This kale pear salad is the perfect blend of fresh, sweet, and tangy flavors, ideal for fall or any time you’re craving something healthy yet satisfying. Tender massaged kale is tossed with juicy pears, tart cranberries, and crunchy toasted pine nuts, all brought together with a simple lemon-olive oil dressing for a delicious salad that can be served as a side salad or main course.
Looking for more kale salads? Try my kale Caesar salad and roasted beet salad with kale, too.
This kale pear cranberry salad is the perfect way to hit reset after a season of indulgence. Kale, one of the most nutrient-dense greens, is loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, offering benefits from heart health to cancer prevention. While raw kale can be bitter, massaging the leaves with olive oil transforms them into something tender and slightly sweet.
Tossed with juicy autumn pears, tart dried cranberries, and crunchy toasted pine nuts, this salad is as satisfying as it is healthy. Simple to prepare, it’s proof that clean eating can be both simple and delicious!
The Secret to the Best Kale Salad
If you’ve ever found kale a bit too bitter, here’s the game-changer: massage your kale. Massaging the leaves with olive oil softens their texture, reduces bitterness, and makes them slightly sweet. It’s the step that transforms kale from “meh” to mouthwatering.
Recipe Ingredients and Notes
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
- Pine Nuts – I prefer raw pine nuts for a nutty crunch, but sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, or pumpkin seeds also work well. Or, use candied pecans for extra sweetness.
- Kale – Use curly kale or lacinato kale, and remove any tough stems.
- Olive Oil – This forms the base of the salad dressing, creating a smooth consistency and adding a rich, slightly peppery taste.
- Lemon Juice – The acidity adds a bright, refreshing touch, creating a well-balanced dressing. I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice, but bottled varieties will also work.
- Ripe Pears – Red Bartlett pears are juicy and sweet, but any ripe sweet pears will work.
- Dried Cranberries – I prefer sweetened cranberries for a chewy consistency and a pop of sweet, tart flavor. If you aren’t a fan, raisins or dried cherries make a good substitute.
- Salt – Don’t skip this! It helps enhance the rest of the ingredients.
How to Make Kale Pear Salad
- Toast the nuts. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts (or sunflower seeds) and toast, stirring often, until golden brown. Remove from the skillet immediately so they don’t burn.
- Prep the cranberries (optional). If your cranberries are dry, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes to plump, then drain and pat them dry.
- Prepare the kale. Remove thick stems, chop leaves into bite-sized pieces, and place in a large bowl.
- Massage the kale. Drizzle with olive oil and massage the leaves with clean hands for 2–3 minutes until softened.
- Assemble the salad. Add lemon juice, diced pear, cranberries, toasted nuts, and salt. Toss the salad ingredients to combine.
- Let it rest. Allow the salad to sit for 5 minutes before serving to let the flavors meld.
Possible Variations
- Swap the greens – Not a fan of kale? Use spinach, arugula, or mixed greens instead, and skip massaging.
- Add protein – Try adding slow cooker whole chicken or cooked chickpeas for a heartier salad that doubles as a complete meal.
- Include cheese – A sprinkle of goat cheese, feta cheese, blue cheese, or Parmesan adds a delicious, salty, tangy taste.
- Add extra veggies – Include sliced red onions for extra tang and crunch, minced garlic, shallots, roasted butternut squash, roasted Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, or any produce you have on hand.
- Swap the fruit – Apples, pomegranate seeds, or mandarin oranges work beautifully.
- Dress it up – Add a drizzle of honey or maple syrup for extra sweetness.
- Dressing: Use any store-bought or homemade salad dressing you like best. Balsamic vinaigrette, apple cider vinaigrette, or Dijon mustard dressing make tasty alternatives.
Kale, Pear and Cranberry Salad
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup raw pine nuts or unsalted raw sunflower seeds (On a budget? Use sunflower seeds or chopped toasted walnuts!)
- 10 ounces kale
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 red bartlett pear diced into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Instructions
- Toast the pine nuts or seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, till golden brown. Watch them carefully, they can easily go from brown to burned if you're not careful. As soon as they're toasted, remove them from the hot skillet to keep them from browning further.If your dried cranberries are super dry and not very soft, you can soak them in hot water for 5 minutes to plump and revive them. Drain the cranberries and pat dry before assembling the salad.
- Cut the thick stalk ends off of the kale, then chop the kale leaves into bite-sized pieces. You should end up with around 8-10 cups of kale leaves.
- Place the kale leaves into a salad bowl and pour the olive oil over them. Massage the olive oil into the kale with clean fingers for 2-3 minutes till the kale is softened and slightly wilted. This will help remove bitterness from the kale.
- Add the lemon juice, diced pear, cranberries, and toasted pine nuts to the bowl and sprinkle the salt evenly across the top. Toss the salad till well mixed.
- Let the salad sit for at least 5 minutes at room temperature. Toss again, then serve. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed Tupperware dish for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
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FAQs
Yes, kale holds up well to dressing, so it won’t get soggy like other greens. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Then, just give the salad a quick toss before serving.
I often enjoy this salad recipe as an appetizer or side dish with a protein-rich main dish such as pomegranate glazed salmon, leftover roast turkey, or honey herb roasted chicken.
Thank you Tori so much for the printable matzo paper. I used it for so many things! Name tags, names of serving dishes on buffet, names on bags of leftovers, etc. Please do it again next year! It is truly a gift for your followers!
I made this last night, it was amazing! My husband and I both ate almost all of it. I couldn’t get my two year old to try it, but I’ll definitely be making it again, so hopefully we’ll have more luck some other time. Excellent recipe, thank you.
Wow! awesome recipe…will definitely make again…and again!
I replaced the olive oil with a half a mashed avocado….delicious!
Those “pears” in the photos suspiciously look like apples.
They’re red pears, not apples. But I suppose you could use apples if you like. I prefer the sweetness of the pears.
My husband is the chef in our house and he made this for erev Rosh Hashannah dinner. We loved it! I too thought it would work well with pecans though he made it with sunflowers. The kale was delicious. I love reading your blog and I forward many of your postings to friends and family.
Thank you for helping to spread the word Marjorie, I really appreciate it!
Finally got my picky-eater big sister ( 72 yrs this week) to love kale!
just made this for lunch, and my husband and I devoured it!!! it was amazing!! thank you so much! The combination is just perfect!! will definitely make again!! My first time trying out kale salad….yum!