This cranberry hazelnut kale salad with turmeric vinaigrette is a flavorful, healthy and pretty dish to add to your table! Whether it’s a holiday celebration, or a random Wednesday evening, you’ll keep coming back to this salad because it’s filled with so much goodness, a pretty color and is incredibly easy to make!
Cranberry hazelnut kale salad with turmeric vinaigrette
The base of this kale salad is… kale! Kale is a wonderful hearty green that is packed with nutrition and won’t get soggy like regular lettuce does. A little crunch from the hazelnuts and sweetness from the dried cranberries makes the whole dish special. When we add the honey turmeric dressing – everything comes together in a tasty + beautiful way!
How to make kale salad
Because kale is a hearty green, it needs 30 more seconds of your time to soften it up. The best way I’ve found to get the dressing into the kale that begins to make it more tender is to massage the kale with the dressing using your hands. This will ensure that every piece of kale has dressing on it, and it will leave you with a better tasting kale salad.
What you need for cranberry hazelnut kale salad
What you need for turmeric vinaigrette
How to make this cranberry hazelnut kale salad
- Start by making your vinaigrette by combining the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, honey, dijon mustard, turmeric and sea salt together (you can do this in a mason jar). Shake until fully combined.
- To make the kale salad, add just the kale to a large bowl and pour 1/2 the vinaigrette over it. Massage with your hands for 30 seconds. Add the dried cranberries and chopped hazelnuts. Toss and serve.
Can you prep this salad in advance?
Yes! I wouldn’t add the dressing more than 1 day ahead of time, and wait to add the hazelnuts until right before serving so they don’t get soft. Since throwing the salad together is quick, I would suggest having your kale chopped and ready, dressing made and hazelnuts + cranberries ready to go. Then all you have to do is simply combine everything together right before serving.
How long will kale salad last for?
Once you’ve mixing the salad together you can keep leftover for 2-3 days. Because kale is a heartier green, it won’t wilt the same way lettuce would. However, the freshness will decrease the longer it sits.
Substitution ideas
- While this is a kale salad, if don’t have kale or enjoy it, use lettuce or spinach instead. You won’t need to massage the lettuce with your hands, simply toss with tongs.
- Use any nut or seed instead of hazelnuts here.
- Substitute in any dried fruit for the dried cranberries. Currants, diced dried fig and dried apple would be delicious.
- Fresh apple or pear would be a great addition as well!
More salads you’ll love
- Kale, feta, pear and walnut salad with honey poppy seed dressing
- Cucumber shrimp peanut salad
- Buffalo chicken salad
Cranberry Hazelnut Kale Salad with Turmeric Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Turmeric Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Kale Salad
- 1 bunch kale, chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped toasted if desired
Instructions
- Start by making your vinaigrette by combining the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, honey, dijon mustard, turmeric and sea salt together (you can do this in a mason jar). Shake until fully combined.
- To make the kale salad, add just the kale to a large bowl and pour 1/2 the vinaigrette over it. Massage with your hands for 30 seconds. Add the dried cranberries and chopped hazelnuts. Toss and serve.
Notes
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to tag me @fitmamarealfood and use the hashtag #fitmamarealfood on Instagram so I can see what you’re making!
If you try this recipe, I’d love it if you left a star rating and comment below letting me know how it turned out!
XO
Heather
2 comments
Best kale salad I’ve ever had! I substituted slivered almonds because I couldn’t find hazelnuts at my local grocery store. Definitely helps to let the dressing sit on the kale for at least 10 minutes. So tasty!
Woohoo! I love that you love it as much as I do!