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    Home » Recipe Index » Salads

    Copycat Chick Fil A Kale Salad Recipe

    March 27, 2022 Updated October 11, 2022 By Rebecca Appetizers, Cooking for One, Easy Recipes, Entertaining, Fall Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Make your own version of the popular 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! Or try this Grapefruit Salad or Kale Salad with Apples and Pomegranates.

    kale salad with dried cherries on top

    Table of contents

    • How will this Superfood Salad make your life easier?

    How will this Superfood Salad make your life easier?

    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 teaches us that's not the case. 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.

    What makes this salad with maple vinaigrette so good?

    superfood kale salad ingredients on cutting board

    How do I make this superfood salad copycat?

    chopped kale on cutting board

    To start making your Chick Fil A kale salad recipe, 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.

    chopped broccoli on cutting board

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

    maple vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl

    Next, make the vinaigrette dressing for your Chick Fil A kale salad recipe, add olive oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, dijon mustard, and a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Whisk.

    chopped kale and broccoli in a bowl

    Dress and toss your Chick Fil A kale salad recipe about 10-15 minutes before serving, if possible.

    kale salad in a bowl

    Add dried cherries and salted cashews right 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

    FAQ

    What are the best toppings for a superfood salad?

    Salted nuts, sunflower seeds, dried fruit (like cranberries), and parmesan cheese are great toppings for this Chick Fil A kale salad recipe.

    kale salad with fork on a plate

    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, Kale Salad with Pomegranate Balsamic Dressing, 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!

    square image of kale salad in a bowl
    Print Pin
    5 from 7 votes

    Copycat Chick Fil A Kale Salad

    Make your own version of the popular 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!
    Course Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 8 minutes
    Servings 1 person
    Author Rebecca

    Equipment

    • 1 small mixing bowl
    • 1 small whisk/fork
    • cutting board
    • knife
    • serving bowl

    Ingredients

    Salad

    • 2-3 stalks kale to make 1 heaping cup chopped, massaged kale
    • ½ cup chopped broccoli cut into bite sized pieces
    • 1-2 Tablespoons dried cherries
    • 1-2 Tablespoons chopped salted cashews

    Dressing

    • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
    • 1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice
    • 1 Tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 Tablespoon Maple syrup
    • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • Pinch of salt
    • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Wash, and then remove kale leaves from 2-3 stalks. To remove leaves: hold bottom of stalk with one hand, and then place other hand above that hand, creating a ring around stalk. Run hand up stalk, gently sliding leaves off of the stalk.
    • Grab all leaves and rub between hands until softened. Chop into bite sized pieces. Add to serving bowl or another bowl that's big enough to toss salad in.
    • Chop broccoli into bite sized pieces to make ½ cup. Add to kale.
    • Make dressing by zesting ½ teaspoon of lemon zest into a small mixing bowl. Add 1 ½ teaspoon of lemon juice from that lemon to zest. Then add 1 Tablespoon maple syrup, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard, and salt/pepper to taste. Whisk together.
    • Pour dressing over salad ingredients about 10-15 minutes before eating. Toss. Right before eating, add 1-2 Tablespoons dried cherries and 1-2 Tablespoons chopped salted cashews.

    Video

    SUPERFOOD SALAD

    Notes

    • Prep the Chick Fil A kale salad recipe ahead of time, 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.
    • Substitute dried cherries for dried cranberries.
    • Substitute salted cashews for walnuts, pecans, or almonds.
    • Other great add-ins: grated parmesan cheese, sunflower seeds, thin cucumber slices, dried cranberries.

    Want to get more single serving recipes, like this Chick Fil A kale salad recipe delivered to your inbox? Click here to download my Single Serving Cookbook.

    Recipes are great, but you’ll need a simple 3 step process to create a meal plan that make cooking easy & helps you stop wasting food. Check out this expertly developed meal planning guide to get started. 

    More Salads

    • Chicken Pecan Salad with Apples
    • Zucchini with Feta
    • Apple Cucumber Salad
    • Carrot Cucumber Salad

    About Rebecca

    Welcome! I’m Rebecca, a food loving dietitian. On Nourish Nutrition, you’ll find real, quick, and nourishing recipes for one that'll get you to want to cook for yourself, because you deserve it.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jess says

      March 29, 2022 at 7:42 pm

      5 stars
      Yesssss! I am all about this salad! Love that I don't have to drive and wait in that crazy long line to get it!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        March 31, 2022 at 1:57 pm

        right?! the lines get so crazy

        Reply
    2. Anita says

      March 29, 2022 at 7:47 pm

      5 stars
      Love the dressing so much I'm sure it will work well even for other vegetables besides kale. 🙂

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        March 31, 2022 at 1:56 pm

        oh so many! it's so tasty

        Reply
    3. Mindy Fewless says

      March 29, 2022 at 8:07 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a great recipe!! You nailed it!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        March 31, 2022 at 1:56 pm

        thanks!

        Reply
    4. Andrea says

      March 29, 2022 at 10:29 pm

      5 stars
      Love this copy cat chick fil'a recipe. It's so easy and quick to make. So delicious.

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        March 31, 2022 at 1:55 pm

        totally is!

        Reply
      • Rebecca says

        March 31, 2022 at 1:56 pm

        awesome! totally is

        Reply
    5. Ieva says

      March 30, 2022 at 12:50 am

      5 stars
      So easy and so good! We loved the salad dressing. We didn't have any cherries and substituted them with dried cranberries and they worked very well too! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        March 31, 2022 at 1:56 pm

        I love dried cranberries in this recipe too!

        Reply
    6. Juliane says

      March 30, 2022 at 12:54 am

      5 stars
      Bet this taste amazing!!! Can't wait to try

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        March 31, 2022 at 1:55 pm

        it's so good and easy! enjoy

        Reply
    7. Tonya says

      November 17, 2022 at 9:54 pm

      5 stars
      This is the best salad I ever made. So delicious, thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        November 20, 2022 at 8:20 pm

        great to hear! glad you enjoyed it

        Reply

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    At Nourish Nutrition, you'll find bold, flavorful recipes for one. Most are single serving, and all have suggestions to use up the leftover ingredients so you can stop throwing away unused ingredients & leftovers!

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