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    Home » Side Dishes » Kale Greek Salad

    Dec 29, 2011 · Modified: Oct 16, 2020 by Sues · This post may contain affiliate links, uses cookies, and generates income via ads · View privacy policy + disclosure statement linked in footer · 8 Comments

    Kale Greek Salad

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Thanks to lots of fresh vegetables, kalamata olives, and feta cheese, a Greek salads is always delicious. But a Kale Greek Salad is both delicious and extra healthy!

    Overhead view of kale Greek salad in a serving bowl with fork, bowl of dressing, and second salad bowl in the background and recipe title at top(This recipe for Kale Greek Salad was originally published in December 2011, but was updated with new photos in 2019).

    If we go out to lunch together, chances are you won't see me ordering a salad. But that doesn't necessarily mean I'm averse to ordering salads out. If a restaurant offers me a salad featuring ahi tuna, for instance, I'm generally game. Or if I'm going through one of my regular Caesar salad cravings (but let's be honest, Caesar salads are generally pretty lacking in vegetables). Or yes, the typical Greek salad. It must be something about the combination of fresh veggies with kalamata olives and feta cheese (read: salt!) that I absolutely love. But no matter the salad, I've never been much for iceberg lettuce. Romaine doesn't really do it for me either. Kale, on the other hand? Not only do I feel like some sort of healthy rockstar when I eat kale, but I also find it to be so much more flavorful than all that other watery, bland stuff.

    In continuing with my let's add more vegetables to my diet as soon as possible mantra, I whipped up this quick Kale Greek Salad. I think I get extra points for healthifying it up with kale. But who's keeping score? Just me? OK.

    KALE GREEK SALAD RECIPE

    Let's not pretend I invented the wheel, here. I'm not that smart. Everyone knows how to make a salad and everyone has preferences for what they like in a salad. I used the typical Greek salad veggies, but feel free to subtract any out or add any in. I did use kale in place of lettuce after all. For me, this is the most perfect Greek salad and if I love it this much, I hope you will, too!

    All you really have to do is clean and chop your kale (making sure to remove the tough ribs) and slice the rest of your veggies. Oh, and crumble that feta, too!

    Greek Salad Dressing Recipe

    Before you add everything to a big bowl, make your dressing. This part is important! Again, this one is a pretty basic with a couple little tweaks. I love a garlic-y salad dressing, so I used not only minced garlic, but some garlic powder, too. The lemon adds a nice touch of brightness and the dijon and red wine vinegar a little bite.

    Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl or whatever kind of container you like to make your dressing in.

    Overhead view of Greek salad dressing mixed together in bowl

    Why Should I Massage Kale?

    Now, put the kale in a big bowl and pour about 4 Tbsp dressing over it. Using your (clean) hands, gently massage the dressing into the kale. You don't have to go crazy, but just spend a minute or two massaging it (believe it or not, massaging kale is kind of therapeutic). When you eat kale raw, it can be a little bit tough and massaging it helps break down the cell structure and soften it a bit. If you haven't enjoyed kale salads in the past, try massaging the kale and see if that makes a difference for you! Don't massage it too much, though, or the kale may start to get soggy!

    Once your kale is sufficiently massaged (take a bite to see how you like the consistency!) add your veggies, olives, and cheese on top.

    Overhead view of ingredients for kale Greek salad salad in bowl, including kale, cucumber, red pepper, onion, tomato, kalamata olive, and feta

    Add some more of the salad dressing and toss!

    Overhead view of ingredients for kale Greek salad all mixed together in serving bowl

     

    Serve on individual plates or bowls and add more dressing if you desire. If you're a bit nervous about eating raw kale in a salad, don't be!! The flavor of the kale isn't over-powering in this kale Greek salad and thanks to that nice luxurious massage, it isn't too chewy either.

    But the best part? Make your Greek salad with kale means your Greek salad has even more flavor thanks to the yummy bite the kale brings!

    Head-on closeup view of a bowl of kale Greek salad with bowl of dressing, sliced red onion, and two more bowls of salad in background

    I offered some salad to Chris, but made sure to warn him that he may not like the raw kale... He took a bite and said, "why wouldn't I?"

    Guys, I have officially converted Chris into being a no complaints made kale eater. You have no idea how proud of myself I am. Maybe he wouldn't order a Greek salad with kale when we're out at a restaurant, but he happily eats them at home. And he also happily drinks all the green smoothies with kale that I serve to him.

