Kale Salad with Apple and Persimmon and a Zesty Lemon Dressing
Okay, I’m just going to say it! Massaging kale to make it tender for kale salad is 100% silly. Instead, save the massage for yourself and make my Kale Salad with Apple and Persimmon tossed with a Lemon Dressing.
I created this salad for a friend’s housewarming party. The ingredient choices were inspired by what was in season at the local farmer’s market. And is the perfect combination for the holiday season. Bright orange persimmons, sweet-tart apples, and black kale paired with a lemony dressing.
Btw, I highly recommend that you always pair your kale with a squeeze of lemon or another citrus. Not only are they a natural pairing, but your body needs the Vitamin C from the citrus to be able to absorb the iron from the kale. Don’t let those superfood minerals go to waste!
Remove the stem, bundled the kale leaves together and finely slice. 
Pour the dressing on the kale at least 3-hours in advance. 
Cover and put in the fridge.
Tenderizing Your Kale Salad: Massage vs. Acid
The whole point behind massaging the kale is to break down the tough fibers in the kale. BUT when you use acid from citrus fruits and vinegars, coupled with time and a finely chopped kale, you get the exact same results without all the work.
All you must do is make sure your salad dressing has plenty of citrus juice and/or vinegar in it. And to chop your kale leaves up small (I mean who eats them whole anyway). Then toss the kale in the dressing at least three hours – or overnight – before you plan to serve it and you’ll have a tender kale salad.
If you happen to like mustard dressings with kale (I totally recommend) – check out my recipe for Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad recipe. I used a lemon and mustard-based dressing on it.
Substitutions
Don’t try to substitute the red onion with yellow or white in the Lemon Dressing. The sharpness of the yellow and white won’t pair well with the flavor balance. Instead, if you don’t have or want to use red onion, use shallots instead.
I highly recommend sticking with the Tuscan kale (flat, smooth leaf), but curly leaf will work if that’s all you can find. I don’t recommend using the baby kale in this salad. The flavor profile won’t pair as well as mature kale leaves will.
For the fruit, if you don’t like or have apples, use pears – slightly firm, instead. I highly recommend using persimmons but if you don’t have or can’t find, clementine slices or roasted butternut squash cubes will work. Pomegranate seeds will work well in place of the dried cranberries or a combo of both. As far as the nuts, pecans or pistachios will also work well.
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A Salad that Holds Up
This is an amazing salad for the holidays, or any get together where you need a salad that holds up to being dressed for a few hours. And so seasonal since it uses all winter fruits and vegetables. Which makes it even more of a winner for holiday meals since it pairs beautifully with turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, or butternut squash.
So…tell me, are you going to be massaging your kale for salads from here on out? Let me know in the comments. And don’t forget to let me know how you like the salad or leave any questions you might have.
Kale, Apple and Persimmon Salad with Zesty Lemon Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale finely sliced
- 1 large persimmon diced
- 1 large sweet-tart apple diced
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup walnuts chopped
Lemon Dressing
- 1 large lemon juice from
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- ½ small red onion
- 1 large garlic clove
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1.5 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
Lemon Dressing
- Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Set aside until needed.
- Makes about 1 cup of dressing.
Salad
- Wash and dry kale. Remove the thick stem from the center. Then finely chopped and place in a large bowl.
- Toss kale with about 1/2 of the dressing, making sure to coat all leaves well. No need to massage the kale because the acids from the lemon and vinegar will break down the tough fibers over the resting period.
- Cover bowl with lid or plastic wrap and place in the fridge for about 3 hours. Stir a couple of times through the resting time.
- Remove kale from the fridge, add chopped apples, persimmon, dried cranberries, and walnuts. Toss to coat, adding more dressing if needed.
- Serve cold or at room temperature.
- Leftovers store well in the fridge and are good the next day, holding up to the dressing, unlike a lettuce salad.
- Extra dressing can be kept in the fridge for up to a week to 10 days.