Cinnamon Free Kale & Apple Salad with Cranberries
This vibrant salad is a textural dream — tender massaged kale, crisp apple slices, chewy cranberries, and a sharp bite of red onion all come together in one seriously satisfying bowl. The dressing is where the magic happens: olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, and freshly grated ginger create a bright, tangy vinaigrette that clings beautifully to every leaf. Massaging the kale with a little salt before dressing it is the move that transforms this from a tough, bitter green into something genuinely craveable. Many store-bought dressings and dried fruit blends sneak in warming spices that can be hard to avoid, so making everything from scratch here keeps full control in your hands. The cranberries are sweetened only with apple juice or left unsweetened entirely, so there are no hidden surprises in the ingredient list. A handful of toasted coconut flakes on top adds a subtle richness that takes the whole thing up a notch. It's fresh, it's bold, and it comes together with almost no effort.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the salad
- 1 large bunch curly or lacinato kale (about 8 oz), stems removed, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 medium apple (such as honeycrisp or fuji), cored and thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries (unsweetened or sweetened with apple juice only, no added sugar)
- ¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
For serving
- 2 tbsp toasted coconut flakes (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the torn kale leaves in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp fine sea salt. Using clean hands, massage the kale firmly for 1–2 minutes, squeezing and working the leaves until they darken, soften noticeably, and reduce in volume by about half.
- 2
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, grated ginger, and remaining 1/4 tsp salt until the dressing is smooth and emulsified.
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