This kale slaw with apples is the best kale salad! It has tons of crunch and the most amazing flavour. It's so easy to make with apples, slivered almonds, kale, and a sweet and tangy homemade dressing.
Apple recipes like my healthy apple crumble, turnip and apple casserole and gluten free apple pie bars are some of my all time favourite, which is why I am so excited for you to try this salad recipe!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this salad:
- The taste! The combination of sweet apples, crunchy almonds and tart kale all blend perfectly with the delicious and creamy mayonnaise based dressing.
- It is really quick and easy to make and is ready in less than 15 minutes.
- This kale slaw is made with no cabbage, giving it a unique flavour.
- This salad is healthy and is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free and can easily be made vegan, and paleo too.
If you love delicious salads you will also love my easy Asian cucumber salad recipe.
Ingredients and substitutions:
For the full ingredient list and exact measurements refer to the recipe card later in this post.
Jump to the Recipe Card.
- Kale — fresh kale gives this salad the perfect crisp texture. You can use any type of kale that you like to make this slaw.
- Slivered almonds — to add a bit of crunch and even more flavour to this salad. Feel free to use other nuts like pecans or walnuts, too.
- Carrots — shredded carrots give this delicious salad even more flavour and an extra bit of color. Be sure to use fresh carrots and not frozen carrots.
- Red apples — use your favourite kind of sweet red apples. My personal favourites are Honeycrisp, Gala and Pink Lady.
- Mayonnaise — Nothing makes a creamier homemade salad dressing than mayo! You can use any type of mayo that you like, but I like to use my homemade mayonnaise that takes less than a minute to make.
- Apple cider vinegar — this gives the perfect amount of tartness and tang to the dressing. Instead of apple cider vinegar you can use lemon juice.
- Dijon mustard — adds a bit of bold flavour to the coleslaw dressing.
- Maple syrup - to add a little natural sweetness to the dressing while keeping it refined sugar free.
- Seasonings and spices - salt, ground black pepper, and paprika are the only seasonings you need.
Recipe variations and add ins:
- For vegan: use a vegan mayonnaise to make the dressing.
- To make this kale and apple slaw paleo: use a paleo compliant mayonnaise.
- If you like a sweeter dressing, add an extra 1-2 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup.
- If you would rather make the dressing without mayonnaise you can use plain yogurt instead. Just note that this will make the dressing more tangy so you might want to add an extra 1-2 tablespoon of honey or maple syrup.
- Turn this into a kale slaw with cranberries by adding some fresh cranberries.
How to make kale slaw with apples:
- Step 1: Rinse and dry the kale. Then rip or cut the kale into pieces and give it a massage. Then add it to a large salad bowl.
- Step 2: Add the shredded carrots, slivered almonds, and chopped apples to the bowl with the kale.
- Step 3: In a bowl or glass measuring cup mix together the dressing ingredients until smooth.
- Step 4: Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well until everything is evenly coated. Then serve and enjoy!
Top tips:
- To make kale less bitter: rinse the leaves with water for few minutes before chopping it. This breaks down the fibers and makes the flavour less intense. Also be sure to massage the kale as this helps make it less bitter.
- If you prefer that the apples and kale be shredded like a classic coleslaw, blend them in your food processor for a few seconds until they have the texture you prefer.
How to serve:
This slaw makes the perfect side dish and pairs well with many different main dishes including duck burgers, honey lemon pepper chicken wings, salt and pepper chicken wings and my reader favourite gluten free burgers.
Kale slaw with apples FAQs:
Absolutely. To do so, assemble the salad and make the dressing, but store them separately until you are ready to serve. When you want to serve, add the dressing and toss the slaw until everything is evenly coated.
Massage it! If you massage and cut your kale before rinsing it, it will become softer and will taste less bitter.
Store any leftover slaw in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Other salad recipes you will love:
Recipe
Kale Slaw with Apples
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 2 red apples, chopped
Dressing Ingredients
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (more or less to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (more of less to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika (more or less to taste)
Instructions
- Rip or cut the kale into pieces and add to a bowl along with the shredded carrots, cut apples and slivered almonds.
- In a small bowl or glass measuring cup mix together the dressing ingredients until smooth.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well until everything is coated.
Notes
- To make this salad vegan use a vegan mayonnaise.
- Store this slaw in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients you use.
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