Incredibly fresh, easy and delicious, this massaged kale avocado salad is made with sweet blueberries and creamy feta cheese and tossed in a zesty lemon dressing! It takes minutes to prepare and is perfect to serve as a side or main with grilled chicken or fish. {Gluten-free, & vegetarian}
If you’re on a hunt for the BEST kale salad of all times, this kale avocado salad with blueberries, feta and almonds is one tasty way to incorporate some extra goodness into your day!
Loaded with sweet and zesty flavours, this kale salad recipe will leave you feeling so satisfied, refreshed and rejuvenated. It’s definitely a keeper!
The blueberries add an amazing burst of juicy sweetness, the feta is tangy and creamy, while the sliced almonds add a nice crunch. Not to mention, the kale leaves are massaged in a zesty lemon dressing so they are perfectly tender and flavourful.
Every bite is seriously SO delicious!
Made with simple and wholesome ingredients, this easy blueberry kale salad comes together in no time at all, and pairs well with so many meals. Say hello to your new favourite salad!
For more kale salad ideas, be sure to try my Kale Salad with Cranberries and Roasted Beets and Carrots Kale Salad too!
Table of Contents
Why we love this kale salad with lemon dressing
- Quick and easy: It takes no more than 15 minutes to put this salad together and there’s no cooking involved!
- Make ahead: Kale is a great ingredient to use in salads, because unlike other leafy greens, it doesn’t wilt when tossed in the dressing. In fact, it usually tastes better the next day!
- Nutrient-dense: This massaged raw kale salad is packed with good stuff! Full of fibre, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, this is one tasty nutrient-packed dish you can feel great about eating!
Ingredient notes
- Kale: Remove any thick stems and tear or chop the kale into smaller bite-sized pieces before massaging it in the dressing so that it’s easy to eat. You can use pre-chopped kale to make this salad even easier.
- Avocado: When it comes to salad, creamy avocado is never a bad idea! Use one that’s ripe (but not brown) and dice it before tossing with the other ingredients.
- Blueberries: Fresh blueberries add a nice hint of sweetness and taste amazing with the lemon dressing. I also love the pop of colour they add.
- Sliced almonds: These add a great crunchy texture, a slight nutty flavour, in addition to healthy fats.
- Feta cheese: This Greek cheese is slightly salty and has a great creamy texture that compliments the sweet blueberries so well!
- For the lemon vinaigrette: The lemon dressing is made with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and zest, maple syrup, salt and pepper. It’s such a tasty dressing and can be used on other salads too!
How to massage kale
You might be wondering how exactly you “massage” kale, but it’s exactly like it sounds!
- First, remove the tough stems from the kale and chop the leaves into easy to eat bite-sized pieces.
- Pour over some of the dressing and then use your fingers to massage the dressing into the leaves.
- Massage them for about 2-3 minutes (or longer) until the leaves are soft and tender.
Don’t skip this step, since it’s key to reducing the toughness and bitterness of the kale leaves!
Step by step instructions
- To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, maple syrup, salt and pepper in a small bowl or mason jar and set aside.
- To prepare the salad, place kale in a large bowl. Pour about one third of the dressing over the kale and massage into the leaves for several minutes.
- Add the avocado, blueberries, almonds and feta cheese. Pour desired amount of additional dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- Serve immediately or allow to sit in the fridge for several hours. Store the remaining dressing in a container in the fridge for later use (I only used two thirds of the dressing for this salad).
Recipe Notes for the best kale salad:
- To pick the best bunch of kale, avoid wilted or browning leaves. The leaves and stalks should be dark green with small- to medium-sized leaves free of any yellowing. You want it to be firm and dry; not wilted and mushy.
- Massage the kale leaves well with a bit of the dressing to reduce the toughness and bitterness of the kale. I used about a third of the dressing to massage the kale.
- You can use pre-chopped kale to cut down on prep time. Just be sure to remove any of the tough stems that might be present.
- Adjust the amount of dressing used in the salad according to your personal taste. I only ended up using 2/3rds of the dressing on the whole salad. Any leftover dressing can be used on other salads as well!
- Allow the kale avocado salad to marinate in the fridge with the dressing for at least an hour before serving. I recommend even longer if possible. This will allow all of the flavours to come together and will soften up the kale leaves, making them less bitter and easier to chew.
Recipe FAQs
Curly kale, Tuscan kale, red kale and baby kale can all be eaten raw in salads. Curly kale is tougher and will require more massaging and baby kale is the most tender, though it has a milder flavour than other varieties.
For this kale salad, we recommend using Tuscan kale because it has a milder flavour that’s more suitable for a salad where you’re consuming the kale raw.
