This apple and blue cheese salad with kale and walnuts is such a hit with everyone! It's the perfect blend of sweet and savory featuring crisp apples, tangy blue cheese, and crunchy walnuts, all drizzled in a luscious poppyseed balsamic dressing.
Try my Detox Kale Salad and Detox Citrus Salad next for more delicious salad ideas.
I made this sweet and savory kale and blue cheese salad multiple times over the holidays and everyone was asking for the recipe, so here it is! It has so many different flavors that compliment each other. Each bite is an incredibly tantalizing explosion of flavors and textures, making this salad a delectable choice for any occasion. Even my husband who does not fruit in salads loves this one!
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Why you'll love this kale salad with apples, blue cheese and walnuts
You'll adore this kale salad with apples, blue cheese, and walnuts for its delightful combination of flavors and textures. Crisp, sweet apples perfectly complement the earthy kale, while the tangy blue cheese adds a savory kick. Topped with crunchy walnuts for a satisfying crunch, this salad is not only delicious but also packed with nutrients, making it a wholesome and satisfying choice for any meal.
Ingredients for a salad with kale and apple
To create this mouthwatering dish, you'll need:
- Kale - I love this k letter vegetable! It is mild in iron, and packed with fiber with a slight bitter taste. Get pre-prepared chopped and washed kale leaves.
- Apples - Use a nice sweet red fruit apple like honey crisp apples.
- Blue cheese crumbles - go for a rich and really good brand here!
- Sweet potatoes - remove the skin, dice and roast them first. To save time and for convenience, you can also use sweet potatoes that are already prepared this way.
- Red onion - it adds such a pretty color and you only need a tiny bit.
- Walnut pieces - feel free to use honey roasted or candied walnuts here too!
- Dried cranberries - these are delicious to add a punch of tang to the salad.
- Salad dressing - its a tasty combination of poppyseed and balsamic vinaigrette dressings. I just use a store-bought version for convenience.
Salad topper substitutions
Here are a few substitutions you can do if you don't have some of the ingredients and these won't alter the flavor too much.
- Apples - swap out the apples for pear.
- Blue cheese crumbles - you can use feta cheese.
- Sweet potatoes - in the same way you prepare and cook the sweet potatoes, you can swap them out for butternut squash.
- Walnut pieces - feel free to use pecans instead!
- Dried cranberries - these can be swapped out with dried blueberries, or a combination of dried blueberries and cranberries. They can be found as a salad topper.
How to make this kale apple and blue cheese salad
Make the salad. Preheat your oven and prepare your sweet potatoes.
Roast the sweet potatoes and let them cool, meanwhile chop the onion and apples.
In a large serving plate or mixing bowl add the kale, apple, blue cheese, sweet potatoes, onion, walnut pieces, and dried cranberries.
Next make the dressing. In a small bowl mix together the poppyseed and balsamic vinegar dressing together. Pour it on top of the salad and mix to coat. Enjoy right away!
Be sure to try these other salad recipes
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Apple and Blue Cheese Kale Salad with Walnuts and Sweet Potato
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Equipment
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 12 ounces kale leaves washed and chopped (curly leaves not flat leaves)
- 2 cups sweet potatoes peeled and diced
- 2 apple crisp apples large
- 4 ounces blue cheese crumble 1 container
- ⅓ cup red onion diced
- ½ cup walnut pieces
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¾ cup poppyseed dressing
- ¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare your sweet potatoes by washing them, removing the skin and dicing them into small ½ inch cubes.
- Spray a baking pan with cooking oil and spread out the sweet potatoes. Spray the tops. Roast the sweet potatoes for 15-20 minutes until tender and slightly browned. Let them cool, meanwhile chop the onion and apples.
- In a large serving plate or mixing bowl add the kale, apple, blue cheese, sweet potatoes, onion, walnut pieces, and dried cranberries.
- In a small bowl mix together the poppyseed and balsamic vinegar dressing together. Pour ¾ cup of the dressing on top of the salad and mix to coat. Taste test it and add more dressing if needed. Enjoy right away!
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