A simple technique and a warm, savory-sweet dressing turn sturdy kale leaves into tender, flavor-absorbing ribbons in just 20 minutes with this Warm Kale Salad recipe. It’s perfect for any time you’re craving something warm and substantial, but still want the freshness of a salad.
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If you usually shy away from kale salads because they feel too tough and bitter, this Warm Kale Salad will change your mind. Taking a minute to thinly slice the kale and massage it with a little salt (don’t skip this step!) tames those firm leaves. They turn soft and brilliant green, ready to coat with warm dressing.
What makes this kale salad stand out are the layers of texture and flavor. I tested several wilting methods and found that a dual-softening approach is most reliable. A manual salt massage breaks the fiber, and an immediate hot fat infusion from the warm dressing helps the leaves wilt just enough to lose their aggressive chew without turning too soft. Finished with crunchy toasted almonds and shavings of good Parmesan cheese, every bite gives you a combination of tangy, sweet, and savory notes.
“I made this last night and it’s absolutely delicious. The recipe is quick and easy and super flavorful.”
kita
Table of Contents
Recipe at a Glance
- Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 26 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Skill Level: Easy
Ingredients for Warm Kale Salad
For the Salad:
- Kale: I like to use Lacinato Kale (also called dinosaur kale or Tuscan kale) for this salad. It has long, dark leaves that are easy to stack and cut crosswise into thin ribbons. Regular curly kale works too, it’s just a bit more challenging to slice into ribbons.
- Fine Sea Salt: You’ll use this to massage into the kale to tenderize it. Don’t use standard iodized table salt as a replacement or it will throw off the flavors.
For the Warm Vinaigrette:
- Olive Oil: Use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil.
- Garlic: Look for firm, fresh heads of garlic with tight, silvery skin. Avoid heads of garlic with signs of sprouting, which can make it bitter.
- Golden Raisins: These are sweeter and a little more delicate than regular dark raisins. I love how they plump up in the warm, garlicky oil.
- Lemon: You’ll use both the juice and zest of the lemon, so choose one that’s organic (ideally) and feels heavy for its size.
For the Top:
- Almonds: I like to use toasted almonds to top this salad, chopping them coarsely to add extra texture.
- Parmesan Cheese: Buy a chunk of Parmesan so you can shave pieces just before serving the salad; they melt slightly when they hit the warm kale.
Why This Recipe Works
- Kale Gets Tender Without Cooking: A quick massage with salt softens the raw kale so the warm vinaigrette coats it easily instead of sliding off.
- Warm Oil Plumps the Raisins: Heat transforms the golden raisins into something juicy and jammy, making them taste less like dried fruit and more like a little burst of sweetness in every bite.
- Lemon Juice and Zest Keep It Bright: Without that lemon, this salad would taste heavy. The juice cuts through and keeps it fresh; the zest adds a little spark of flavor that keeps it interesting.
- A Crunchy, Savory Finish: Toasted almonds and shaved Parmesan add buttery crunch and a pop of salt that make the salad feel complete.
How to Make Warm Kale Salad
Prep the kale: Strip the kale leaves off of the stems, then stack and slice them crosswise into thin ribbons. Add ribbons to a large bowl and massage with sea salt until they’re tender and dark green.
Make the warm dressing: Heat the olive oil and garlic in a skillet until the garlic softens and turns fragrant. Add the golden raisins and stir, just until they begin to plump, then take the skillet off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest.
Toss kale with dressing and serve: Pour the warm dressing over the massaged kale and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle on toasted almonds and shaved Parmesan and serve.
Pro Tips
- Don’t overcook the garlic: You want the garlic to be fragrant and soft, not brown or crispy. Once you start to smell it, often in a minute or less, move on to the next step to avoid the garlic burning and turning bitter. If it does burn, it’s worth wiping out the pan and starting again.
- Shave don’t shred the Parmesan: Use a vegetable peeler to get thin curls of Parmesan. A wedge close to room-temperature will be easier to work with.
- Massage thoroughly: Don’t be afraid to really get your hands in there when you’re massaging the kale. You’ll feel the texture of the kale change under your fingertips as it goes from stiff to soft and supple.
Make-Ahead and Storage
You can massage the kale hours in advance and store it tightly wrapped in the refrigerator; it won’t get soggy like more delicate greens. Store any leftovers of the fully assembled salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. While it’s best served immediately, the leftovers are great at room temperature.
More Delicious Kale Salads
Warm Kale Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 bunch lacinato kale sliced into very thin ribbons
- fine sea salt
For the Warm Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup golden raisins
- juice and zest of half a lemon
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Top
- 1/3 cup coarsely chopped toasted almonds
- several shavings of good quality Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Place kale ribbons into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of fine sea salt. Massage salt into kale by squeezing it in fistfuls and then rubbing it between your fingers, until it turns a darker shade of green and has a softer texture – just a minute or two. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and garlic. Cook and stir until garlic and fragrant and softened, but not browned. Adjust the heat as necessary.
- Add golden raisins to garlic in skillet; cook and stir until raisins have plumped and softened, about 15 seconds. Add lemon juice and zest, stir to combine.
- Remove from heat; add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Drizzle warm vinaigrette evenly over kale; toss to coat.
- Sprinkle salad with toasted almonds and Parmesan cheese shavings. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this last night and it’s absolutely delicious. The recipe is quick and easy and super flavorful.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Kita! Thank you for coming back to let me know!
I’m not a huge fan of kale (I think it’s overrated!) but when I use it, I tend to cook it and serve warm, too. This is such a lovely salad – I particularly love the sweet touch of raisins!
I hope you’ll try this, Ben. It just may convert you! 😉
I have made this several times!! It is Great
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipe, Barbara! Thank you for coming back to let me know!
I have all the ingredients for this salad — and I am definitely making it tonight! We’ve been eating leftovers 3 times a day and it’s time to move on!
haha, I hear you, Michelle! We’ve been eating leftovers for days!! I need to make this salad too! 😉
I really liked this salad. The only things I would change are to eliminate the lemon, replacing it with a little vinegar, and to reduce the oil. I love lemon, but for some reason it didn’t work for me in this dish. My whole family enjoyed it, including my six year-old. It went really well with roasted seeet potatoes, and I even mixed mine in together at the end: Thank you!
Glad you and your family enjoyed the salad and made it your own, Meggo! Thanks for coming back to let me know. 🙂
This looks delicious, but I only have dried cranberries – do you think that would be good instead of the golden raisins? I think the lemon would be fine, but not sure about the garlic…
Hi Sydney, cranberries also work well. And feel free to skip the garlic if you like.