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If you’re trying to eat more dark leafy greens, this Kale Feta Salad will quickly become your new favorite. It comes together quickly and has a variety of textures and flavors you’ll love.
Kale is not always the most popular leafy green because it has a slightly bitter flavor and tough texture.
However, when you remove the tough stems and toss the leaves with a quick lemon dressing, this kale salad recipe has a flavor similar to Greek salad. Feel free to add some sliced olives if you enjoy them!
Make this ahead of time for an easy meal prep idea (hello, easy lunch), or serve it as a side dish.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You can use curly kale or lacinato kale (also called Tuscan kale or Dino kale) as the base of this salad. Lacinato kale is thought to be slightly more tender compared to curly kale, so I usually opt for this variety when making salad.
Paired with crunchy veggies, like cucumber, red onion, and sliced cherry tomatoes, each bite will have a different taste and texture. Chickpeas make this salad more filling, but you can also add any other protein you love.
The dressing comes together quickly with lemon juice, but you can use apple cider vinegar in a pinch. Feel free to add any other fresh herbs you like, too! Fresh dill would make an excellent addition when you have it, or you could add fresh parsley.
How to Make Kale Feta Salad
In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Whisk or stir well to mix the dressing.
Prepare the kale leaves by removing the center stems. You can hold the leaves vertically and run your fingers down the stems to quickly pull away the leaves.
Rip the leaves into bite-sized pieces or use a sharp knife on a cutting board to quickly chop the kale into smaller pieces. Then add them to the bowl of dressing.
Use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale leaves. This will help them soften and lose some of their bitter flavor.
If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, you can also just stir well and let the kale marinate in the dressing while you chop the other veggies.
Thinly slice the red onion and add it to the salad bowl. Then slice the cherry tomatoes in half, or into quarters, depending on how large you want the pieces to be.
Next, slice the cucumber. I like to cut the rounds into quarters so each piece will easily fit on a fork, but you can slice them as large or as small as you like.
Once you have roughly 1 cup of chopped cucumber, you can add it to the kale salad.
To make this salad extra filling, add a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas. Then sprinkle on the crumbled feta cheese and toss well.
It’s ready to serve right away with any extra toppings you love. Add baked chicken breasts for more protein, or sprinkle on some sliced almonds, pine nuts, or walnuts for extra crunch.
storage Tip
Raw kale salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. It tastes just as delicious the next day!
Looking for more salad inspiration? Try my Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette, Pear & Gorgonzola Salad, or my favorite Holiday Salad with dried cranberries and Apple Cider Vinaigrette.
Ingredients
Lemon Dressing
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Kale Feta Salad
- 1 bunch kale (see notes)
- ⅓ cup diced red onion
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes , quartered
- 1 cup sliced cucumber
- 1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans , drained and rinsed
- 2 ounces feta cheese , crumbled
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir well to mix.
- Remove the tough center stems from the kale. (Save the stems for green juice or veggie stock later!) Roughly chop the tender kale leaves into bite-sized pieces, then add them to the bowl of dressing. Use your hands to briefly massage the dressing into the kale. This will help them soften up and reduce their bitter flavor.
- Next add in the red onion, tomatoes, and cucumber. Stir well so the veggies are evenly coated in the dressing. Then add in the drained garbanzo beans and feta and stir again.
- Give the salad a taste and adjust any seasoning as needed. You can add a pinch of salt or extra lemon juice for a tangy flavor. Serve right away, or transfer to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. (Kale won't become soggy the way other lettuce does.)
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this Kale Feta Salad, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
delicious and pretty simple to make!
My daughter -in-law has made this for cook-outs and I love this salad.