Front Range Fed

  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Salads

    Chopped Kale Salad

    Modified: Mar 1, 2025 · Published: Dec 3, 2019 by Sarah Jenkins. This post may contain affiliate links. See the Privacy Policy at the bottom of this page.

    Jump to Recipe

    This Chopped Kale Salad is loaded with all the flavors of fall: shaved brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, maple roasted walnuts, dried cranberries, and crumbled crunchy bacon, all topped with a bright raspberry vinaigrette. A must-have during the colder winter months.

    kale salad with brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, and maple walnuts.

    How was your Thanksgiving? Ours was a blast, with lots of good food and family, way too much pie, and tons of laughter.

    And now that we’re full-on into the stretch before Christmas, I’m looking for some ways to manage the influx of holiday cookies, cocktails, and rich dishes that I know are headed our way.

    Enter this kale salad, which tastes like fall, and has tons of good for your greens and veggies. But it's also just enough indulgence that will make you feel like you’re still eating something really decadent and special.

    It’s perfect for this time of year and has all my favorite fall flavors. Fresh greens, soft roasted butternut squash, tangy cheese, and crumbled bacon. For an extra special topping, I added some maple-spiced roasted walnuts, which totally made the taste and the texture of this salad pop for me.

    Key Ingredients

    This is the perfect salad to make when the weather starts getting colder since it has all the best fall ingredients. Here are the star players:

    • Kale. Chopped into small, bite-sized pieces.
    • Butternut squash. I love roasted butternut squash. It tastes really great, even when still warm, when added to this salad.
    • Brussels sprouts. Sounds weird to put brussels sprouts in a salad, but when you shave them thinly they add a lot of great flavor and texture to this crunchy fall salad.
    • Cranberries. Cranberries ad tons of great texture and a touch of sweetness to this chopped kale salad.
    • Spiced walnuts. Such a great sweet addition to the salad.
    • Bacon. Bacon in a salad? Yes! It adds tons of flavor and some great crunch to this dish. (And honestly, do you ever turn down bacon?) Learn how to make oven-baked bacon here.
    • Vinaigrette. This one is so good. The perfect balance of sweet and tangy.
    roasted butternut squash cubes.

    How To Make This Chopped Kale Salad

    This is a slightly more time-consuming salad to make since you have to roast the walnuts and also the butternut squash. But, you can do a big batch of the nuts ahead of time (they make great gifts on their own for the holidays). And if you buy a package of pre-chopped butternut squash, all you really need to do is pop it in the oven for about 20 minutes and you’re good to go.

    After that, assembling the chopped kale salad is easy! Here's what you'll do:

    1. Shred your kale and your Brussels sprouts (I used a mandolin for the Brussels sprouts to make them nice and thin). 
    2. Make your vinaigrette by sautéing the shallot in oil for a couple of minutes. This not only physically softens the shallot but softens the bitterness of the taste as well. Add in some apple cider vinegar, thyme, a scoop of raspberry preserves, and a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Whisk these well to combine.
    3. Add your dressing. Pour about ¼ cup of the vinaigrette over the kale and Brussels sprouts mixture and toss to coat. You can add more dressing if you’d like, but be careful not to drench your leaves. I used only about half of the vinaigrette and it was plenty. You can store the rest for another use later.
      (Just a note: I LOVE this dressing! It’s totally worth it to double the batch and use it for other salads!)
    4. Let it rest. I like to let the salad sit for at least 10-15 minutes with the kale to really let the dressing soak in. This makes the kale a bit less bitter and not quite as tough in texture.
    5. Add your toppings. Top the salad with the butternut squash (it’s ok if the squash hasn’t cooled completely – I actually love eating this salad when it’s a bit warm!). Then add the dried cranberries, spiced walnuts, bacon, and shaved parmesan cheese. Serve the salad immediately. 
    close up of kale salad with shaved brussels sprouts and butternut squash.

    Can I Make This Chopped Kale Salad Ahead In Advance?

    If you’d like to make this kale salad ahead of time, you totally can. It actually is one that gets better with a little time. Letting the kale marinate in the dressing gives the flavors of the dressing a chance to really penetrate the kale leaves. But, if you’re planning to do this, I would store your toppings separately from the salad, then add them just before serving. Storing the nuts, bacon, and cheese with the salad may make them a bit soft and you’ll lose the crunch that’s so great with this salad.

    What To Serve With This Chopped Kale Salad

    This salad is a delicious main dish when you're looking for a light meal, but it also pairs really well with a crispy sourdough grilled cheese sandwich, grilled mediterranean chicken, or this delicious lentil and carrot soup.

    This Chopped Kale Salad is such a great dish for this time of year – I hope you try it! (And tag me on IG if you do!!)

    Looking For More Salad Recipes? Check These Out!

