Vegan, gluten-free, nutritious, and packed with colorful veggies, kale apple carrot slaw is one of the healthiest sides you can prepare. Every bite of kale is packed with antioxidants, Vitamin C, and Vitamin K, making this recipe as healthy as my other yummy kale salads: Kale Avocado Salad, Apple Salad, Quinoa Kale Salad, Kale Harvest Salad, and more!It is a great way to get more kale in your diet. Because kale is so durable, it won’t go limp in the vinegar-based dressing like soggy cabbage coleslaw.No other copycat Tropical Smoothie kale apple slaw recipes are as tasty as this one. Lucious apples, crisp kale, and tart vinaigrette make an incomparable pair in this foolproof recipe.Meal prep is a cinch with this kale and apple salad. Prepare it up to two days ahead for the perfect side dish for burgers, tacos, grilled shrimp, and more.
For the Maple Dijon Vinaigrette, you’ll need maple syrup, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. For the kale slaw, gather red onion, curly kale, carrots, red cabbage, fuji apple, and sunflower seeds.
Maple syrup: I use maple syrup in this recipe to keep it vegan. However, you can also substitute maple syrup for orange juice as a natural sweetener. You can also use honey to make kale and cabbage salad with creamy honey mustard dressing.Apple cider vinegar: Don’t have apple cider vinegar on hand? Don’t worry! Red wine vinegar works just as well for giving this recipe its irresistible bite.Apple: Any apple, cubed or sliced, will work for this recipe. Fuji apples, pink lady apples, and even Granny Smith apples are tasty options.Kale: For this nutritious salad, I use curly kale. However, lacinato kale —also known as dinosaur kale or Tuscan kale—will also work.Nuts: Though I garnish this dish with sunflower seeds, any nuts or candied nuts would be a great addition. Delicious, filling, and protein-packed—who wouldn’t want to add nuts to this apple mixture?Red cabbage: If you’re not a fan of red cabbage, you can use shredded Brussels sprouts instead for a healthy, robust addition. Even better, you can make this step extra easy when you learn how to shred Brussels sprouts like a pro.
By itself: Serve this kale slaw as a big, healthy salad, and you’ll have mouths watering in no time. Simply add grain to make this meal extra filling. Anything from quinoa to bulgur wheat, black rice to wild rice, will work! And if you want to treat yourself, sprinkle it with a few tablespoons of shredded parmesan cheese at the end.With shrimp: Kale slaw makes a great side dish for smoky and succulent grilled shrimp. Try this recipe alongside shrimp kabobs, and your tastebuds will thank you.With tacos: The garden-fresh bite of this kale slaw is the perfect accompaniment for Flank Steak Tacos, Beef Brisket Tacos, and even Quinoa Black Bean Tacos.
Make ahead: You can prepare your Maple Dijon Vinaigrette up to 2 days in advance and store it in an airtight container or mason jar. Then, put together the rest of the apple salad recipe on the day you wish to eat it. Assembly only takes 5 minutes! Storage: Once prepared, kale and apple coleslaw will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Be sure to store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Steep the red onion: Letting your red onion soak in the vinaigrette will give them a great texture and make them less bitter. This step ensures that red onion gives your salad a robust flavor without being overpowering.Slice everything thinly: To make sure every bite of this recipe bursts with flavor, make sure you thinly slice all of your ingredients. Small pieces make it easier for your veggies to soak up the tangy dressing.Massage the kale: Though it may seem like an odd step, massaging the kale is crucial to giving your leaves the perfect, tender texture. The massaging process infuses the kale with the acidic dressing, which helps break down the parts of fresh kale that are hard to digest. This process is also used in my Kale Avocado Salad to make it as succulent and flavorful as possible.
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