Kale Crunch Salad (Chick-Fil-A Copycat)

This delicious Kale Crunch Salad is a copycat version of Chick-Fil-A's popular salad. It has hearty kale and cabbage and is topped with toasted almonds and dijon mustard vinaigrette dressing that your tastebuds will love.

Jump to:

• Why You Will Love This Recipe
• Key Ingredients
• How to Make Kale Crunch Salad
• Is Kale Crunch the same thing as Chick-Fil-A's Superfood Salad?
• Recipe Variations
• Serving Suggestions
• Recipe FAQs
• Recommended Recipes
• Recipe
• Reviews

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Satisfying: Kale salad has a different flavor and texture than most other salads you're used to, and it is satiating.

Flavorful Dressing: The simple dressing will become a favorite for all your salad recipes.

Quick and Easy: This copycat recipe is a favorite in our house, even with picky eaters and busy summer evening schedules. The original Chik-Fil-A kale salad is my go-to lunch on-the-go option. But having the ingredients to make it at home is even more accessible and saves me a stop when I go to the pool or a camp.

Key Ingredients

• Curly Kale—Chopped kale gives this recipe so much flavor and texture. Make sure to wash your greens well. Massage the kale to ensure all the curly leaves are cleaned and gently washed thoroughly. Baby kale or regular kale can also be used.
• Green Cabbage—Green cabbage's flavor is a little lighter and adds a nice variety to the taste and textures in this recipe.
• Almonds—I prefer slivered almonds, but sliced almonds also work well.
• Apple Cider Vinegar—Apple cider vinegar adds so much flavor to salad dressing. You can also use red wine, white, or rice vinegar.
• Dijon Mustard—The deep and rich flavors of dijon mustard give the dressing a great taste without requiring many ingredients.
• Maple Syrup—Pure Maple Syrup (not pancake syrup) is used to add a hint of sweetness to this homemade dressing recipe. Honey could also be used and will give it a different flavor while still adding sweetness.
• Parmesan Cheese—This is an optional ingredient that can be left out if you want something dairy-free. If you are using Parmesan cheese, I recommend shaved or shredded cheese from the deli section, as it has so much more flavor than the green can.

How to Make Kale Crunch Salad

Step One: Prepare the dressing

• In a small bowl, whisk the shallot, vinegar, maple syrup, and mustard until well combined.
• Slowing drizzle the olive oil into the bowl while actively whisking.
• Refrigerate the dressing until you are ready to serve.
• You can make the dressing a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator. This allows the flavors to marry. Whisk well before adding to the salad.

Step Two: Toast Almonds

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
• Spread the almonds evenly onto a baking sheet.
• Toast them in the oven for 6-8 minutes.
• Keep an eye on your almonds to make sure they don't burn. Cook until they are golden brown.

Step Three: Prepare Salad

• In a large bowl or platter, mix the kale and cabbage together.
• Sprinkle on the almonds and Parmesan cheese when you're ready to serve.

Step Four: Add Dressing

• Drizzle the maple vinaigrette dressing over the top and toss to coat the greens evenly.

Is Kale Crunch the same thing as Chick-Fil-A's Superfood Salad?

The Chik-Fil-A Kale Crunch Salad and the Superfood Salad are different. The superfood side salad is the original kale side from Chick-Fil-A, but they replaced it with the Kale Crunch side salad in 2020.

The superfood salad had dried cherries, no almonds, and a slightly different dressing.

Recipe Variations

• Main Dish Salad: Add grilled chicken breasts or diced-up chicken strips to make this a satisfying dinner salad. Roasted turkey could also be used if that is what you have on hand. For a hot protein, cook chicken cutlets in the air fryer, slice them and serve on top of the salad.
• Brighter Flavors: Add a splash of lemon juice to the dressing to brighten up the flavors even more.
• Swap the Dressing: You could also make a super quick dressing with just olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper all added to the top, and then give it a good toss to combine and coat the greens. Or use your favorite bottled vinaigrette.
• Additional Crunch: To make this a super crunch salad, add croutons, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or crunch tortilla strips.
• More Flavor: You could even add more sweet or flavorful ingredients to meet personal preferences. A few ideas are dried sour cherries, Romaine lettuce, red cabbage, lemon wedges, dried cranberries, fresh strawberries, shredded brussels sprouts, flaky sea salt, leftover chicken, or baby spinach, and baby or regular broccoli. The great thing about this recipe is you can easily make it your own because the dressing and main ingredients are easy to add to.

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve this as a side dish with soup or protein as my main dish. That way, I get all the hearty benefits of the greens and the apple cider dressing while also having a full meal. If you are craving soup then I recommend Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup or Creamy Potato and Dumpling Soup..

Enjoy with a main dish like Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets, Lamb Chops, or Elk Burgers.

For enjoying on the go, prepare this in a mason jar and put the dressing in a separate container. When you are ready to enjoy, just pour the dressing over the salad, replace the jar lid, and give it a good shake to disperse the dressing.

Recipe FAQs

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