Chick-fil-A Kale Crunch Salad Recipe

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Last updated on November 6th, 2022

Want to make the popular Chick-fil-A Kale crunch salad at home? Then don’t worry because we’re here to help. The kale crunch salad is one of Chick-fil-A’s top salad choices, thanks to its nutritional value and yummy flavor. 

Introduced in January 2020, this item has quickly become a mass favorite. The  recipe for this crunchy, easy-to-make, and extremely healthy food option is no longer a secret. In this post, you’ll learn how to make your version of the famous salad in under 10 minutes.

So, keep reading, and you’ll return to this recipe regularly. Yes, it’s that good!

Chick-fil-A Kale Crunch Salad Benefits

The Chick-fil-A Kale Crunch salad is every health enthusiast’s favorite for all your greens and proteins in one place. But, what are the benefits of the dish, and how will it help you? Here are some standard perks for everyone:

• Easy to make and full of nutrition
• You can use substitute ingredients without losing the crunch and taste
• A great everyday option for health enthusiasts

Ingredients 

Chick-fil-A describes the salad’s ingredients as kale, almonds, and cabbage topped with the yummy apple Dijon dressing. Yes, it’s that simple. But did you know that the Kale crunch salad is a replacement for Chick-fil-A’s SuperFood side salad?

They replaced the broccolini with cabbage, mixed nut trio with roasted almonds, removed the dried cherries and replaced the maple vinaigrette with apple Dijon sauce. 

The changes were cost-effective, and the resultant kale salad is yummy and full of nutrition. The best part? It doesn’t have the added sugar that most items in the SuperFood side salad had. 

What You Need

Before going ahead, it’s important to mention that you can replace any ingredient on this list that you’re allergic to. That said, here’s what you need to make your version of the salad.  

• Roasted almonds
• Curly kale
• Green cabbage
• Apple Dijon dressing

These ingredients are easy to find and are the best option if you’re on a calorie-counted diet. But you can replace almonds with other nuts or pumpkin seeds (nut-free option). Kale and cabbage can be replaced with other greens, but they won’t be as crunchy as these. You can even replace the dressing with maple syrup for a twist.

Adding your twist to the salad can be a good alternative. If you want to experience a slightly customized kale crunch salad, here are some ingredients we think will taste good in your dish:

• Quinoa for added nutrition
• Meat or chicken to add up the proteins
• Some apples for added crunch and sweetness
• Salmon
• Roasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds for added antioxidants
• Cheddar or parmesan cheese

You can mix and match the items according to your taste and preference. Each item will provide a boost of energy and flavor to your salad. But if you’re a fan of the original Chick-fil-A kale crunch salad, head to the next section to learn how to make it for a quick snack. 

How to Make the Salad?

Once you’ve accumulated the ingredients, you can prepare your crunchy salad. Follow these steps to make your dish in under 10 minutes:

Dressing

1. To make the apple Dijon dressing gather all the ingredients. You will need the following:
   1. Extra virgin olive oil
   2.  Black pepper
   3.  Apple cider vinegar
   4.  Sea salt
   5.  Distilled vinegar
   6.  Maple syrup
   7.  Dijon mustard
   8.  Lemon juice
   9.  White wine 
2. Mix Apple cider vinegar with the maple syrup, and once the mixture is ready, add the lemon juice, distilled vinegar, and white wine. Stir the dressing for a minute, and then add the Dijon mustard, sea salt, and black pepper. Whisk and stir until the mixture becomes even.
3. In the last step, slowly add olive oil while constantly whisking the sauce. If it is not working correctly, you can transfer the dressing to a jar and shake it for a few minutes to even out the dressing.
4. If you’re making the crunch sandwich for yourself, you need at least 1 cup of the dijon dressing for your salad.

Almonds

You’ll need roasted or salted almonds. You can either roast the almonds yourself on a stove or get the roasted ones from the supermarket. Pick whichever option is more cost-effective for you.

Kale

The kale needs to be cleaned, washed and cut up. Don’t forget to remove the stems and cup them up diagonally in small pieces. 

Cabbage

Lastly, wash and cut up the cabbage diagonally too. It will make each piece easy to eat and chew. Cabbage should not be too old as it can get soggy and bitter.

Here you can also get the additional/ substitute items ready for the mix. Cut and defrost the cheese, cook and strain the Quinoa, or dice up some Apples. You can even roast chicken, salmon, or other nuts and grains.

The Mix!

Like every salad recipe, the last step is to mix and shake the ingredients together so that the flavor spreads even. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Put the diced kale in a bowl and add the apple Dijon dressing on top.
2. Mix both ingredients with your hands till the kale turns soft, and the dressing spreads evenly.
3. Let the mixture sit and soak up the sauce for a few moments, and then add the cut-up cabbage.
4. Again mix the ingredients until the greens start absorbing the sauce.
5. Let the salad sit for 10 minutes.
6. Now you can top it off with roasted almonds and other toppings depending on your choice.
7. Serve

Yes, it’s that easy to make the yummy kale crunch salad. You can have it every day to double down on the nutritional benefits. 

Conclusion

So, did you enjoy the recipe for the infamous kale crunch salad that we all love? No more running to Chick-fil-A every time you crave some kale magic. Instead, you can prep the ingredients and freeze them to have a crunch meal on the go every day.