This simple kale greek salad is one of my favourite recipes to enjoy in the summer. Massaged kale is paired with classic greek salad ingredients including cucumber, tomato, feta, onions and olives, and tossed in a zingy salad dressing.
Some people are kale haters, some are fanatics – personally I’m a huge fan of the leafy green vegetable, and believe you should be too!
What’s the secret to making kale enjoyable? Massaging it! This involves lathering up your kale with an oily dressing and massaging the dressing into the leaves. The result? Kale which is NOT bitter OR tough, and tastes delicious!
This greek salad with kale is perfect with beetroot hummus and falafel, or enjoyed alone for a light lunch!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s made with fresh and vibrant produce
- It’s packed with colour and flavour
- It comes together in 10 minutes and can be made ahead of time
How to make kale greek salad
Firstly, prepare the simple salad dressing in a small bowl (photo 1).
Add about 2 tbsp of the dressing to your kale and use your hands to ‘massage’ it (photo 3). Really work the dressing into the kale to create a softer texture! Tip: Taste the kale after massaging to make sure you’re happy with it!
Finally, add the greek salad ingredients to the kale, and stir together with the remaining dressing (photo 3).
Tips for making this recipe perfectly
- Use extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is less refined and has a better flavour, which is ideal for use in salad dressings.
- Remove the hard kale stems. You can use curly kale or cavolo nero in this recipe, but be sure to remove the hard stems and membranes before massaging it.
- Take the time to massage your kale. Whatever you do, don’t skip this step! Massaging the kale removes the bitterness and tough texture, giving it a softer texture and gentler flavour.
- Use fresh high quality ingredients. Particularly when making salads, you’ll see a big flavour payoff from using organic or local produce!
Recipe notes
- You can use green, black or kalamata olives in this recipe. If you don’t like olives, you can omit them, however they are a traditional ingredient in a Greek salad.
- You can use red or white onion in this recipe, but I love using red for a pop of colour.
- Vegan or dairy free? Substitute the feta for a dairy-free alternative or use firm tofu!
- This salad will store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. The flavours only get better over time!
I hope you enjoy this recipe, friends! Let me know if you try it by leaving a rating/comment below or tagging me on Instagram.
Kale Greek Salad
Leave a Review Print RecipeIngredients
- 2 cups Curly Kale or cavolo nero
- ½ Whole Cucumber
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- ½ Red Onion or brown onion
- ½ cup Baby Plum Tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
- 150 grams Feta Cheese can sub tofu for vegan option
- ¼ cup Olives green, black, or kalamata
For the dressing:
- 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- ¼ tsp Dried Oregano
- Salt + Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Using a spoon, prepare the dressing in a small bowl by stirring together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried oregano and salt and pepper.
- Prepare the kale by removing any tough stems and membranes and cutting into small chunks. Transfer to a large salad bowl.
- Pour about 2 tbsp of the dressing onto the kale and use your hands to 'massage it'. Rub the dressing into the leaves with your fingers to soften the kale and remove bitterness. Taste the kale to make sure you are happy with it – if it's too tough for your liking, massage a little more.
- Prepare the remaining ingredients: slice the cucumber into quarter-circles, the red bell pepper and feta into chunks, the red onion into strips, the plum tomatoes into halves or quarters, and the olives into halves. You can slice the ingredients as you wish, but its a good idea to keep everything roughly the same size.
- Add the sliced cucumber, red bell pepper, tomatoes, olives, onion and feta to the kale along with the remaining salad dressing. Stir together with a large spoon and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Vegan or dairy free? Substitute the feta for a dairy-free alternative or use firm tofu!
- This salad will store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. The flavours only get better over time!
Nutrition
Can’t wait to try this!