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KALE, DATE & ALMOND SALAD + LEMON DRESSING

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This Kale Date Salad features earthy kale, zesty lemon, mildly flavored shallots, sweet dates, heart healthy almonds & hemp hearts, and a sprinkle of almond parmesan. It’s a delicious combination of savory and sweet!

top down view of date, almond and kale salad in a serving bowl.

Kale, kale and more kale!

I hope you all love it as much as me because I have another kale recipe for the collection. And if you don’t love it, maybe this simple and easy salad will make you a kale lover!

On a recent trip to Trader Joe’s there was a packaged Kale & Hemp Seed Salad with Dates that caught my eye. After doing a quick google search I came across a similar salad from Epicurious that had great reviews.

I love finding gems like this with such positive feedback (even non-kale lovers loved it). I’ve brought the two inspirations together creating a simple, classic kale salad for us to enjoy time and time again.

Whether serving for a crowd or simply for yourself, you’ll love the ease of this kale date salad. Pair it with a slice of whole grain bread, better yet, a slice of fruit, nut & seed bread and you have yourself a nice light, healthy lunch or dinner.

top down view showing the process of making kale salad with almonds and dates.

What Type of Kale Should I use?

My favorite kale for this recipe is baby kale. It’s tender and can be eaten without the need of ‘massaging’ to tenderize it.

If using full grown kale, the lemon dressing will help to soften it. The full grown kale you find in bunches will benefit the most from a little marinating. It can really make a big difference for those who have a hard time eating raw kale. I would suggest for the most tenderizing effect to leave the kale in the lemon mixture for an hour or so, even overnight, covered, in the fridge.

top down view showing the process of removing seeds from dates.

Dates

Use your favorite dates. I’ve used 8 medjool dates here. Use as many as you like. I like to get at least one piece of date in every bite.

Tip: Only add the dates when ready to serve or they’ll get soggy and mushy. Dried figs would also work well here.

top down view of kale salad with dates, almonds and lemon dressing in a white serving bowl.

Simple, fabulous, light and refreshing it was a perfect fresh salad for this chilly day!

This salad is perfect for a light lunch or dinner. I hope you enjoy this kale, date and almond salad as much as I have.

This kale date salad is:

  • Fresh & light
  • Gluten free
  • Super easy
  • Healthy & delicious

top down view of date, almond and kale salad in a serving bowl.

More Recipes You’ll Love

If you try this kale date salad recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

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KALE, DATE & ALMOND SALAD + LEMON DRESSING

bowl full of kale, date and almond salad with wooden fork

Savory and sweet, this salad is an easy way to love your kale. Makes for a light lunch or dinner and pairs great with a slice of whole grain bread.

  • Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Total Time: 10 min
  • Yield: Serves 4 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: mix
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Scale

Ingredients

  • juice of 1 large lemon
  • 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of red pepper flakes or fresh cracked pepper
  • 5 oz. package baby kale or 1 large bunch lacinato or curly kale (stem removed and julienned)
  • 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, optional
  • 8 dates, seeds removed and chopped
  • 1/3 cup slivered almonds
  • 3 tablespoons hemp hearts
  • almond parmesan

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the lemon juice, maple syrup, salt and red pepper flakes, add the kale and shallots, mix well. If using large leaf kale, let set for at least 20 minutes (or overnight in the fridge) making sure to toss a few times. If using baby kale, serve right away as baby kale is tender ready.

Before serving add a drizzle of the optional olive oil, toss well. Add in the dates, almonds, hemp hearts and light dusting of almond parmesan.

Serves 4

Notes

Try toasting the almonds on the stove if you like. To do this, place almonds in a pan over medium heat (no oil needed), stir frequently until almonds change color slightly, about 1 – 2 minutes.

Do not add dates until serving time. If you add them before they may become soggy.

Try using dried figs in place of dates.

For the most tender kale (if using large leaf), let marinate in the lemon juice mixture, covered, in the refrigerator overnight, tossing once or twice.

Keywords: kale date salad, kale date salad recipe

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