad
As with most salads, this kale salad makes a fantastic side dish option for viral dinner recipes like TikTok crack chicken, this amazing chicken cutlet recipe, or juicy air fryer chicken thighs.
With the protein additive, kale salad is also the perfect lunch or dinner on its own.
Alternative Ingredients
This salad is so forgiving, and there are other unique options to customize the salad. Try other great salad ingredient ideas like sunflower seeds, blue cheese, feta cheese, or even sweet potato cubes to bring more value to this lemon kale salad.
FAQ’s
As with most pulled greens, after some fridge time, kale begins to wilt. This process is often what keeps kale a great ingredient to work with in warm or hot food recipes. If the kale starts to wilt before you have had a chance to make a salad, cut the bottom stems (like a flower) and put them into a glass of water. They perk right back up!
There are many kinds of fresh kale bunch! The most common, curly kale, is what is used here. However, there are other options at stores, including Russian kale and Tuscan kale. Use what kale you have available, removing leaves from the strong vein down the middle and then stripping or chopping leaves into bite-sized pieces.
Kale is often “massaged” to break down the leaf and allow it to open up so all the fresh lemon and oils can break inside.
Related Side Dish Recipes
TikTok’s “Favorite Salad” recipe is a fresh and easy Cucumber, Tomato, and Red Onion salad. Super healthy with oil and vinegar, this salad recipe is perfect for lunch or a BBQ side dish. Makes in minutes!
TikTok claims this is a top-winning southern baked macaroni and cheese recipe, and we agree.
Chicken Kale Salad (TikTok)
Ingredients
Garlicky Lemon Dressing
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 3 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 lemon
- ½ cup Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- salt and pepper
Kale Salad
- 12 oz. Kale washed, massaged, and chopped
- 2 peaches sliced into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup strawberries https://www.saltysidedish.com/crunchiest-potatoes/
- ½ cup red onions thinly sliced
- 2 cups chicken cooked and cubed
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 4 oz. goat cheese crumbled
Instructions
Make Dressing
- In a bowl, mix together Dijon mustard, minced garlic, and juice of one fresh lemon.
- Add olive oil and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk well.
Make Chicken Kale Salad
- Add kale to a large bowl and pour dressing on top.
- Mix well to evenly coat raw kale.
- Top with sliced peaches, sliced strawberries, thinly sliced onions, cooked chicken, sliced almonds, and crumbled goat cheese.
- Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying of full recipe to any social media is prohibited.
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