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Home » Recipes » Salad Recipes

Copycat Chick-fil-A Kale Crunch Salad

Published: Dec 2, 2022 · Modified: Dec 11, 2024 by Brooke Fajcz · As an Amazon Influencer, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Are you a fan of Chick-fil-A's kale crunch salad?  If you are, we've got you covered.  You'll be coming back to this recipe on repeat, because it's quick to assemble and so good for you.

If you love Chick-fil-A's salads, you'll want to check out our copycat market salad and our copycat Southwest salad.

white bowl of Chick-fil-A kale crunch salad with two black forks.
Jump to:
  • Why We Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Variations
  • How to Make Chick-fil-A Kale Crunch Salad
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Serve
  • Expert Tips
  • Other Chick-fil-A Copycat Recipes You'll Love
  • Recipe
  • Comments

Why We Love This Recipe

  • Massage the Kale: Take the 5 minutes that is needed to message the kale. This will soften it, reduce the bitterness, and darken the color.
  • Make Ahead Friendly: Make up a big batch for the whole week on Sunday. Add the dressing at least 30 minutes before eating.
  • Texture and Variety: The crunch comes from the cabbage and the roasted almonds. The curly kale has a satisfying texture and a different mouthfeel than iceberg or Romaine lettuce.
  • Versatility: This salad is great to eat on it's own or as a side dish. You can easily make it a main course by adding grilled chicken. It is wonderful wholesome menu option when you want to eat healthy.

Ingredients

glass bowls of ingredients for kale crunch salad

Chick-fil-A's kale crunch salad takes only a few ingredients and it's super healthy, so if you're closely watching your calories and carbs, you'll want to eat this salad weekly.

  • Vegetables: We used green cabbage and kale.
  • Nuts: We used roasted and salted whole almonds.
  • Dressing: We used our copycat recipe for their apple Dijon dressing.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

  • Can't have nuts?  Try roasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
  • Don't want to use green cabbage?  Swap it out with red cabbage; it's more colorful.
  • Need more fat?  Add avocado chunks.
  • Want some grains?  Add cooked and cooled quinoa.

How to Make Chick-fil-A Kale Crunch Salad

making the apple dijon dressing
  1. To make the apple Dijon dressing, pour the apple cider vinegar on top of the pure maple syrup. (Image 1)
  2. Add the distilled vinegar, lemon juice, white wine, Dijon mustard, and the spices (sea salt and black pepper). Whisk until well mixed, then add the olive oil, and slowly pour it in while whisking. (Image 2)
shaking dressing in a jar and mixing kale and cabbage
  1. If you find that the dressing isn't emulsifying with a whisk, pour it into a mason jar and give it a good shake. There should be 1 ¼ cups of dressing. (Image 3)
  2. To assemble the salad, mix the kale and cabbage together. (Image 4)
pouring apple dijon dressing on salad and tossing it
  1. If you're planning on eating this within 30 minutes, add most of the chopped almonds.  (Save some for a garnish.) Pour on the dressing.  If you are making this ahead of time, only pour the dressing on what you plan to eat that day or within 24 hours. (Image 5)
  2. Massage the kale with your hands for roughly 5 minutes.  The kale should get softer, change color, and shrink down a little. (Image 6)
Chick-fil-A kale crunch salad in a bowl being eaten with a fork.
  1. Toss and cover and let it rest for 30 minutes on the counter or in the fridge. (Image 7)
  2. When ready to serve, toss it again and adjust any seasonings (vinegar, lemon juice, salt, or pepper).  Garnish with the reserved almonds.  Serve cold or at room temperature. (Image 8)

Recipe FAQs

Is the kale crunch salad at Chick-fil-A healthy?

Their website states it's a good choice for a healthy snack, and we also agree.  It's also easy to eat on the go, because there's minimal ingredients and isn't messy.

How many calories are in Kale Crunch Salad?

Chick-fil-A's side salad has 120 calories with 8g of carbs and 9g of fat for 1 cup of salad.  Our copycat version has a serving size of 1 cup with 227 calories, 14.3g of carbs, and 18.5g of fat.  For more nutritional information, scroll to the end of the recipe card.
Our copycat recipe is higher in calories, fat, and carbs because of the salad dressing.  Feel free to reduce the amount of dressing or have a smaller serving size if you're watching your calorie intake.

What does Kale Crunch salad taste like?

The Chick-fil-A salad apple Dijon dressing tastes slightly sweet and is subtle and mild.  The curly kale is chewy, but not soggy.  The crunch in the title comes from the green cabbage and the roasted salted almonds.  Our copycat version tries to mimic the CFA original, but feel free to adjust the seasonings to your personal taste if you like a salad with a bit more bite.

Can you make Chick-fil-A kale salad ahead?

Yes, please do!  This salad tastes better if it can rest with the dressing on it for at least 30 minutes to 3 hours for maximum results.  We have also had it 24 hours later and it is still good.  If you are planning on making a big batch, we suggest that you portion out what you want to eat in the next 24 hours before pouring on the dressing.  Add the salty roasted almonds just before serving to have the maximum crunch.

