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    Home Β» Popular

    Copycat Chick-fil-A Superfood Kale Salad

    Published on Aug 12, 2019 Β· Modified on Jul 20, 2020 by Kathryn - Leave a comment Β· 39 Comments

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    This Chick Fil A kale salad is a homemade version of the salad we love (and that you can get on Sunday!) and includes the most delicious maple vinaigrette.

    **This post was updated with new photos and revised copy in March 2020. Hope you love!**

    I'm so bloated you could use my stomach as a flotation device in the event of an emergency landing. That's what traveling does to me, no matter how well I eat...and boy, did we eat well. Park City is full of amazing places, and I just can't rave enough about their food, the relaxed vibe, the outdoor scene, and did I already mention their bougie restaurants that are just to die for? I'll try to do an Eating Your Way Through Park City post soon. That's for another day though.

    aerial shot of two bowls of kale salad with jar of vinaigrette and nuts scattered on the counter

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    Given my eating indiscretions, I'm back on the healthy wagon and spent nearly $300 at Whole Foods this morning to repent for my sins. I'm craving all the salads this week, so it's only natural I'd turn to this salad -- one of my favorites lately.

    The fun thing about cooking and recipe experimentation is the ability to make small changes that make a big difference, like the changes made in this superfood kale salad. While Chick-Fil-A is pretty tight-lipped about their ingredients in their maple vinaigrette dressing, I think I've found a salad and dressing that's pretty damn close...and dare I say...EVEN BETTER.

    side shot of chick fil a kale salad

    The Super Secret, Double Blind Experiment

    Better than CFA?! Yep. That's a bold statement. I've tricked many a people on our leadership team with which one is the real one (because I've actually made it and had it catered for the team...sneaky). