Harvest Waldorf Kale Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

Harvest Waldorf Kale Salad with Maple Vinaigrette is a lightened up and filling salad recipe for fall with a harvest of dark leafy greens, fresh seasonal produce and lean protein that makes an entrée salad with nutritious ingredients and satisfying flavors!

It was among one of Bobby Deen’s lightened up recipes for fall

 in Cooking with Paula Deen magazine.

I used a bag of triple washed chopped kale that makes assembling the salad extra quick and easy.

The slightly bitter kale is a delicious counterpoint to crisp sweetness of the apples, creamy dressing, and the crunch of the toasted walnuts. I made a couple of changes to the salad, substituting blue cheese for goat cheese, and adapted the dressing to our taste; adding maple syrup for the sweet note instead of molasses, a bit of Dijon mustard and substituting balsamic for sherry vinegar.

To make the kale in your salad more palatable, give it a massage!

Remove the fibrous ribs of the kale, chop or shred your kale then gather your bunches in your hands and massage them, rubbing the leaves and pieces together. Do this for 2 – 5 minutes until you notice the leaves begin to darken, soften, and shrink in size. You don’t need to add anything to the kale to break them down, but you can add a bit of olive oil and salt to speed up the process.

Harvest Waldorf Kale Salad with Maple Vinaigrette,

 adapted from Cooking with Paula Deen

Vinaigrette Ingredients

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons Maple syrup

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Salad Ingredients:

4 Gala or Fuji apples, chopped (I used Honeycrisp)

3 carrots, shaved into ribbons

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

3 cups shredded or chopped kale

1 cup toasted walnuts

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

For dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for up to two days.

For salad:

In large bowl, toss together all ingredients. Divide among serving plates, and drizzle with dressing; serve immediately.

Makes 4 – 6 servings

Print Recipe

Harvest Waldorf Kale Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

Slightly bitter kale is a delicious counterpoint to the crisp sweetness of apples, creamy dressing, and the crunch of the toasted walnuts in this entrée salad; made with nutritious ingredients and satisfying flavors. Serves 4 - 6

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time0 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apples, carrots, fall, healthy, kale, maple syrup, rotisserie chicken, salad

Servings: 6

Ingredients

Vinaigrette Ingredients

• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons Maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Salad Ingredients

• 4 Gala or Fuji apples chopped (I used Honeycrisp)
• 3 carrots shaved into ribbons
• 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 3 cups chopped or shredded kale
• 1 cup toasted walnuts
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

For dressing:

• In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients.
• Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

For salad:

• In large bowl, toss together all ingredients.
• Divide among serving plates, and drizzle with dressing; serve immediately.

Notes

To make the kale in your salad more palatable, give it a massage:

• Remove the fibrous ribs of the kale, chop or shred your kale then gather your bunches in your hands and massage them, rubbing the leaves and pieces together.
• Do this for 2 – 5 minutes until you notice the leaves begin to darken, soften, and shrink in size. You don’t need to add anything to the kale to break them down, but you can add a bit of olive oil and salt to speed up the process.

To toast walnuts:

• Place nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook 2 – 5 minutes until they smell ‘toasty’ and have begun to brown. Remove nuts from pan so they don't continue to cook and allow to cool.

Find a harvest of fresh picked apple recipes for fall, HERE.

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