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Home » Type » Salads » Leafy Green Salads » Chopped Kale Salad

Chopped Kale Salad

August 26, 2019 by Faith Leave a Comment

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Full of fresh veggies and packed with different flavors and textures, this Chopped Kale Salad is perfect for meal prep! And it’ll have you excited to eat salad.

Overhead View of Chopped Kale Salad on Rustic Dark Wood Table

With Labor Day and the unofficial end to summer right around the corner, I’ve kicked my fresh-veggies-from-the-farmers-market habit into high gear.

This Chopped Kale Salad is basically a combination of whatever fresh produce you find at the market that looks good, all chopped up! With crisped beef bacon and cheese added for protein, along with sunflower seeds for crunch.

I actually get quite a few people who tell me they’d eat more kale if they knew how to wash and chop kale, how to store kale, and what to make with kale! Well friends, I’m going to break it down because there’s absolutely no need to be intimidated by kale. 

Kale is delicious and and nutrient-dense. It is a good source of vitamins A, K, and C, as well as folate and manganese. (Read more about kale nutrition on Healthline.)

And bonus, it’s easy to prepare!

Chopped Kale Salad in White Ceramic Bowl with Vintage Fork on Wood Table

In This Article

  • How to Wash Kale
  • How to Store Kale
  • How to Eat Kale
  • How to Meal Prep This Healthy Chopped Kale Salad Recipe
  • More Ways to Get Your Kale Fix:
  • Chopped Kale Salad

How to Wash Kale

When I buy kale and bring it home, before tossing it in the fridge I loosely wrap the bundle in dry paper towels and then place it in a plastic bag (such as the bag from the produce area in the grocery store or a zip-top plastic bag), but don’t seal the plastic bag. I find that kale keeps well stored like that in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Right before using kale, I rinse it under cool running water.

After rinsing the kale, I gently pat it dry with a clean kitchen towel.

Once kale is clean, it’s ready to de-stem!

Pro Tip: If kale is particularly sandy or gritty, I’ll fill a large bowl with water, plunge in the kale, and gently swish it around to release the grit. Then I will rinse it under cool running water as normal.

Chopped Kale Salad with Description

How to De-Stem Kale

Once you get the hang of it, you’ll realize that kale is easy to de-stem! Here’s how I de-stem kale:

  1. Hold a kale leaf over a large bowl.
  2. Hold the stem with one hand and with your other hand, place your thumb and pointer finger on top of the kale leaf on either side of the stem.
  3. In one swift motion, pull your hand down the length of the leaf, ripping the leaf away from the stem on both sides.
  4. Drop both sides of the leaf into the bowl, and discard the stem (you can use it for juice, to make vegetable stock, or compost it!).

Can You Eat Kale Stems?

Yes, you can eat kale stems! However, even though they are technically edible, they are quite fibrous and tough. When you’re making salad, it’s best to remove the stems and use them for something else.

But you can learn how to cook kale stems in this article from Bon Appetit, and see what to make with kale stems in this article from The Kitchn.

Chopped Kale Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing on the Side

How to Store Kale

I find that kale keeps best when it’s loosely wrapped in paper towels and stored in an unsealed plastic bag in the fridge for up to 1 week.

After I de-stem and wash kale, I usually chop it store it in a covered glass container that’s lined with paper towels. Stored this way it typically stays good for about an additional 5 to 7 days.

How to Eat Kale

The beauty of kale is how versatile it is! You can treat it like salad greens, or like a sturdier leafy vegetable, such as cabbage. Here are a few of my favorite ways to eat kale:

  • Use it as a salad base, to make something like this Chopped Kale Salad.
  • Get all cheesy and make it into Warm Cheesy Garlic and Kale Dip.
  • Make it into slaw! My Creamy Poppy Seed Kale Slaw with Red Pear, Toasted Pepitas, and Golden Raisins is a great balance of textures and flavors.
  • Get your greens in early in the day with my Paleo Sumac-Spiced Baked Eggs with Kale.
  • Turn kale into the best green enchiladas ever!
  • Transform kale into the most addictive crispy and delicious appetizer that will have everyone asking you for the recipe.
  • Sauté kale with sausage and white beans and call it dinner.

