Deb’s Kale Salad with Apple, Cranberries and Pecans
This flavorful, vegetarian kale salad is loaded with Granny Smith apple, cranberries, pecans, radish and goat cheese, tossed in honey mustard dressing.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on November 20, 2025
Kale salads make me happy. They’re a staple in my diet, like boots are in my wardrobe, and I’ll never tire of them. This recipe was the fourth kale salad to appear on my blog, and it’s still a favorite over ten years later. I’m sharing it again today with updated photos.
This beautiful salad is full of crunch from crisp apple, radishes and pecans, studded with sweet dried cranberries and tangy crumbled goat cheese, and tossed in a zippy honey-mustard dressing. It’s a fantastic combination that has garnered well over 100 five-star reviews!
This recipe is hearty and holiday-worthy. I’ve made it for my family’s Thanksgiving, served it at girls’ night, and enjoyed it on a regular weeknight. Kale salads are great to keep in the fridge for quick and healthy meals, since kale doesn’t wilt like more delicate greens.
There are a few tricks to making a kale salad taste really great, which I’ve elaborated on here. My number one tip is to massage the kale—watch the video below to see how! I’m thrilled every time I convert someone to a kale salad fan.
This recipe came from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen. I made a few alterations to Deb’s kale salad recipe, given the season and what I had in stock in my pantry.
I added a chopped Granny Smith apple and traded dried cranberries for the dried cherries. I also used apple cider vinegar instead of white wine vinegar, though I’m not sure I can really taste the difference in the end.
Watch How to Make Deb’s Kale Salad
More Kale Salads to Enjoy
Here are a few more kale salads suitable for fall and winter:
- Autumn Kale Salad with Fennel, Honeycrisp and Goat Cheese
- Balsamic Butternut, Kale and Cranberry Panzanella
- Farro and Kale Salad with Goat Cheese
- Lemony Kale Salad
- Southwestern Kale Power Salad
Please let me know how Deb’s salad turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Deb’s Kale Salad with Apple, Cranberries and Pecans
This hearty, holiday-worthy raw kale salad is made with chopped Granny Smith apple, cranberries, toasted pecans and goat cheese, tossed in a zippy honey mustard dressing. It’s both vegetarian and gluten free. Recipe yields 4 to 6 salads.
Ingredients
Salad
- ½ cup pecan halves
- 8 ounces kale (I used regular curly green kale, but Deb recommends Cavolo Nero or Lacinato, Dinosaur or Tuscan Kale)
- 4 to 5 medium radishes
- ½ cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
- 1 medium Granny Smith apple
- 2 ounces soft goat cheese, chilled
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons honey or maple syrup
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spread the pecans on a baking tray. Toast them until lightly golden and fragrant, about 5 to 10 minutes, tossing them once or twice to make sure they bake evenly. Remove the tray from the oven and set them aside to cool.
- Pull the kale leaves off from the tough stems and discard the stems. Use a chef’s knife to chop the kale into small, bite-sized pieces. Transfer the kale to a big salad bowl. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the kale and massage the leaves with your hands by lightly scrunching big handfuls at a time until the leaves are darker in color and fragrant.
- Thinly slice the radishes (this is easier to do if you first chop off the root end so you can place the base of the radish flat against your cutting board). Add them to the bowl.
- Coarsely chop the pecans and cranberries and add them to the bowl. Chop the apple into small, bite-sized pieces and add it to the bowl. Use a fork to crumble the goat cheese over the top.
- In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour the dressing over the salad. Toss until the salad is evenly coated with dressing. Serve immediately, or for even better flavor, let the salad marinate for 10 to 20 minutes beforehand. This salad keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
Notes
Recipe adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman.
Make it vegan: Omit the goat cheese, and use maple syrup instead of honey in the dressing.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
The whole family really enjoyed this recipe!! I didn’t have pecans on hand so I subbed with raw pistachios. I can’t handle goat cheese so I subbed feta. ;-) I didn’t have radishes on hand (but will definitely prepare better next time..sounds like the flavor would compliment well!). I think I may try adding red onion next time!
Thanks for the great recipe, as always!!
~Natalie
In a word GREAT! Husband loved it too! Love you’re recipes!
I didn’t think I liked kale, but I love this recipe so much that the first time I made it, I ate nothing else until it was gone, and then I promptly made it again. I had thought it would be strange to have radishes and dried cranberries together, but they are wonderfully complementary. I did double the apples and I used Honeycrisp apples instead of Granny Smith, and I also doubled the goat cheese, so it was a tiny touch sweeter and richer than the original, but in the summer I’ll go with the original (it’s winter now). This is now in my stable of thoroughbred go-to recipes!
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Kelly. Thank you for sharing.
My husband, a meat & potatoes kinda guy, absolutely loves this salad and requested that we have it every other day! I use a mandolin to slice the radishes super thin. I think a vegetable peeler might also work. Whenever there’s a group dinner, this is requested from me
This was fantastic! Roasting the pecans and marinating the salad is a must! The flavor combination was delightful; the goat cheese, cranberries, and granny smith apples were perfect!
I’m excited you enjoyed this, Angela!