Serve

Round out your meal by serving kale crunch salad with a main course of Creamy Lemon Chicken or Crispy Baked Teriyaki Tofu. If you are looking for a healthy soup to compliment this salad, try our Moroccan Lentil Stew. Our Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries is a wonderful healthy side dish. If you are looking for a homemade bread recipe to serve with this salad, try our Hearty Multigrain Bread.

holding a bowl of Chick-fil-A kale crunch salad.

Expert Tips

  • Massage the kale for 5 minutes. It will darken in color and soften.
  • For the best flavor, allow the salad to marinate for 30 minutes to 3 hours.
  • Additional Add-Ins: chopped apple, dried cranberries, avocado chunks, sliced Brussels sprouts, julienned carrots, broccoli matchsticks, spring onion, Parmesan shards, roasted sunflower seeds, grilled chicken, grilled salmon, and quinoa.

Other Chick-fil-A Copycat Recipes You'll Love

  • drizzling a spoonful of avocado lime ranch into a bowl.
    Avocado Lime Ranch - Chick-fil-A Copycat
  • bowl of Chick-fil-A market salad with forks
    Copycat Chick-fil-A Market Salad
  • two glasses of Chick-fil-A frosted coffee with paper straws.
    Copycat Chick-fil-A Frosted Coffee
  • pouring a spoonful of creamy salsa dressing into a glass jar.
    Creamy Salsa Dressing

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Recipe

bowl of kale crunch salad

Copycat Chick-fil-A Kale Crunch Salad

Copycat Chick-fil-A kale crunch salad is a simple healthy recipe you can quickly assemble in your kitchen.  Learn how to make the apple Dijon dressing that makes this easy side salad so tasty, plus know about additional add-ins that turn this side dish into a main meal.  This is also vegan and gluten free.
4.7 from 20 votes
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Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 9 cups
Calories: 227kcal
Author: Brooke & Emma

Ingredients
 

Apple Dijon Dressing

  • ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons distilled vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon white wine
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Kale Crunch Salad

  • 9 cups chopped kale, packed
  • 2 ½ cups green cabbage, shredded
  • ½ cup whole almonds
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
  • ½ teaspoon salt, optional
Keep your screen on while you work!

Instructions

Apple Dijon Dressing

  • Pour the maple syrup and apple cider vinegar into a medium bowl or large mason jar.
  • Add the distilled vinegar, white wine, and the Dijon mustard. Whisk if using a bowl, or shake together if using a mason jar.
  • Next add the freshly squeezed lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper.  Whisk or shake together.
  • Slowly pour in the olive oil while whisking, or put the lid on the mason jar and shake well.  This recipe makes 1 ¼ cups of dressing.

Kale Crunch Salad

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Toss the whole almonds in the coconut oil and salt.  Spread them on a small baking tray and roast for 10-15 minutes.  Allow them to cool before cutting into smaller pieces with a large chef's knife.
  • Remove any ribs from the chopped kale, then add the shredded green cabbage and toss with your hands.
  • Pour on the apple Dijon dressing and massage the kale with your hands for roughly 5 minutes.  You will notice the kale softening and turning a darker shade of green.
  • Cover the salad and let it sit for 30 minutes (or up to overnight) in the fridge.  This gives the kale time to soften, and for the cabbage and kale to marinate in the dressing.
  • When ready to serve, add the roasted almonds and toss.  Adjust seasonings, adding a bit more vinegar, lemon juice, salt or pepper if desired.  You should have about 9 cups of salad.

Video

Notes

  • Massage the kale for 5 minutes. It will darken in color and soften.
  • For the best flavor, allow the salad to marinate for 30 minutes to 3 hours.
  • Additional add-ins: chopped apple, dried cranberries, avocado chunks, sliced Brussels sprouts, julienned carrots, broccoli matchsticks, spring onion, Parmesan shards, roasted sunflower seeds, grilled chicken, grilled salmon and quinoa.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 227kcal (11%)Carbohydrates: 14g (5%)Protein: 3.7g (7%)Fat: 18.5g (28%)Cholesterol: 0mgSodium: 321.6mg (14%)Fiber: 2.9g (12%)Sugar: 8.9g (10%)Vitamin C: 53.8mg (65%)Calcium: 101mg (10%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jennifer

    May 01, 2022 at 3:55 pm

    I have been meal prepping this salad for work lunches. However do you have any suggestions for storing the dressing? I have tried but after a couple days it gets thick and chunky.

    Reply
    • Emma

      May 02, 2022 at 6:25 am

      Unfortunately, we don't have any tricks to help you here. The dressing doesn't have any preservatives or emulsifiers in it, so it really only keeps for 2 days or so. We'd suggest making a small batch of dressing at the beginning of the week and another small batch later in the week for the freshest results. Hope this helps, Jennifer!

