kale slaw with apples (crunchy and sweet!)

This kale slaw is made with thin ribbons of flat leaf kale, radicchio, purple cabbage, and crunchy apples. It’s tossed with a creamy lemon poppyseed dressing and salty sunflower seeds!

This kale slaw is the salad I want to eat all day. I crave it at 10 am (yes, I’m the weirdo who craves kale) and I dream of it when we’ve fallen off the veggie train. It’s got all the crunchy, crispy textures I love in a good salad, and it’s so easy to eat because everything is sliced into thin ribbons. That’s the beauty of slaw, really. 

This kale apple slaw combines flat-leaf kale, thin shreds of radicchio and purple cabbage, crunchy sweet apples, and salty sunflower seeds.

It’s pulled together with a luscious, super creamy poppyseed dressing that is sweet, soft, and lemony. It’s the balance of sweet and bitter that’ll keep you coming back for more! We love salty sunflower seeds here, but any chopped salty nut will work.

what you need to make this kale slaw

how to make this kale slaw:

1. Make the creamy poppyseed dressing.
2. Slice kale, radicchio, purple cabbage into thin ribbons.
3. Wash kale and spin dry in a salad spinner.*
4. Slice apple into matchsticks.
5. Combine kale, radicchio, purple cabbage, apple and sunflower seeds in a large bowl
6. Toss with half the dressing. Taste and add more dressing, as needed.
7. Serve immediately or enjoy within the next day or two.

*When you peel off the dirty outer leaves of radicchio and cabbage, there’s no need to wash the rest of the vegetable. Win!

You could also wash and pat dry the kale before slicing, but I find it’s easier to wash it after I’ve cut it.

Can you make this kale slaw ahead of time?

Yes, you can! Chopping and slicing the vegetables takes the most time, so I actually prefer to make it all ahead.
Chop the vegetables and make the dressing up to a day ahead of time.

Once you toss the kale with the dressing, you have two options:

• You can enjoy it immediately while the veggies are crunchy and crisp. 
• Or you can let it sit, which will soften the cabbage, radicchio, and kale. The flavors will meld and the dressing will thin a bit as water is pulled from the cabbage. If I’ve tossed the slaw in dressing and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight), I prefer to toss it with a little more dressing before serving. This freshens the flavors and revives the creaminess!

Once tossed with dressing, the slaw will keep for a day or two. Much longer and it will get too soggy to enjoy.

what to serve with kale slaw:

My favorite way to enjoy this kale slaw is with sliced grilled chicken breasts (if they’re spicy, all the better). It’s one of my favorite make-ahead lunches to grab and eat with one hand while wrangling a baby in the other.

It also goes so well with our creamy lemon chicken pappardelle, this prosciutto pizza with arugula, or our spicy fried chicken sandwich with jalapeño slaw.

For a vegetarian option, serve this kale apple slaw with our lemon risotto or burrata pizza.

For a BBQ spread, try serving it with our grilled corn salad, red skin mashed potatoes, and your favorite baby rack ribs!

what wine to serve with kale slaw:

I love to enjoy this creamy, crunchy, sweet kale slaw with a zesty white wine. I always look for something light, fresh, and a little spritzy:

• Vinho Verde from Portugal: tart, refreshing, with a zippy acidity and lively spritz.
• Muscadet from the Loire Valley (look for Muscadet Sèvre et Maine): crisp and chalky, with citrus and green apple notes
• Grüner Veltliner from Austria (for a light and zesty style, look a wine that is less than 2 years old and labeled “Federspiel” or “Steinfeder”): high acid, notes of lime and white pepper, often with a light effervescence. 

more kale salad recipes to try:

tuscan kale salad

kale apple salad

kale caesar salad

kale breakfast salad

warm kale salad with raisins

kale sweet potato salad

quinoa kale salad with oranges

kale and brussels sprout salad

Print