This warm kale salad is one of my favorite dishes in the fall… and year round! This easy to make sautéed kale dish is loaded with apples, fennel and toasted walnuts, and will turn any mid-week dinner into a delicious and elegant affair. Great on its own, and even better as a side dish, this Apple Kale Salad recipe will for sure become your new favorite kale recipe!

The many ways to enjoy this cooked kale salad

Oi Gente!

I love salads, but sautéed greens are probably my most favorite way to eat my veggies. (Hello, have you tried my Brazilian Collard Greens with Bacon Recipe yet?)

This kale apple salad is one of my faves because it requires pretty minimal prep and it can be eaten in any meal. Also, it is so delicious on its own that it does not need a salad dressing.

It’s fantastic just by itself as a light lunch, but I love to serve it with some salmon or rotisserie chicken for a more robust dinner option.

warm kale salad recipe with apples and chicken

And when we have leftovers, we warm it up, fry a couple eggs and serve it with crusty bread and fresh coffee. It’s a perfect and easy little brunch!

And to make it extra special, we sometimes even make mimosas – we love these Apple Cider Mimosa in the fall months!

warm kale salad recipe with apples and egg

What you need to make a warm kale salad

Olive oil — or another neutral oil to saute everything in
Onion — yellow or white onion is what you’re looking for here.
Fennel bulb — you’ll have to trim it down and slice it thin, but that’s pretty easy!
Apple — I like fuji and honeycrisp apples in they recipe because they hold their shape after cooked.
Kale — lacinato kale (also known as Tuscan or dinosaur kale) is my go-to, but curly kale works, too. You can even use other greens, like collard greens, broccoli leave or any other dark green of your choice!
Toasted walnuts — don’t have walnuts? Use pine nuts or almond slices instead.
Kosher salt and black pepper — we add this at the very end to taste. You might not even need it!

Tools and equipment:

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Sharp knife and cutting board
Medium skillet or cast iron skillet
Tongs or a wooden spoon
Large bowl to serve everything in

kale leaves on a cutting board before and after slicing thinly — slice the kale

sliced fennel bulb on a cutting board — slice the kale

How to make a fall kale salad

Prep the ingredients. We begin our sautéed kale salad by cutting all our veggies nice and thin. We want them to be similarly sized.

Slice the washed kale leaves nice and thin.

Then, core the fennel and slice it thin. Then the onion and the apple, too.

sliced onions in a skillet cooking — add the onions to the skillet and cook until translucent

sliced fennel and onions in a skillet — add the onions to the skillet and cook until translucent

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium to high heat and when when the oil is hot, add the onions.

Add the fennel and give it a stir. Let it cook until the fennel is soft.

apples in a skillet with onions and fennel — add the apples to the skillet

thinly sliced kale in a skillet with apples and other warm salad ingredients — add the apples to the skillet

Next, add the apples and toss gently not to break them. We want them to be soft, but keep their shape.

Reduce the heat, and add the kale. Season with salt and pepper and toss.

Sprinkle the nuts on top and serve on its own or as a side dish!

Bom Apetite!

a white plate holds a serving of a warm kale salad with apples and toasted nuts

Other kale recipes you’ll love:

If you love kale, you may love these collard greens recipes:

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5 from 12 votes

Kale Apple Salad

This warm kale salad is one of my favorite dishes in the Fall. Scratch that – all year long! This easy to make sautéed kale dish is loaded with apples, fennel, and toasted walnuts, and will turn any mid-week dinner into a delicious and elegant affair. Great on its own, and even better as a side dish, this will for sure become your new favorite kale recipe!

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings: servings

Author: Aline Shaw

Ingredients

2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
½ yellow or white onion sliced
1 fennel bulb thinly sliced
1 fuji apple cored and thinly sliced
1 bunch of kale cut into thin strips
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup of toasted walnuts

Instructions

Add the oil to a medium-sized skillet over medium to high heat. Let it heat.
Add the onion and cook until they are translucent, about 2 minutes.
Add the fennel, and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the apples and toss gently, let it cook a few minutes while tossing occasionally.
Reduce the heat, then add the kale, salt and pepper. Toss gently and let it cook until the kale has wilted a little, about 1-2 minutes.
Sprinkle with the nuts, and serve.

Bom Apetite!!

Did you make this recipe? Show me how it turned out! Snap a photo and share with me on Instagram tagging @aline_shaw!

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