Make this fresh and vibrant Winter Grilled Chicken Kale Salad in under 30 minutes, perfect for any holiday gathering or family dinner. With only simple vegetable ingredients, some chicken and a delicious balsamic dressing, this salad is the perfect winter kale salad everyone will love!
As a culinary school student, I was assigned to work on a salad dressing recipe once, and since then it has sparked my love of creating innovative exciting salads.
This Grilled Chicken Kale makes an exciting, over-the-top salads similar to my Summer Fennel Salad with Melon, Heart of Palm Quinoa Salad and Cucumber Radish Salad. All of these salad recipes use vibrant flavors, and I highly recommend them.
This Winter Kale Salad has two leafy greens (kale and spinach), incredible baby tomatoes, and a variety of fresh vegetables paired with a balsamic vinaigrette and grilled/roasted chicken. Served as a side salad or a main dish, this salad will knock your socks off.
Why you'll love this chicken kale salad recipe
- Easy to make - This salad is made super simply and quickly! The chicken can be prepared in advance, then it's just a matter of chopping the vegetables and making the dressing.
- Packed with flavor - Between the kale and spinach, chicken, cabbages, peppers, more vegetables and dressing, this salad is no way boring.
- Great for the holidays - This winter kale salad makes an amazing holiday side salad, that has some protein in it too!
- Healthy - Although this salad is very exciting and packed with flavor, it is still super healthy.
- Versatile - You can enjoy this kale salad by following the exact recipe, or swap some of the vegetables or nuts for ones you already have in your kitchen.
Jump to:
Ingredients needed
You will need ingredients for the salad, chicken and dressing.
For the Chicken:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts - For the grilled chicken, I like to use boneless chicken since it can easily be sliced and cooks faster.
- Olive oil - Oil helps the spices stick to the chicken.
- Sea salt and pepper - Use these simple spices to add loads of flavor to the chicken.
- Garlic powder - A bit of garlic powder will add just the perfect amount of garlic flavor to the chicken.
- Paprika - Paprika gives the chicken a delicious flavor and color.
For the Dressing:
- Olive oil - Olive oil is used as the base of the dressing, and helps emulsify all the ingredients.
- Balsamic vinegar - Balsamic vinegar is used as the acid in this recipe, giving the dressing a delicious balsamic vinaigrette flavor.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic is a must have in a well balanced dressing recipe.
- Maple syrup - I love to use maple syrup to lightly sweeten the dressing.
- Dijon mustard - Mustard adds the perfect tang and helps to balance out the acidity of the dressing
- Salt and pepper - Used to help flavor the dressing.
For the Salad:
- Kale - Crispy kale is what makes this salad crunchy and hearty.
- Baby Spinach - Baby spinach cuts down on the crunchiness of the salad and gives it a great balance of textures in each bite.
- Purple Cabbage - Cabbage is beautiful and crunchy!
- Yellow Pepper - The yellow pepper adds such a beautiful vibrant color and crispy texture to the salad.
- Toasted pumpkin seeds - Toasting pumpkin seeds takes them to a whole new level making them even nuttier and more fragrant.
- Walnuts - Walnuts are a salad favorite of mine for added crunch and nutty flavor.
- Cherry or Baby Tomatoes - Small tomatoes add bursts of delicious flavor and color to the same. I love an assortment of colorful tomatoes in this recipe.
- Pomegranate seeds - Add a great sweet-tart flavor and cool texture.
- Avocado - Balance out all the crunchy ingredients with smooth avocado that melts in your mouth.
How to make winter kale salad
Step one: Season the chicken with oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Then, place on a grill pan and cook on each side for about 6-8 minutes. Alternatively, bake in a pan in the oven. The chicken will be ready when it reaches 160°F using a meat thermometer.
Step two: Allow the chicken to cool slightly, then slice into pieces for the salad.
Step three: Combine all the dressing ingredients in a container or a bowl, including the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, maple syrup, dijon mustard, salt and pepper.
Step four: Close the container and shake until a dressing forms. Alternatively, use a whisk to mix the dressing together.
Step five: Toast the walnuts in the oven by spreading them onto a baking sheet and baking at 350°F for 6-8 minutes until fragrant. They will look slightly darker in color, but not burnt.
Step six: Massage the kale with a bit of oil to help it soften. Assemble the salad by placing the kale, spinach, tomatoes, cabbage, peppers, avocado, pumpkin seeds and pomegranate seeds onto a large serving platter or bowl. Toss with ¾ of the dressing.
