This post contains affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Packed with kale, romaine lettuce, ham, and topped with a delicious mediterranean dressing, this Julienne Kale Salad is both healthy and delicious! It’s perfect as a healthy side, or quick and easy lunch.
Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
Table of Contents
Healthy Kale Salad
Kale is a great leafy veggie to use for salads. It’s sweetest when the weather turns colder making it the perfect fall vegetable for your salad. High in vitamin C, this healthy kale salad is perfect for flu season, before holidays, and after the holidays.
Not only is this kale salad packed with vitamin C, but it is a great source of vitamin A, K, manganese, potassium, calcium, and of course fiber! Made with sliced ham, you get a healthy serving of protein as well. Needless to say, this is a healthy and hearty side dish.
How To Make Julienne Kale Salad
For this recipe, you will need ingredients for both the salad, and the deliciously tangy mediterranean dressing. Here’s what you will need:
- Kale and lettuce– For a well rounded salad, you will want two types of leafy greens.
- Swiss cheese– You can’t have salad without some cheese. If you aren’t a fan of swiss cheese, you could use mozzarella, provolone, or sharp white cheddar.
- Tomatoes– I cut up two regular sized tomatoes, but you could use cherry tomatoes as well.
- Olives– I love the flavor of green olives, but you could use black or green depending on your preference. Or, if you aren’t a fan, you can leave them out completely.
- Ham– To whip this recipe up easily, use precooked sliced ham and break it up into pieces to put in your salad.
- Parmesan flakes– Also known as shaved parmesan, you can find them at your local grocery store.
- Olive oil– I use extra virgin olive oil due to the fact that it is the healthiest option, but you can use regular olive oil if you choose.
- White wine vinegar– This is classic in mediterranean dressings, but you could also use red wine vinegar or Sherry vinegar.
- Worcheshire sauce– Worcheshire adds a sweet and salty flavor to your dressing.
- Olive juice– I use the juice from canned or jarred olive for this recipe.
- Lemon juice– Fresh is always best, but you can use 2-3 tablespoons of store-bought lemon juice if you prefer.
- Garlic– I mince fresh garlic cloves, but you could use 1 tablespoon of jarred minced garlic as well.
- Spices and seasonings– To add complex flavors to your dressing, you will need dried oregano, salt, and cracked black pepper.
You will be making the dressing before the salad so all the ingredients have time to permeate. Follow the steps below!
- Combine the olive oil, vinegar, worcheshire sauce, olive juice, lemon juice, garlic, and spices to a mason jar.
- Then, place the lid on the mason jar and shake it vigorously to combine all the ingredients. Set it to the side.
- Next, julienne the cheese, ham, and tomatoes, and slice the kale and lettuce into ½ inch strips.
- Add kale, lettuce, cheese, ham, tomatoes, olives, and ¾ of the parmesan cheese in a bowl and toss to combine.
- Pour ½ of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Set aside remaining dressing for serving.
- Top with remaining cheese and serve additional dressing on the side.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks to Perfect Kale Salad
- Make the dressing the night before and the flavors will intensify as they combine overnight!
- Slice the kale into thin strips. Strips make it easier to eat. If you tear it like lettuce, it will be chewy.
- Massage the kale. Squeeze the leaves with moderate pressure to help break up the fibers.
FAQs
Nope! This recipe does not require any baking or cooking of any kind. However, if you don’t have precooked ham slices, you can cook a ham or use leftover ham.
From chopping and cutting to making the dressing, the whole process is only going to take you about 15-minutes. Whip it up for an easy side or quick lunch.
Once fully prepared, you can store leftover kale salad with Mediterranean dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-days. Keep in mind that the dressing will soften the leafy greens as it sits, so sometimes it only lasts 1-2 days depending how old the kale and lettuce are.
Julienne refers to how you will cut your ingredients for the salad. It means to cut into thin strips. For this recipe, you will cut the cheese, ham, tomatoes, lettuce, and kale into thin strips rather than cubes.
What To Serve With Julienne Kale Salad
Julienne kale salad can be served as a side to almost any recipe you choose. Salad goes with just about anything. This salad pairs well with Baked Salmon, a Longhorn Steakhouse Parmesan Crusted Steak, Pan Fried Pork Chops, or any entree you choose. You could also eat this delicious salad as a healthy lunch option.
For more delicious salad recipes, click here.
If you love this easy recipe please click the stars below to give it a five star rating and leave a comment! Pease also help me share on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Follow on Instagram
CONNECT WITH SWEET C’S!
Be sure to follow me on social media and get in on all the fun!
Only have 30 minutes to get dinner on the table? Sign up for my 30 minute dinner plans direct to your inbox!
Find and shop my favorite products in my Amazon storefront here!
Julienne Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 3 stalks Kale about 3 handfuls of loose kale
- 2 romaine lettuce hearts
- 4 oz Swiss cheese block
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 cup Castelvetrano olives
- ½ lb precooked sliced ham
- 1 cup parmesan flakes
- Mediterranean Dressing
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp worcheshire
- 1 tbsp olive juice from canned olives
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves minced
Instructions
- Prepare dressing. Finely mince the garlic. Combine all ingredients in a mason jar and shake vigorously to combine.
- Set aside until ready to use. *tip: make the dressing the night before and the flavors will intensify as they combine overnight!*
- Prepare salad. Slice kale and romaine lettuce into ½” strips. Julienne the cheese, ham, and tomatoes into small strips. Add kale, lettuce, cheese, ham, tomatoes, olives, and ¾ of the parmesan cheese in a bowl and toss to combine.
- Pour ½ of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Set aside remaining dressing for serving.
Top with remaining cheese and serve additional dressing on the side. Enjoy!!
How much is a ” stalk ” of kale?
When you buy kale at the store it comes in stalks, if you are buying a big bag of kale I would say one reasonable handful is the same as a stalk. Hope that helps!
What kind of olives are you using?
I like Castelvetrano olives in this salad but you can use any kind of brined olive.