Name: Kale Crunch Salad (Chick-Fil-A Copycat Recipe)
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 4 cups chopped curly kale; 2 cups shredded green cabbage; 1/3 cup chopped almonds; 3 tbsp olive oil; 3 tbsp maple syrup; 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1 tbsp dijon mustard; 1/2 tsp sea salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper

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This Copycat Chick-Fil-A Kale Crunch Salad recipe is loaded with curly kale, crunchy green cabbage, roasted almonds, and a flavorful homemade apple dijon dressing. It's ready in 10 minutes, all that's missing is a southern sweet tea!

Why you'll love this recipe

This kale salad is crunchy from the cabbage and salted almonds, with a mild sweet flavor from the tangy vinaigrette.
Great as a side dish for any meal or served as an entree with your protein of choice.
This copycat version is vegan, dairy free, egg free, gluten free, and soy free.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make a homemade kale crunch salad with fresh, simple ingredients!

Curly kale: Kale is a popular superfood with a natural slightly bitter taste. It's packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making it an ideal salad base.
Green cabbage: Cabbage has a light and somewhat peppery taste with lots of crunch! It adds a nice variety and texture to the salad.
Roasted almonds: Almonds are a must in this recipe, plus they bring added protein! You can chop up roasted almonds like I did or use slivered almonds and roast them yourself.

Apple dijon salad dressing

Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil acts as the emulsifier in the homemade dressing.
Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar or ACV brings flavor and tanginess.
Maple syrup: Pure maple syrup adds a touch of sweetness and cuts through the acidity from the vinegar.
Dijon mustard: The rich flavor from dijon mustard rounds out the sweetness and acidity for a balanced dressing.

How to make kale crunch salad

The full directions for this Chick Fil A Kale Salad recipe are in the printable recipe card below.

Chop the kale: Rinse fresh kale under water, pat dry, then chop or tear into small bite-sized pieces. A salad spinner helps with this step!
Whisk the dressing together: Make the apple cider and dijon dressing by whisking together olive oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Feel free to make adjustments, based on taste and personal preference.
Massage the kale: Transfer chopped kale to a large mixing bowl. Pour the dressing over the greens. Massage for 3-5 minutes, until the kale becomes tender. You'll also notice it changes color and shrinks down a bit.
Assemble the salad: Add shredded green cabbage and chopped almonds to the mixing bowl and toss well to combine. Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Cooking tips

Massaging the kale is key to avoiding bitter kale. Plus it makes the kale leaves more tender and easy to chew.
Amp your salad up with these optional add-ins: Roasted sunflower seeds, hemp hearts, avocado slices, shredded veggies, chopped apple, dried cranberries, spring onion, or cooked quinoa.
This vegan kale crunch salad is great for making ahead! I actually love letting it sit for at least 30 minutes before serving to let all the flavors really come together.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.

Related recipes

Try these fun copycat recipes next:

Have a side of animal style fries with your salad, it's all about balance!
Rinse it all down with a dirty dr pepper or homemade vegan frappuccino.
Finish your meal off with a dessert! My version of the starbucks lemon loaf is moist, soft, and perfectly sweet.

I hope you love this easy kale salad as much as we do! It's light, bright, and bursting with flavor.