A few weeks ago I saw Chef Michael Simon make a raw kale salad on The Chew. He sliced beets up real thin and cut the kale into ribbons. Then made a vinaigrette out of red wine vinegar and olive oil.
I was immediately intrigued.
So far I’ve only eaten kale hidden in things or cooked. I chop it small and add it to rice or blend it in smoothies. Never did I think to make a salad. Especially raw!
So I picked up a huge bunch at a local farm and whipped up my first ever salad inspired by the one I saw. The result was nothing short of amazing!
You may think I’m nuts, but I’m sitting here next to this…
I couldn’t WAIT to polish off the leftovers, which I did while prepping the photos for this post.
It was seriously delicious. The greens were hearty, there’s no doubt about it, but the flavor from the simple dressing and the red onion just kept me digging in for more. It was so fresh and so tasty! The feta added a saltiness and the cranberries a nice sweetness that permeated the whole salad. 
I WILL be making this again, TODAY since I still have a bunch of fresh kale leftover!
Here’s what I did…
- About 2 cups of fresh kale with stems removed (~150g)
- 1 parsnip sliced thin
- 1 carrot sliced thin
- 1/4 of a red onion sliced thin
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp olive oil (10g)
- 2 pinches of Kosher salt and a pinch of ground black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp minced garlic or 1 large clove minced
- 20g of dried cranberries
- 2 oz feta cheese (60 g)
Pull the stems off and wash the kale leaves. I used a salad spinner.
Grab a bunch of the kale and slice it into thin ribbons. Add the cut kale to a large bowl.
The kale I got was straight from the farm. It was amazingly fresh!
Slice the parsnip, carrot and onion as thin as possible and add them to the bowl.
In a small bowl add the vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, and dried cranberries. Whisk and mash the cranberries a bit letting them flavor the dressing.
Pour the dressing over the kale and veggies.
Toss everything together making sure to coat all the leaves with the dressing. This is best done with hands, believe me, I tried the spoon first. ;)
Cover and let sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Once you’re ready to eat add the feta and toss.
Enjoy!
Now, I got two nice sized servings out of this and I let the second serving sit overnight with the cheese. I don’t think it made that much of a difference and it might have been even a little better. So you could add the cheese in earlier if you like. I’m sure it will be just as good if not better.
Here’s the nutritional information for 1/2 the salad. I’m providing WWP based on the totals. If I was counting I’d probably just tally up the cheese, oil and cranberries, but I’d rather provide the total max possible points and let you be the judge.
| Servings | Amt per Serving | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1/2 of the salad | |||
| Calories | Fat | Fiber | WWPs | |
| 250 | 13g | 5g | old: 5 | new: 6 |
| Sugar | Sat Fat | Carbs | Protein | |
| 12g | 6g | 26g | 8g | |
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That looks so good, I can’t wait to try it! I have been making a recipe lately for raw kale salad with poppy seed crusted butternut and pomegranate seeds. You wilt the lettuce with lemon juice and it is so perfect, just the right lettuce-y tenderness… and no waiting! I love raw kale!!!!
Never had raw kale. You’ve inspired me to try it now. This looks delicious!
Raw kale AND raw parsnip! Can’t wait to give this a try :)
I eat the raw kale salad from Whole Foods and I love it! I don’t, however, love the price! Will definitely make this one!
I think kale is one of those things that takes a lot of it’s edibility from what is served WITH it. Completely alone? It’s a little too…”earthy” for me. I once sat a bowl next to me and forced myself to eat it, but that was a … once thing. I don’t have parsnips but I think I’ll make a variation of this with what I’ve got. I need to eat more salad. I know I’m so iron and vit. D deficient. *snooze*
oh and I meant to add–until recently I didn’t know how freaking amazing dried cranberries are in…EVERYTHING!
Just pinned this for when my CSA starts coming in. From what I hear, I’ll be getting more than my fair share of kale!
Hi Roni, My family does eat kale on a regular basis, but cooked so i had to try this salad. All i can say is yummy! I made a few substitutions with what i had on hand. I roasted some fresh beets and added them to the salad and i used dried cherries instead of the cranberries. It was awesome and i am eating the leftovers for lunch. Thanks for the great healthy idea.
Great salad! Used what I had on hand (which didn’t include parsnips or carrots– used cukes and a half a Fuji apple instead). Perfect lunch (characterized as “huge!” by a friend). Worked for me; filling, refreshing, satisfying.
We had fresh kale salad at a wonderful quaint restaurant in Santa Fe. The kale was cut in narrow strips and served with olive oil and vinegar and tossed with pine nuts and feta. It was wonderful. Thanks for the idea of adding dried cherries.