Step seven: Top the salad with the grilled chicken and drizzle with remaining dressing.
Recipe variations & substitutions
Here are some variations you can try for this grilled chicken kale salad recipe.
- Baby Spinach - Swap the baby spinach for crispy romaine lettuce or a spring mix.
- Yellow pepper - I love how the yellow pepper looks in the recipe, but it can easily be substituted with a red or orange bell pepper.
- Walnuts - Use slivered or sliced almonds instead. Be sure to toast them for maximum flavor.
- Chicken - If you don't want to use chicken in this recipe, you can substitute it with thinly seared steak. For a vegan option, add crispy tofu, black beans or chickpeas instead!
Expert tips
- Buy vegetables within 2 days of making the salad - For best and freshest results, make sure that all your vegetables are purchased close to the date you plan to serve the salad so that nothing becomes old and wilted.
- Shake the dressing in a container or glass jar - Shaking the dressing is the best way to ensure it is emulsified well. Whisk the dressing works too, but the dressing is more likely to separate.
- Prepare the chicken & dressing in advance - If you're serving this salad for a holiday meal, you can easily prepare the chicken up to 3 days in advance and dressing up to 5 days ahead.
- Massage the kale - In order to make kale softer and more enjoyable to eat, it's very important to massage it with some oil or the dressing.
FAQS
Yes! You can bake the chicken up to 3 days in advance and keep it in a sealed container in the fridge until the day of. You can prepare the dressing up to 5 days in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Toss all the salad ingredients together the day of and serve!
Yes! It is super important to massage the kale with your hands. It will make it softer, having a better texture that is more palatable.
Absolutely! You can add beans, crispy sausage, or even tofu this salad instead.
Yes. This salad is naturally vegan aside from the chicken. Swap the chicken for a vegan option such as fake chicken, tofu, beans or whatever you like.
Totally! Add roasted sweet potato or squash to this salad.
Storage
This salad is best eaten right after it is assembled, the day of. I wouldn't recommend preparing it in advance, other than the chicken and dressing separately.
You can store leftover salad in the fridge for 1 day before it comes wilted. I wouldn't recommend serving this day old salad to guest, but it can definitely be enjoyed for leftovers with you work or school lunch.
More delicious salad recipes
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Grilled Chicken Kale Salad
Ingredients
For the Grilled Chicken:
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
For the Salad:
- 1 large bunch kale stems removed and chopped
- 3 cups baby spinach roughly chopped
- 1 cup shredded purple cabbage or thinly sliced cabbage
- 1 yellow pepper chopped
- ¼ cup store bought toasted pumpkin seeds
- ¾ cup walnuts
- 1 box colorful cherry tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 avocado cubed or sliced
For the Dressing:
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced into a paste
- 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup honey or sugar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt or table salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Make the Chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line an 8”x8” circle or square baking dish with parchment paper or grease with cooking spray. Alternatively, heat a cast iron grill pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
- Place chicken breasts into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle over salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Rub spices all over the chicken so it’s coated on both sides.
- Place the chicken onto the grill pan and cook for 6-8 minutes per side. Alternatively, bake for 18-25 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. Every chicken is a different thickness, so be careful not to undercook the chicken and make sure it is fully cooked through.
- Once chicken is cooked and slightly cooled, cut into thin slices or into small chunks.
Prepare the Dressing:
- Combine all dress ingredients in a medium container with a lid or in a bowl. Shake ingredients together if in a container or whisk well if in a bowl.
Make the Salad:
- Place walnuts on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven, and cook for 6-8 minutes or until fragrant. Allow to cool, then roughly chop. Set aside.
- Place kale into a large bowl and drizzle with 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil. Massage with your hands to soften the kale.
- Add remaining salad ingredients (including the kale) in a large bowl or serving platter. Leave aside a bit of each component to decorate the top of the salad with before serving to guests.
- Drizzle over ¾ of the dressing and toss until combined.
- Top salad with sliced chicken pieces.
- Drizzle remaining dressing over the salad if desired.
- Add remaining salad ingredients for garnish (if desired).
Notes
- Make it a main dish - If making this salad as the main dish, you can double or triple the amount of chicken to yield a more filling salad.
- Shake the dressing in a container or glass jar - Shaking the dressing is the best way to ensure it is emulsified well. Whisk the dressing works too, but the dressing is more likely to separate.
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