As a big kale salad lover, I’m always looking for new ways to enjoy it. And this fall kale salad is definitely my latest obsession. This packed harvest kale salad is made with shredded lacinato kale, crisp apple, red onion and pancetta for a salty, crunchy addition. Topped with a delicious cinnamon-apple cider dressing, shaved parmesan and my favourite sweet and spicy pecans.

One of the best things about this fall kale salad with apple is how amazing it holds up after making it. You can dress it in advance and it will still hold up just fine. Or you can prep the add-in ingredients in advance and assemble just before serving, either way it’s a perfectly balanced fall inspired kale salad.

Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this loaded apple kale salad, including the sweet and spicy pecans.

pecans
maple syrup
Aleppo pepper (or chili flakes)
chili powder
cinnamon‍
pancetta
lacinato kale
red onion
honeycrisp apple
parmigiano reggiano
extra virgin olive oil
lemon juice (fresh)
raw apple cider vinegar
dijon mustard
kosher salt

How to Make This Fall Kale Salad

The first thing to make are the sweet and spicy pecans which make an amazing topping and add tons of flavour and texture.

Combine the pecans, maple syrup, Aleppo pepper, chili powder and cinnamon in a skillet and mix together. Turn on the stove to medium heat. Cook for about four to six minutes, stirring often until bubbly and toasted. Adjust the heat as needed to avoid burning.

During the last minute, drizzle with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt and turn off the heat. Let them cool out of the skillet and on a plate. Roughly chop or leave them whole and set them aside.

Next, make the pancetta.

Heat a large skillet over medium-low. Add the pancetta and cook until crispy, about seven to ten minutes, adjusting the heat to low to avoid burning. Stir fairly often to ensure all pieces get cooked through without any burning.

Remove the pancetta and set aside on a paper towel lined plated.

Next, it’s time to make the dressing.

Combine all ingredients in the standing container for your immersion blender (or add all ingredients to a blender).

Use your immersion blender to process until smooth and creamy (or blend in a blender until smooth). Season with the salt and a pinch of black pepper.

Place the kale in a large salad bowl. Toss some of the dressing with the kale and mix very well with your hands to massage the dressing into the kale, until softened.

kale in a large white bowl with dressing.

Add the onion, apple and pancetta and drizzle with a bit more dressing. Gently toss to combine.

other ingredients added to kale in bowl.

Top with the parmesan and pecans. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

Render the fat from the pancetta: to get the pancetta crispy and render the fat, I suggest to cook the cubed pancetta low and slow. I prefer using a larger dutch oven or large skillet to give the pancetta enough room. It will release a lot of fat and oil, so there is no need to add oil to the pan first. If you won’t be adding any oil to the pan (I don’t), then be sure to cook over low heat. Once some of the fat is rendered and creates its own oil in the skillet, you can turn the heat up slightly to get it crispy for the last few minutes.
Make the pecans ahead of time: I like making a big batch of the sticky pecans ahead and storing them until ready to use. You can store them in a sealed container in the fridge or on the counter for a few days.
Slice the kale thin: this creates a better tasting salad, trust! To do this, roll up a few pieces of kale into a tight cigar shape (the tough center rib part removed) and then slice to make long, thin ribbons.
Massage the kale: my go-to method when making kale salads is so massage the dressing into the kale. This helps to soften the kale and creates a better overall texture and flavour.
Don’t pour on all of the dressing right away: depending on how you like your salads dressed, start with half of the dressing and add more as needed.
Use lacinato kale: my preference for this fall kale salad is to use lacinato kale which is milder in terms of texture than curly kale. If you can only find curly kale, use that and be sure to chop it thin as well.
Drizzle the apple with lemon juice: if you’ll be storing this salad away for later, drizzle a bit of fresh lemon juice on the apple to keep it from browning. There’s no need to do this if you’re serving it right away.

Substitutions

Aleppo pepper: although I love Aleppo pepper and use it very often, if you don’t have it, substitute with chili flakes for the pecans. The flavour is a little different, but it will work.
Pancetta: use chopped bacon, lardon or guanciale instead. If you don’t want any pork, omit it altogether. It will still taste amazing.
Parmesan: I’ve used manchego instead and it’s delicious too. Or if you need it to be dairy-free, omit the cheese.
No blender/immersion blender: you can simply whisk the dressing ingredients together in a bowl. It won’t become as emulsified this way, but it’s still delicious and it works the same.

Ingredients & Products I Recommend:

I share these products to show you what I choose to use in my kitchen as staple ingredients I use daily (or weekly).

Kosher salt:

I exclusively use Diamond Crystal kosher salt for all of my recipes. I prefer the texture, taste and consistency of this brand and highly recommend it for everyday cooking.

Aleppo pepper:

I love using Aleppo pepper in recipes because the flavour isn’t too strong or spicy. It’s one of my most used spices and I highly recommend it.

Immersion blender:

I love using this cordless immersion blender from Cuisinart for blending and puréeing sauces, soups and dressings.

How to Store This Fall Kale Salad

You can meal prep all of the ingredients ahead and then toss everything together right before serving.

It also holds up pretty well in the fridge fully dressed. Store it in a sealed container for up to one day in advance.

I would suggest leaving out the pancetta as it will lose its crispiness once tossed in the dressing as it sits.

The apple may get a little soft, so if you can also leave that out that would be best.

More Fall Salads to Try

Ready to make this? Let’s go!

If you make this fall kale salad with apple, please let me know by tagging me on Instagram, or leave a comment and/or review below!

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