This salad is in my regular rotation; the whole family loves it! I typically use spring mix as the base as the kids (12, 16, 18) don’t adore kale like I do. If I’m out of pecans, I’ll toss in pepitas, sunflower seeds or whatever nuts I have on hand. The creaminess of the goat cheese peefectly complements the sweet and tangy apples and cranberries. The dressing is so simple but sooo good! Thank you for this incredible recipe!
You’re welcome, Angi! I appreciate your review.
Great recipe. I use it every summer and people love it!!
Delicious blend of ingredients. I thought some of the ingredients might clash, but since I had everything available, followed the recipe anyway, hoping for the best. It did not disappoint. I’m saving this for future use.
This is an AMAZING salad. I don’t love radishes so left those out, otherwise I followed the recipe. We have been making it once a week for a few months now so I thought I should leave a review. Thanks for a keeper!
Thank you, Rachel!
This salad has been in my rotation for years. Outstanding!
Wow! We haven’t eaten much kale until now. This salad is a game changer. So delicious. My husband took charge of the salad prep and assembly which was clearly outlined in your post. We substituted feta for goat cheese as that’s what we had on hand. We both couldn’t stop exclaiming “This salad is SO good!” We served the salad with a simple leek and potato soup. A winner of a dinner! Thank-you!
You’re welcome, Lorie!
Made this salad with what I had around the house (subbed parm for goat cheese, and almonds for pecans) and still really enjoyed it. Looking forward to making this regularly!
Am I correct that 4 cups of chopped Kale equals 8oz?
I don’t have the weight so I’m not sure. Sorry!
My favorite winter salad, and the reason I now plant kale in my garden. I like to roasted up a pan of root veggies and mix them in which makes this a meal.
Great to hear, Trish! Thank you for your review.
Oh my lord! This was the best thing I’ve eaten in quite some time! Love how it is both savory and sweet. So addictive. I ate the whole thing for dinner tonight! I also loved the way the radishes and walnuts tasted together-a combination I would have never thought to put together. I almost left out the radishes but I’m so glad I didn’t. Thank goodness for food bloggers/recipe developers like you! Subbed vegan feta for the goat cheese and I think that worked well. Amazing recipe! Will definitely make again and again! Many thanks to you and Deb!
That’s great to hear, Jess! Thank you for your review.
I found this recipe awhile ago and it is a favorite! I make the dressing a lot and just riff on the ingredients. Last few times I’ve made it a meal by roasting chickpeas and sweet potato chunks and adding them at the bottom of the bowl, then the salad on top, plus avocado. Looking forward to it!
The family so enjoyed the salad, it has become a regular dinner item and the dressing has no become my go to for a lot of other salads. Thank you.
This was AMAZING! I had zero expectations for what it would taste like but I tried it because I had most of the ingredients at home. I’m SO HAPPY I did!! This is going to be added to my rotation now!
I need kale for bone density and this sounds like the perfect recipe!!!
I planted kale in our garden this year and it has been growing wonderfully. I have tried many kale salad recipes over the years but was always disappointed. This one is a winner! This is now our go to Kale salad! My husband just loves it and asks for it all the time. Love it!
That’s great to hear, Micheline! Thank you for your review.
Are unsweetened cranberries too tart or okay to use?
I’ve been making this salad for a few years now, and we love it exactly as written
This Christmas I was making the salad and realized I had pomegranate arils to use up, so I substituted the arils for the cranberries. It was delicious and pretty
I still love be the cranberry version (we eat this kale salad a couple of times per month) but I think I will use pomegranate arils around the holidays
This recipe is my favorite for kale salad inspiration. I forgot apple cider vinegar but had some cranberry pear balsamic which worked perfectly with your dressing ratios! I love your suggestion to prepare the kale, apples and pecans. I added some shredded carrots, red onion, cucumber. Goat cheese was excellent too – great recipe! Thank you!!
Chefs kiss
This is fabulous! Thank you, Kate! The apple cider vinegar definitely makes a difference. A delicious salad with so much flavor and fiber. A go to recipe and family favorite!
Susan
Hi Susan, I’m so glad you liked this one! A little vinegar can really amp up the flavor in lots of recipes.
Delishiousness !!Subbed in blueberry goat cheese,pumpkin seeds for pecans,due to using what I had on hand.I may add red onion next time. The dressing is perfect blend of sweetness n sour n tart.Thanks for sharing. Perfect for a potluck too, but it’s todays lunch!!
This is my go to salad for a fancy dinner or just in the mood for something different, yummy & easy to make. Everyone loves it!
This is the best Kale salad I have had! I used pre-roasted pecans, and halloumi cheese instead of goat cheese, left out the radishes (all the above because that what I had in the kitchen). It didn’t matter, it was delicious!
Hi Tom, halloumi cheese sounds amazing with this recipe. I will have to try it. Thanks for taking the time to rate and comment on the recipe.
Made this in bulk for a large group and everyone LOVED it!! Even those who don’t normally like kale or goat cheese tried and liked it. Such a flavorful and awesome way to get more veggies in!
Made this today after reading the raves. The dressing is so good and a great complement to the spicy radish and tart berries. I had feta on hand so in it went! Thank you for posting this. I hope you and your family are doing great :)
Hi Anna, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Wishing your family well :)