Chick fil-A Kale Crunch Salad Recipe {copycat}
If you love the Chick fil-A kale crunch salad, here’s your copycat recipe that’s just like the real thing! It is a crunchy mix of kale, cabbage and salted roasted almonds. The star of the show is the dressing which is an apple cider mustard dressing sweetened with honey. This salad could not be easier to make and comes together in about 10 minutes making it the perfect, easy side salad.
Here are a few more crunchy salad recipes you’ll love: Chopped kale {detox} salad, chopped Thai chicken salad with peanut dressing.
Recipe Ingredients: Copycat Chick fil-A Kale Salad
For the dressing:
For the salad:
Ingredient Notes, Substitutions & Additions
Kale: I like buying bagged baby kale, as it’s the most tender. Make sure to remove the tough stems, if any.
Almonds: The roasted, salted almonds are KEY in this salad! They provide crunch and flavor. You can also experiment with other flavors of roasted nuts like these habanero BBQ almonds!
Additions: I love adding dried cranberries or raisins to this salad for a little extra sweetness. diced apples would also be a great sweet addition.
Shaved Parmesan cheese, goat cheese, or feta are all great to add a little creamy “bite” to this salad.
Expert Tips
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. This salad actually holds up well in the fridge with the dressing for 3-4 days.
- Bagged cabbage: Using thinly sliced bagged coleslaw mix (I like the “angel hair” cole slaw mix) makes this recipe even quicker to throw together!
- Dressing: This dressing is super delish and versatile for almost any salad. Double the recipe and store it in a glass jar in the fridge for 7 days. Use it on mixed greens for a quick side salad.
- “Massaging” the kale: This is totally an optional step, but if you want the kale to be slightly more tender, follow the optional step in the recipe card below.
How to Serve
This copycat Chick fil-A kale salad is so versatile. It’s the perfect, easy dinner side salad that you can whip up in minutes! It’s also a great lunch side dish. Or, pair it with a light protein like baked chicken for a healthy lunch!
My favorite way to serve: Have you tried the Just Bare chicken nuggets?? You can get them at many grocery stores, Costco, or Amazon! They are the Chick fil-A “copycat” chicken nuggets, and they come pretty close to the real thing, let me tell you!
I cook those chicken nuggets in the air fryer, then mix them right into this kale salad! It’s one of my favorite light dinners!
Did you try this recipe?
Let us know your thoughts on this copycat chick fil-A kale salad by leaving a star rating below or sharing it on Instagram!
Thank you! ~ Casey
Chick fil-A Kale Crunch Salad Recipe {copycat}
Ingredients
For the salad
- 3-4 cups kale leaves, finely chopped I like using baby kale. Be sure to remove any tough stems.
- 2 cups cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup roasted, salted almonds such as these
For the dressing
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp avocado oil, canola oil, or a light olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 tsp coarse salt (sea salt, kosher salt)
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a glass mixing cup or jar add 1/2 cup of the oil, lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, honey, and salt. Whisk or shake to combine. Set aside.
- Massage the kale (OPTIONAL STEP): Place kale in a serving bowl, drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and a sprinkle of salt. With clean hands, "massage" the kale, working the olive oil and salt into the kale. Do this for a minute or so until the kale begins to get a bit soft and tender.
- Assemble: To the bowl with the kale, add the cabbage. Drizzle with the dressing and top with the roasted almonds. Serve right away!
Make this kale salad at home and save a ton of cash! It’s just like the real thing – I hope you love it! XO ~ Casey