Three Quarter Angle View of Chopped Kale Salad

How to Meal Prep This Healthy Chopped Kale Salad Recipe

  1. Store cleaned, de-stemmed, chopped kale in a glass container.
  2. Chop up the cherry tomatoes and scallion and store them in a separate container.
  3. Portion out the crisped bacon, cubed cheddar, and salad dressing and store them in the fridge.
  4. When you’re ready to eat your salad, simply toss everything together and enjoy!

Tossed Chopped Kale Salad

More Ways to Get Your Kale Fix:

  • Blueberry Kale Ice Cream
  • Kale Brownies
  • Zesty Baked Kale Chips
  • Crispy Kale Pizza

Close Up Top View of Chopped Kale Salad
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below because I love hearing from you! You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media. To stay up-to-date FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Xoxo, Faith

Overhead View of Chopped Kale Salad on Rustic Dark Wood Table

Chopped Kale Salad

By: Faith Gorsky
Full of fresh veggies and packed with different flavors and textures, this Chopped Kale Salad is perfect for meal prep! And it’ll have you excited to eat salad.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 1 serving
Calories 352 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped kale
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 scallion thinly sliced
  • 3 slices beef bacon crisped and crumbled
  • 1 oz cheddar cheese cut into small cubes
  • 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
  • 2 tablespoons homemade Low Carb Honey Mustard Dressing

Instructions
 

  • Place the kale in the bottom of a bowl and top with the cherry tomatoes, scallion, bacon, cheese, and sunflower seeds.
  • Serve with the dressing to drizzle on top.

Faith's Tips

  • Net Carbs: 13g per serving (whole recipe is 1 serving)
  • I used Cabot Vermont Sharp Cheddar Cheese.
  • Nutrition information for this recipe was calculated without salad dressing.
  • To meal prep this salad, crisp the bacon 4 to 5 days in advance and keep it in the fridge until assembling this salad.
  • Make this salad your own! Swap out the kale for any greens you like, and use your favorite kind of dressing. The best kind of salad is one you'll actually eat!

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Chopped Kale Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 352 Calories from Fat 216
% Daily Value*
Fat 24g37%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 53mg18%
Sodium 637mg28%
Potassium 841mg24%
Carbohydrates 15g5%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 23g46%
Vitamin A 10810IU216%
Vitamin C 139.8mg169%
Calcium 355mg36%
Iron 2.9mg16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword Chopped Kale Salad
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

Tossed Chopped Kale Salad Recipe Pin

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links to products I believe in, which means that even though it doesn’t cost you anything extra, I will receive a small amount of money from the sale of these items. Thank you for helping to support An Edible Mosaic!

Filed Under: Gluten Free, Leafy Green Salads, Low Carb and Keto Tagged: Chopped Kale Salad, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Kale, Low-Carb, Lunch Ideas for Work, Meal Prep Salads, Recipes

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Hello and welcome to An Edible Mosaic! This is my recipe collection of international favorites and updated American classics with an emphasis on seasonal dishes. Here you’ll find a focus on real foods that sustain body and mind, bring people together, and make a house a home.

 

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An Edible Mosaic is monetized in part though affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on an affiliate link and/or purchase an item after clicking on an affiliate link, I may receive a percentage of the sales price. I only recommend products that I love and use. To learn more, please read my Privacy Policy.

meet faith

I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to email me with questions or comments.

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affiliate disclosure

An Edible Mosaic is monetized in part though affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on an affiliate link and/or purchase an item after clicking on an affiliate link, I may receive a percentage of the sales price. I only recommend products that I love and use. To learn more, please read my Privacy Policy.

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