    • Burrata Salad With Cherries And Hot Honey
    • Chopped Zucchini Salad With Parmesan And Herbs
    • Tomato Salad With Grains, Mint, And Feta
    • Chickpea And Veggie Salad With Dill Dressing
    • Spinach, Strawberry, Goat Cheese And Candied Walnut Salad
    • Easy Hamburger Salad Bowl Recipe

    Recipe

    kale salad with brussel sprouts, roasted butternut squash, and maple walnuts

    Kale Salad With Shaved Brussel Sprouts, Roasted Butternut Squash, And Maple Spiced Walnuts

    Author: Sarah Jenkins
    This kale salad is loaded with all the flavors of fall: shaved brussel sprouts, roasted butternut squash, maple roasted walnuts, dried cranberries, and crumbled crunchy bacon, all topped with a bright raspberry vinaigrette. A must have during the colder winter months.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories

    Ingredients
      

    For The Salad

    • maple spiced walnuts
    • 2 cups shredded brussle sprouts
    • 1 large bunch of shredded kale (about 5-6 cups)
    • 1 cup butternut squash, cubed
    • 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • ½ cup dried cranberries
    • 3 strips bacon, crumbled
    • ¼ cup shaved parmesan cheese

    For The Vinaigrette

    • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 1/ cup shallot, chopped
    • 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 ½ tsp raspberry perserves

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
    • Place your cubed butternut squash onto a baking sheet and mix well with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with a dash of salt before baking at 450 for about 20 minutes. Once cooked, allow to cool slightly before adding to the salad.
    • If you haven’t made them already, make your spiced nuts (see note).
    • While your squash is baking, separate kale from stems and roughly shred into pieces.
    • Next, prepare your vinaigrette. Sautee the shallot in the olive oil in a small pot over medium heat on the stove for 2-3 minutes, until the shallot is tender and translucent.  Remove from heat and add the apple cider vinegar, freshly chopped thyme, raspberry preserves, and a dash of salt and pepper. Whisk well to combine.
    • Combine the shredded kale and shredded brussel sprouts in a large bowl and pour a small amount of dressing (about ¼ cup) onto the mixture. Stir well to coat the kale leaves and the brussel sprouts.
    • Top the salad with the crumbled bacon, squash, spiced nuts and shaved parmesan cheese.
    • Serve immediately.

    Notes

    *Find the recipe for maple spiced walnuts here! 
    Keyword Brussel sprouts, butternut squash, fall salad, kale, kale salad
    Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

    More Salads

    • closeup view of pomegranate couscous salad with pistachio, lemon and mint.
      Festive Pomegranate and Couscous Salad
    • coleslaw for pulled pork in bowl.
      Best Homemade Crunchy Coleslaw for Pulled Pork
    • 4-ingredient pesto pasta salad in serving bowl on countertop with basil sprinkled on top.
      Simple, 4 Ingredient Pasta Salad Recipe
    • mediterranean cucumber salad in serving bowl on countertop.
      Chopped Mediterranean Cucumber Salad With Tomato

    Comments

    No Comments

    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

    Did you try this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Sarah Jenkins

    Hi, I'm Sarah! I love creating dishes based on what's in season and using local ingredients as often as I can. I hope you'll find some new to you recipes here that will inspire you to make something delicious!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • closeup of lazy lasagna with frozen cheese ravioli, pieces cut.
      Lazy Baked Frozen Ravioli Lasagna (With Cheese Ravioli)
    • closeup of buffalo wild wings garlic parmesan chicken pasta in serving bowl.
      Easy Crockpot Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
    • dump and bake meatball casserole in casserole dish on countertop.
      Quick And Easy Dump And Bake Meatball Casserole
    • stack of air fryer biscuits on cutting board with bowl of jelly on the side.
      Easy Perfect And Fluffy Canned Air Fryer Biscuits 
    • cornbread cowboy casserole in dutch oven on countertop with section of casserole spooned out.
      Easy Cornbread Cowboy Casserole With Beef And Beans
    • glazed meatloaf on platter.
      EASY Lipton Onion Soup Meatloaf Recipe
    • small batch chocolate chip cookies piled onto cutting board.
      Best Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
    • sheet pan pancakes with mix in pan with strawberries, blueberries and chocolate chips.
      Sheet Pan Pancakes From Mix

    Latest Recipes

    • pork carnitas burrito cut in half on plate.
      Chipotle-Style Pork Carnitas Burrito Recipe
    • instant pot pork carnitas on platter.
      Easy Instant Pot Carnitas Recipe - Crispy And Juicy!
    • two wine glasses with hugo spritz, garnished with mint and lemon wheel with St-Germain bottle in the background.
      How To Make A Hugo Spritz - The Ultimate Summer Cocktail
    • bowl of turkey tetrazzini on countertop.
      Easy Leftover Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe (Lighter Version!)
    Subscribe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    INFO

    Privacy Policy & Disclaimer

    Contact

    SUBSCRIBE

    Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Follow

    Instagram

    Facebook

    Pinterest

    Copyright © 2025 Front Range Fed

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.