Copycat Chick Fil A Kale Salad Recipe

Make your own version of the popular 10 minute Chick Fil A kale salad recipe, aka superfood salad at home. It's easy, flavorful, and there are endless simple toppings that taste so delicious!

[This recipe was originally posted in March 2022. It has been updated with cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]

First of all, making your own Chick Fil A kale salad recipe at home is the only option since it's no longer available. So there's that. And making it at home is so much less expensive! That tiny side salad was pricy.

Second of all, I often (do you too?) think that the only way to make a good salad is to chop lots of vegetables, make a complicated dressing, and top it with lots of toppings.

This salad doesn't require lots of chopping or a complicated dressing. Here's what you need:

• 2 vegetables to chop
• Pantry staples for the dressing + a lemon
• Dried cherries and nuts
• Or substitute with lots of delicious options.

And the best part, as somewhat said in The Good Place, "There's this great sandwich in America, but if you buy it, it means you hate gay people."

So here's to making your own side from that sandwich restaurant and butchering great TV lines.

Ingredients

Scroll down to the Chick Fil A kale salad recipe recipe card for the amounts of each ingredient, but here's a quick visual + description of what's in this recipe.

• Kale: Well massaged kale adds lots of texture to this Chick Fil A kale salad recipe
• Broccoli: There's broccolini in the original salad, but this is less expensive, easier to find, and just as delicious. Stick with regular broccoli if you'd like.
• Dried Cherries: You can use regular dried sweet cherries or dried tart cherries.
• Cashews: Lots of nuts or seeds would be good on this salad, but cashews are salty with a creamy crunchy texture.
• Lemon Juice/Zest: This combination adds lots of bright flavor, the zest especially
• Olive Oil: Good quality olive oil adds nice flavor to this dressing
• Maple Syrup: It adds a nice sweet flavor with fall maple flavor
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Adds an apple tart flavor
• Dijon Mustard: Helps blend the dressing together and add a sharp peppery flavor.

Instructions

Scroll down to the Chick Fil A kale salad recipe card for more detailed instructions. Here's a quick overview + photos to see how to make this recipe in general.

Wash kale, then remove kale leaves by holding the stalk and gently running your fingers along the stalk, slicing between the leaves and stalk.

Massage kale by rubbing leaves between your hands, until they soften up. This step is a must. Chop.

Chop broccoli into bite sized pieces. Transfer both kale and broccoli to serving bowl.

Whisk together the vinaigrette dressing ingredients: olive oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.

Dress and toss your Chick Fil A kale salad recipe about 10-15 minutes before serving, if possible. It'll help the flavors meld and smooth out the bitterness of the kale.

Add dried cherries and salted cashews to this Chick Fil A kale salad recipe right before serving.

Storage Tips

You can store this Chick Fil A kale salad recipe in an airtight container for a day or two, I recommend adding the nuts and dried cherries just prior to serving though.

For best results, store ingredients separately and dress salad about 10-30 minutes before serving.

Substitutions/Tips

• Meal Prep tip: You can prep the Chick Fil A kale salad recipe, just make the dressing and chop the vegetables, but don't massage kale it until you're ready to eat it; store vegetables and dressing in air tight containers.
• Tossing vegetables in dressing 10-15 minutes before eating will make the kale softer and more flavorful. I highly recommend this step, but it's not absolutely essential.
• The traditional Superfoods/Chick Fil A kale salad recipe has broccolini, dried cherries, and mixed nuts on top.
• Look for dried cherries in your grocery store's bulk section, you can get a small amount and it's probably less expensive than a bag of them.
• Substitute dried cherries for dried cranberries.
• Substitute salted cashews for your favorite nuts.
• Substitute broccoli for the traditional broccolini, but I think the broccoli is really good, plus it's more widely available and less expensive.
• Other great add-ins: grated parmesan cheese, sunflower seeds, thin cucumber slices, dried cranberries are all great additions to this Chick Fil A kale salad recipe.

FAQ

Other good salad recipes

• Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Spinach Salad with Mandarin Oranges
• Avocado Grapefruit Salad
• Zucchini with Feta
• Apple Cucumber Salad

How can I repurpose this salad?

First of all, only dress the salad you plan on eating right away. This Chick Fil A kale salad recipe with added chicken, pork, or tofu would be great as a lunch wrap.

What can I make with leftover ingredients?

• Kale: Warm Kale Salad and Pork Chops with Apple Kale Salad.
• Broccoli: Roasted Broccoli & Mushrooms, Beef & Broccoli, Chicken and Broccoli Casserole, and Broccoli Salad with Grapes.
• Dried Cherries: add to PB Granola.
• Lemon: Lemon Herb Couscous, Lemony Carbonara, and Starbucks Copycat Passion Tea Lemonade.

Did you make this Chick Fil A kale salad recipe? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!