I highly recommend taking the time to massage the kale. Not only does it help to soften the leaves and make them easier to chew, but it also helps to reduce the bitterness.
Yes, kale can be eaten raw or cooked. Just be sure to remove the majority of tough stems when making kale salad as they can be tough to chew when raw.
Kale salads hold up well in the fridge unlike other leafy green salads such as spinach or lettuce, which tend to wilt easily.
Kale salad will keep well for up to 3 days in an airtight container. If you’re making this salad ahead of time, I recommend waiting to add the avocado until you’re ready to serve it, as it will start to brown after a day or two.
Kale is a highly nutritious leafy green that contains vitamins A, K, B6 and C, as well as good amounts of calcium, copper, manganese and potassium. This nutrient dense veggie is also a source of fibre and antioxidants, with 2.5 grams of fibre per 1 cup serving.
The carotenoids in kale can help reduce your risk of chronic disease such as diabetes, while the potassium, calcium, and magnesium can help lower blood pressure. Furthermore, the calcium in this leafy green can enhance overall bone health since it contains 10% of the daily calcium recommendation.
Finally, with its high amount of lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene, kale can reduce your risk of cataracts and help protect against vision loss. It’s recommended that we aim to get at least one dark green leafy vegetable per day and consuming more kale is a great way to meet this recommendation!
What to eat with kale salad
This kale salad with avocado pairs really well with some grilled chicken, fish or steak. It’s also perfect served up as a side at those potlucks or BBQs!
Try it with along with some of these mains:
- Grilled chicken (marinated in one of these healthy chicken marinades)
- Zucchini Turkey Burgers
- Almond Coconut Chicken Tenders
- Parmesan Crusted Cod
- Dijon Mustard Salmon with Walnuts
- Pesto Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Recipe variations
- To make plant-based: Make it vegan and dairy-free by omitting the feta cheese or using a plant-based alternative.
- Change up the fruit: Swap the blueberries for other fresh berries like raspberries or strawberries.
- Switch up the nuts: Instead of almonds, try using other nuts like walnuts or pecans, or use pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds to keep it nut-free.
- Try a different dressing: This salad would also taste amazing with this strawberry balsamic vinaigrette!
More Delicious Salad
- Grilled Chicken Strawberry Salad
- Quinoa Salad with Cranberries
- Sweet Potato Kale Bowl
- Greek Lentil Tabbouleh Salad
- Easy Asian Cucumber Salad
- Avocado and Steak Salad
- Spring Mix Salad
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!
Kale Salad Recipe with Avocado, Blueberries & Feta
Ingredients
For the kale salad
- 6 cups kale chopped or torn into bite sized pieces
- 1 ripe avocado diced
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
For the lemon dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 3-4 tablespoons maple syrup depending on how sweet you like it
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- To make the lemon dressing, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, maple syrup, salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
- To prepare the salad, place kale in a large bowl. Pour about one third of the dressing over the kale and massage into the leaves for several minutes.
- Add the avocado, blueberries, almonds and feta cheese. Pour desired amount of additional dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- Serve immediately or allow to sit in the fridge for several hours. Store the remaining dressing in a container in the fridge for later use (I only used about two thirds of the dressing).
Notes
- Massage kale leaves with a bit of the dressing to reduce the toughness and bitterness of the kale leaves. I used about a third of the dressing to massage the kale.
- You can use pre-chopped kale to cut down on prep time. Just be sure to remove any of the tough stems that might be present.
- Adjust the amount of dressing used in the salad according to your personal taste. I only ended up using 2/3rds of the dressing on the whole salad. Any leftover dressing can be used on other salads as well!
- Allow the kale avocado salad to marinate in the fridge with the dressing for at least an hour before serving. I recommend even longer if possible. This will allow all of the flavours to come together and will soften up those kale leaves, making them less bitter and easier to chew.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted April 2015 and was updated January 2022 to include more helpful tips and photos.
Ok, this salad is AMAZING Elysia!! So colourful and light with the blueberries, greens and zest of the lemon vinaigrette. It’s a refreshing addition to celebrate any occasion.
I made it this weekend to celebrate Mother’s Day with my family. This is perfect for any spring or summer get-together. I just LOVE it! This really made our Mother’s Day feast a big hit! My Mom is already asking me for the recipe of the lemon dressing to make for herself at home. ;) Keep these recipes coming!
Thanks so much for the feedback Alana! I’m so happy that you and your family enjoyed the salad! I’ve got a lot more recipes in the works, so stay tuned ;) Hope you had a wonderful day with your family!