    Overhead view from a distance of three bowls of kale Greek salad, fork, bowl of Greek dressing, and cutting board with sliced red onion and tomato

    If this kale Greek salad salad was always in my fridge, I think I'd happily eat it for lunch every day. And if I wanted a sandwich, I'd put it in a pita and call it a lunch! As it is, this recipe made a pretty big salad, so I enjoyed it for quite a few days.

    Now, if only I had someone to run to the grocery store and chop all these vegetables for me every week. Hmmm. (oh and while they're at it, they should probably hide the cookies and candy from me, too).

    Overhead view of kale Greek salad in a serving bowl with fork, bowl of dressing, and second salad bowl in the background

    Let's just say that so far, I'm pretty happy about adding these extra vegetables into my life. Let's hope I can carry it into the New Year! But first, I think I'm going to enjoy my weekend quite a bit. Maybe even sans kale. You?

    Are you a salad person? Do you ever eat your salads with kale?

    If you like this Greek salad with kale, be sure to check out my Greek Nachos with Lamb or my Greek Skillet Lasagna. If you're looking for more kale salad recipes, check out this delicious Kale Berry Salad from Kudos Kitchen by Renee!

    Kale Greek Salad -- Thanks to lots of fresh vegetables, kalamata olives, and feta cheese, a Greek salads is always delicious. But a Kale Greek Salad is both delicious and extra healthy! | wearenotmartha.com

    Kale Greek Salad

    Thanks to lots of fresh vegetables, kalamata olives, and feta cheese, a Greek salads is always delicious. But a Kale Greek Salad is both delicious and extra healthy!
    No ratings yet
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    Course: Side, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, Eclectic, Greek
    Keyword: Greek Salad with Kale, Homemade Greek Salad, Salads with Kale
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Makes: 6 servings
    Author: Sues

    Ingredients

    • 6 cups kale, cleaned, ribs removed, and roughly chopped
    • 1 batch Greek dressing (recipe below)
    • 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
    • 1 small cucumber, sliced
    • 1 red pepper, sliced
    • ½ red onion, thinly sliced
    • ¾ cup kalamata olives
    • 1 cup feta cheese

    Greek Dressing

    • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • ½ tsp garlic powder
    • 1 tsp dried oregano
    • ½ tsp dried basil
    • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 tsp dijon mustard
    • 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • ⅛ cup red wine vinegar

    Instructions

    • Place kale in a large bowl and drizzle about 4 Tbsp of Greek dressing over it. Using your (clean) hands, gently massage kale for 1-2 minutes, until kale is softened but not soggy.
    • Add tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, onion, olives, and feta cheese to the kale, along with more of the dressing. Toss to combine.
    • Serve salad on individual plates or in individual bowls with additional dressing on the side.

    Greek Salad Dressing

    • Add all ingredients in a small bowl or salad dressing container and whisk together to combine. Keep dressing in airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
    Share a Photo of Your Finished Recipe!Mention @wearenotmartha and share a photo if you've made the recipe!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Simply Life says

      December 30, 2011 at 8:22 am

      Greek salads are one of my favorite way to eat veggies- this looks fabulous!

    2. Erica says

      December 30, 2011 at 8:28 am

      I am a salad addict! Greek is one of my favorites-feta is just sooo good. The dressing sounds yummy

    3. Emily @ A Cambridge Story says

      December 30, 2011 at 10:21 am

      This is an amazing idea!! I love cooked kale and who can say no to those Greek salad toppings? The combo sounds like a perfect way to get your veggies!

    4. Melissa says

      December 30, 2011 at 3:30 pm

      Great idea! Makes me want to rush out and buy kale ASAP!

    5. Gia Grossman says

      December 30, 2011 at 5:19 pm

      The only way to make a Greek salad even better! Now I'm craving one. The dressing recipe is great!

    6. Kerstin says

      December 30, 2011 at 7:52 pm

      Definitely extra points for using kale! You've elevated both a traditional kale or Greek salad to something really special 🙂

    7. Kalyn says

      December 31, 2011 at 12:00 pm

      What a fantastic idea!!

    8. Amanda says

      December 19, 2013 at 5:36 pm

      Wow! I'm glad I stumbled on to the site. It's adorable. The salad looks amazing. I've only eaten Kale in soups and decided to google if it could be used for salads as I do slightly tire of iceberg, romaine lettuce and spinach after the summer months. It seems undoubtedly yes! 😀

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