This vegan kale salad with cranberries and maple balsamic vinaigrette is dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and has no refined sugar! You can’t get much healthier than a bowl of kale, and you won’t be able to stop eating it prepared this way!  Even my kids love the taste of this sweet, tender, salad!

A top view of a kale salad with dried cranberries.

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My parents came to visit one spring with 3 huge bags of spring kale that they had just picked from their garden.  I needed to figure out what to do with all of it.  It was so soft and tender, that it seemed like a shame to cook it, so I came up with this salad recipe, and it’s been a favorite in my house ever since.

❤️ You’ll love this recipe because

  • is quick and easy to make.
  • it holds up well in the fridge so you can make it ahead of time.
  • is sweet, tender, and delicious!
  • gets your whole family eating bowl after bowl of healthy kale!

🧾 Ingredients and substitutions

  • Kale – I like to use younger, more tender kale for this salad.  If you are lucky enough to grow some in your garden or have a farmer’s market where you can find it, it is delicious. You can use regular kale, curly kale, dino kale, and even the bagged shredded kale from the grocery store too, you just need to massage it a little more to get it tender.
  • Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing – I use my own maple balsamic dressing recipe for this salad. For this, you will need light olive oil, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, yellow mustard, garlic powder, and sea salt.  
    • (It takes less than 5 minutes to make your own). If you don’t want to make your own you can probably find maple vinaigrette in regular grocery stores, or you can order it from Amazon.  I usually have some made up in my fridge, because I love maple “bacon” salad for lunch. 
  • Dried Cranberries – Just a handful of dried cranberries add a ton of flavor and texture to this salad.  They soak up the dressing a little and are delicious.  You can also swap them out for raisins or dried blueberries.
  • Nuts – for a little crunch and added flavor.  Nuts are totally optional but do add a nice texture.  We like toasted pine nuts, slivered almonds, or crushed walnuts. Candied pecans are also delicious sprinkled on top!
  • Optional Ingredients – you can toss in some chickpeas to add some protein and make this more of a meal. This salad is also delicious with some pickled red onions or refrigerator pickles. You can also serve this with some roasted root vegetables like sweet potatoes or squash.
A white bowl filled with a kale salad with dried cranberries mixed in.

🥄 How to make a vegan kale salad

Step 1 – Put the dressing ingredients (oil, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, yellow mustard, garlic powder, and salt) into a salad bowl and stir well. (Or if using store-bought dressing, pour 1/3 cup into the bowl, then add the dried cranberries. (This will rehydrate the cranberries a little.)

A salad bowl with maple balsamic vinaigrette dressing and dried cranberries.

Step 2 – Wash the kale well and rip it into small pieces removing the hard stem.

Step 3 – Put the washed kale into the salad bowl and sprinkle with a little salt (optional)

Step 4 – Use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale until it turns bright green and shiny. (This will take about 3-5 minutes. The longer you massage it, the more tender it will be.)

A hand massaging the kale in a cranberry kale salad.

✨ How do I massage kale?

  1. Simply pour the dressing over the kale then grab it in your hands, give it a squeeze, rub the kale leaves together, and drop it. 
  2. Pick up another handful and squeeze and rub again. 
  3. Repeat this until all the kale is bright green, shiny, and limp when you hold up a piece.  This means the tough fibers have softened and they will be tender to eat. 

Note: It will take about 3-5 minutes depending on the toughness of your kale and how tender you want it. 

❓ Do I really need to massage the kale?

Yes!  Kale has a naturally tough texture, so to soften it up, it needs to be massaged.  I know it seems like a high-maintenance vegetable, but it is well worth the effort. 

A top view of a cranberry kale salad!

This is one of those salads that is a hit with everyone!  It can be made a few hours ahead of time and doesn’t get soggy with the dressing on it like salads made from lettuce.  For this reason, it works great for holidays, potlucks, dinner parties, and even packed lunches.

🌟 More vegan salad recipes

📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!

📋 Vegan kale salad recipe

A white bowl filled with vegan kale salad with cranberries and a maple balsamic dressing.
5 from 5 rating

Vegan Kale Salad with Cranberries and Maple Vinaigrette

Yield: 4
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
A fresh vegan and gluten-free spring salad made with kale and maple vinaigrette dressing and dried cranberries.
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Ingredients

  • 6 cups kale, (ripped into small pieces and packed in the measuring cup)
  • 1/3 cup maple vinaigrette dressing
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries
  • 1 dash salt, optional
  • ¼ cup pine nuts or other chopped nuts, optional

For homemade maple balsamic dressing

  • 3 tablespoon oil, (any neutral flavored oil will work)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 dash salt

Instructions
 

  • Put the dressing ingredients (oil, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, yellow mustard, garlic powder, and salt) into a salad bowl and stir well. (Or if using store-bought dressing, pour 1/3 cup into the bowl, then add the dried cranberries. (This will rehydrate the cranberries a little.)
  • Wash the kale well.
  • Rip it into small pieces removing the hard stem.
  • Put the washed kale into the salad bowl.
  • Sprinkle with a little salt (optional)
  • Use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale until it turns bright green and shiny. (This will take about 3-5 minutes. The longer you massage it, the more tender it will be.)
  • Mix in nuts if desired.

Notes

  • You can eat this salad immediately or keep it in the refrigerator for a few hours until it’s ready to eat. 
  • It’s best if eaten within 12 hours of making. 
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 114kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 1g, Sodium: 53mg, Potassium: 497mg, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 10040IU, Vitamin C: 120.6mg, Calcium: 151mg, Iron: 1.5mg
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!

*Originally posted 5-18-17  updated on 5-13-19 and again on 11/11/21 with new images.