Chef Zelish
Lemon Kale & Apple Salad with Pumpkin Seeds
Tender massaged kale, crisp apple and roasted pumpkin seeds meet a bright lemon-Dijon dressing. A fresh, dairy-free side with 15 minutes of hands-on prep.
By Chef Zelish · Course: Side Salads
- Yield
- 4 side servings
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Rest
- 10 min
- Total
- 25 min
Equipment
Kitchen scale, large mixing bowl, salad spinner or clean kitchen towel, chopping board, sharp knife, small bowl, whisk, measuring spoons and serving bowl. Spoon measures are 5 ml per teaspoon and 15 ml per tablespoon.
Ingredients
Salad
200 g curly kale leaves
weighed after removing thick stems; washed and thoroughly dried
1 medium crisp red-skinned apple
about 160-180 g whole; washed
30 g roasted unsalted pumpkin seeds
shelled green pepitas, ready to eat
Lemon-Dijon dressing and seasoning
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
divided: 1 tablespoon for kale, 1 for dressing
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
from about half a juicy lemon; measure the juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup
¼ teaspoon fine salt
for massaging the kale
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
- Prepare the kale
Prepare the kale. Strip out and discard the thick central stems, then weigh 200 g of leaves. Wash and dry them thoroughly in a salad spinner or with a clean towel. Tear into pieces about 2-3 cm (1 inch) across and put in a large mixing bowl.
- Soften the leaves
Soften the leaves. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and all the salt. With clean hands, gently squeeze and rub handfuls of kale for about 2 minutes. Stop when the leaves look darker, feel more flexible and occupy less space; they should still have texture rather than look crushed.
- Rest the kale for 10 minutes before continuing
Rest the kale for 10 minutes before continuing. Taste a leaf: it should be easier to chew. If it still feels very tough, massage it briefly again. Extra massaging or resting may be needed for particularly mature leaves.
- Make the dressing and cut the apple
Make the dressing and cut the apple. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, maple syrup and black pepper with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil until evenly combined. Quarter and core the washed apple, leaving the skin on, then cut into thin slices about 2 mm thick.
- Dress the salad
Dress the salad. Immediately add the apple and all the dressing to the softened kale. Toss thoroughly, lifting from the bottom, until the leaves and apple are lightly coated. The apple slices should be spread through the greens rather than left in one pile.
- Finish and serve
Finish and serve. Fold in half the pumpkin seeds. Transfer to a shallow serving bowl and scatter the remaining seeds over the top. Divide into four side portions and serve while the apple and seeds are crisp.
Kitchen notes
Helpful tips
Timing: allow about 15 minutes of active preparation plus a separate 10-minute rest, for roughly 25 minutes total. No cooking is needed because the pumpkin seeds are bought already roasted. Older kale may need a longer massage or rest; use the texture cue instead of treating the timer as a guarantee.
Helpful tips
Kale and dressing: weigh the trimmed leaves, not the whole bunch. Water left on the leaves will dilute the dressing. If the salad tastes flat, toss again so the dressing reaches the lower leaves before adjusting the seasoning. Fine salt is specified; coarse salt does not measure identically by volume.
Substitutions
Use a firm pear instead of the apple, or roasted sunflower seeds instead of pumpkin seeds, in the same quantity. These variations may change the texture and flavour. Mustard is an ingredient in this dressing; check packaged ingredients against your dietary requirements.
Storage
For advance preparation, keep the washed, dried kale and mixed dressing in separate covered containers in the refrigerator. Prepare the apple and finish the salad close to serving. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and aim to eat them the next day for texture; the apple may darken and the seeds will soften. Keep extra seeds separate if you plan to save a portion.
Serving
Makes four small side servings. Pair with a baked potato or a grain-based main. For a larger meal-sized salad, plan an additional substantial component rather than assuming one side portion is a full meal.
Helpful tips
The accompanying images are illustrations of the ingredients, method and intended serving.
Source: https://chefzelish.com/lemon-kale-apple-salad-pumpkin-seeds/
Published Sep 18, 2026