Kale Salad with Peanut Vinaigrette

I’ve really been having a moment with these super chopped kale salads and this Kale Salad with Peanut Vinaigrette is my new favorite. This salad is super simple and flavorful on its own or you can add your favorite protein for a complete meal!

About This Recipe

This Chopped Kale Salad with Peanut Vinaigrette is the perfect balance of crunch, creaminess, and bold flavors. Fresh kale and cabbage are finely chopped and tossed with crisp edamame, fresh herbs and a tangy-sweet peanut vinaigrette that brings everything together. 

Enjoy this salad as a light lunch, hearty side, or top it with your favorite protein for a full meal. I guarantee this salad will be a crowd-pleaser. ‘

Plus, it’s easy to make and meal-prep friendly—so you can enjoy it all week long. 

Ingredients and Substitutions

For the Dressing:

• Ginger: You all know my love for the frozen garlic cubes and I love the ginger ones just as much!! Especially since I don’t use fresh ginger as often it saves me from having to keep it on hand and taste just as good I promise! 
• Garlic: Fresh minced or frozen cubes both work great.
• Rice wine vinegar: You can also sub for white wine vinegar if needed.
• Sweet fruit balsamic vinegar: You might notice I’m obsessed with my fruity vinegars from Baker and Olive (No code needed! Discount is already applied) but I know they’re a specialty item and not everyone will have them! If you do, USE THEM here (and in every salad.) But if you don’t, use more rice wine vinegar. If you want a little bit of that sweet kick we get from the fruit infused, add a touch of honey or brown sugar to your dressing.
• Soy sauce: The soy sauce mixed with the sweet infused vinegar perfectly balances out the sweetness of this peanut dressing! 
• Sriracha: For a kick of heat! Feel free to adjust the amount of sriracha based on your heat preference.
• Natural peanut butter: We love the peanut butter from Costco that’s the perfect natural, drippy peanut butter. I recommend using a natural peanut butter that the only ingredients are peanuts and salt. Regular peanut butters have additional sugar, hydrogenated oils, emulsifiers, and preservatives that help stabilize them so they will make the dressing a bit sweeter if using. 

For the Salad:

• Kale: I love using lacinato kale because it’s a bit sweeter and chewier than regular kale. However, regular kale works or you can sub for your favorite green like spring mix or spinach. I highly recommend putting the kale through your food processor to help dice it up into tiny bites.
• Green cabbage: You can also sub for any crunchy lettuce like romaine or green leaf. I recommend running the green cabbage through the food processor just like the kale! 
• Green onion: The mildness of the green onions adds the perfect amount of sweetness and more crunch.
• Edamame: A great source of plant-based protein and fiber! If using frozen edamame, just be sure to let it thaw before running your knife through it for a rough chop.
• Fresh mint: You can use fresh mint or any other fresh herbs you have on hand! 
• Additional toppings: If you’ve got room for extra goodies, I  love topping this salad with toasted almonds, avocado, mango, and of course some grilled protein.

Dietary Adaptations 

Gluten-free: Just make sure to use a gluten-free soy sauce!

How To Make

1. Add all dressing ingredients to a bowl or jar and whisk (or shake.) If using the ginger cubes, they take longer to thaw than the garlic, so give them about ten minutes to break down in the vinegar, or if I’m in a hurry, I’ll microwave the ginger to get it thawed quickly.
2. Remove woody stems from kale by ripping the leaves off. Chop kale and cabbage super fine using a knife OR give it a quick whirl in your food processor.  Be careful not to over-process. We want it small but not a paste! Add them to a large bowl with your green onion, chopped edamame, and mint. Toss well and enjoy! If you’ve got room for extra goodies, we love this topped with toasted almonds, avocado, mango, and of course our favorite grilled proteins!