      Reply
  2. Rosemary Saunders

    April 25, 2022 at 7:40 am

    This salad is DELICIOUS! The dressing is so good. Definitely massage the kale to make a "softer" salad.

    Reply
    • Emma

      April 25, 2022 at 8:07 am

      Thank you so much, Rosemary! We are thrilled that you enjoy the salad and dressing so much!

      Reply
  3. Lisa R.

    April 11, 2022 at 5:42 am

    Would white wine vinegar be suffice?

    Reply
    • Emma

      April 11, 2022 at 6:59 am

      No, apple cider vinegar has a completely different flavor than white wine vinegar. This is a very mild dressing, and it needs the sharpness of ACV to give it more flavor.

      Reply
  4. Rhonda Schuck

    April 01, 2022 at 12:49 pm

    3 stars
    The dressing is delicious! With 5 1/2 cups of greens (kale and cabbage) I'm not sure how your recipe makes 9 cups. I measured the Kale and cabbage carefully, only added about 1/3 of the dressing and massaged the greens as directed, which reduced the volume quite a bit as the kale softened up. I can't imagine adding the entire volume of dressing to 5 1/2 cups of greens. Am I doing something wrong?

    Reply
    • Emma

      April 01, 2022 at 2:03 pm

      Rhonda, we recently had our recipe cards converted over to a different recipe plug-in. A typo must have occurred in this recipe card for the amount of kale listed and is now fixed. Thanks for letting us know. We hope you enjoy this healthy salad. Yes, the dressing is delicious!

      Reply
  5. Cynthia

    February 20, 2022 at 9:02 pm

    Exactly the same..thank-you

    Reply
    • Emma

      February 21, 2022 at 7:18 am

      You're welcome, Cynthia!

      Reply
  6. Debi

    December 13, 2021 at 10:20 pm

    5 stars
    OMG this is better than chick-fil-a. There’s is very wilted, not crunchy like the name. LOVE this and Kale is so good for you. Those that think Kale is bitter needs to try this as they won’t say that after trying this.

    Reply
    • Emma

      December 14, 2021 at 7:48 am

      That's lovely to hear, Debi! We're so glad that you enjoyed the salad more than Chick-fil-A's!

      Reply
  7. Scarlet

    December 10, 2021 at 2:40 pm

    What is the coconut oil for? I’m confused

    Reply
    • Emma

      December 11, 2021 at 7:24 am

      The almonds are tossed in the coconut oil before roasting.

      Reply
  8. Stephanie

    September 03, 2021 at 4:58 pm

    Looks delicious! Must try! How long will the dressing stay good for?

    Reply
    • Emma

      September 04, 2021 at 6:48 am

      The Apple Dijon dressing makes 1 1/4 cups. Try to use up the dressing within 4 days for the best flavor, if you can't use it up that quickly, make half of the recipe.
      Our Kale Crunch salad recipe makes 9 cups and uses all the dressing. Let us know how it turned out for you. Our readers love this recipe.

      Reply
  9. Sarah

    September 03, 2021 at 9:13 am

    When you white wine, is there a type of white wine you use? Or do you use white wine vinegar? Would love some more info on that!

    Reply
    • Emma

      September 03, 2021 at 9:19 am

      Please don't use white wine vinegar as there is already two kinds of vinegar in this dressing. Regular cooking wine was used. Please let us know how this Kale Crunch Salad recipe turned out for you. It is a reader favorite!

      Reply
      • Crystal Curtis

        March 29, 2022 at 5:11 pm

        Can you use reg drinking wine? I normally use that vs cooking wines

        Reply
        • Emma

          March 29, 2022 at 7:57 pm

          Absolutely! Enjoy!

          Reply
  10. A

    August 17, 2021 at 8:11 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is spot on and delicious. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Emma

      August 18, 2021 at 7:51 am

      Thank you, A! So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  11. Nichole

    August 09, 2021 at 1:15 pm

    This recipe is super close to the chick fil a salad. It’s so delicious. I did make a few swaps on the dressing though. I left out the white wine, and I swapped tahini for the mustard. I also added all the ingredients for the dressing except for the olive in a jar. Shook it all up then added the olive oil and shook it all up again. Made it pretty darn simple. It’s super good! Thanks for the recipe. It’s definitely a keeper and will make an appearance or two at carry ins.

    Reply
    • Emma

      August 10, 2021 at 7:59 am

      We're glad to hear that you enjoyed this salad so much, Nichole. Hopefully others will enjoy it at carry ins, too!

      Reply
  12. Morgan

    July 14, 2021 at 11:43 am

    1 star
    The dressing for this tasted absolutely nothing like the one from Chick-fil-A. Waaaaay to much vinegar and a strong taste of syrup

    Reply
    • Emma

      July 14, 2021 at 4:54 pm

      We're sorry to hear that it didn't turn out for you, Morgan. It matched the dressing from our Chick-fil-A as close as we could make it. Making sure the ingredients have been measured accurately and adjusting the flavors to taste may help next time.

      Reply
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