Helpful Tips

1. Sweet balsamic vinegars: You might notice I’m obsessed with my fruity vinegars from Baker and Olive (No code needed! Discount is already applied) but I know they’re a specialty item and not everyone will have them! If you do, USE THEM here (and in every salad.) But if you don’t, use more rice wine vinegar. If you want a little bit of that sweet kick we get from the fruit infused, add a touch of honey or brown sugar to your dressing.
2. Chop small: The chop matters!! Especially for kale salads, I highly recommend using the food processor to easily finely chop the kale and cabbage. Even though it can be an extra dish to wash, it’s worth it to get the super chopped kale. Chopping the kale smalls helps the dressing cover the greens completely and make sure it’s tender and full of flavor. Plus, the small chop just helps the flavors disperse so that each bite is so much better! 
3. More servings: This kale salad is written for one but can easily be tripled or quadrupled to make it a large serving salad or make it for weekly meal prep. One of my favorite things about using kale is that you can add the dressing in advance without it getting soggy like regular lettuce. However, you can also wait to toss it in the dressing if you prefer and will be enjoying it later in the week.

Protein Pairings

Pair this kale salad with some protein to make it a meal! Some of my favorites include:

• BBQ Soy Ginger Chicken Thighs
• Hot Honey Air Fryer Salmon Bites
• Sweet Garlic Spiced Grilled Flank Steak
• Sweet Chili Glazed Cilantro Grilled Chicken
• Balsamic Herb Grilled Chicken

For More Delicious Recipes

• Winter Citrus Salad
• Wild Rice and Kale Salad (Cubby’s Copycat)
• Super Green Salad
• Chopped Kale Salad, Delicata Squash and Crispy Shallots

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Kale Salad with Peanut Vinaigrette

I’ve really been having a moment with these super chopped kale salads and this Kale Salad with Peanut Vinaigrette is my new favorite. This salad is super simple and flavorful on its own or you can add your favorite protein for a complete meal!

Print Pin Rate

Author Lillie

Course Salad

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Calories 251 kcal

Ingredients

Peanut Vinaigrette:

• 2 frozen ginger cubes or 2 tsp minced ginger (10g)
• 1 frozen garlic cube or minced clove (5g)
• 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar 30g
• 1 Tbsp. sweet fruit infused balsamic vinegar OR use another Tbsp. of rice wine vinegar 15g
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce 15g
• 1 Tbsp. sriracha 15g
• 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter 15g

Salad:

• 3 cups lacinato kale finely chopped or food processed (90g)
• 1 cups green cabbage finely chopped or food processed (75)
• 1 Tbsp green onion chopped (15g)
• ¼ cup edamame roughly chopped (40g)
• 2 Tbsp. fresh mint chopped (5g)

Instructions

• Add all dressing ingredients to a bowl or jar and whisk (or shake.) If using the ginger cubes, they take longer to thaw than the garlic, so give them about ten minutes to break down in the vinegar, or if I’m in a hurry, I’ll microwave the ginger to get it thawed quickly.
• Remove woody stems from kale by ripping the leaves off. Chop kale and cabbage super fine using a knife OR give it a quick whirl in your food processor. Be careful not to over-process. We want it small but not a paste! Add them to a large bowl with your green onion, chopped edamame, and mint. Toss well and enjoy! If you’ve got room for extra goodies, we love this topped with toasted almonds, avocado, mango, and of course our favorite grilled proteins!

Notes

You might notice I’m obsessed with my fruity vinegars from Baker and Olive but I know they’re a specialty item and not everyone will have them! If you do, USE THEM here (and in every salad.) But if you don’t, use more rice wine vinegar. If you want a little bit of that sweet kick we get from the fruit infused, add a touch of honey or brown sugar to your dressing.

GF/DF: Just make sure to use a gluten-free soy sauce!

Nutrition

Serves 1

325 g each

251 calories, 10 fat, 24.2 carbs, 13.6 protein, 8.4 fiber

Search Lillie Eats and Tells Kale Salad with Peanut Vinaigrette

Nutrition

Serving: 1salad (325g)Calories: 251kcalCarbohydrates: 24.2gProtein: 13.6gFat: 10gFiber: 8.4g

Keywords kale salad with peanut vinaigrette

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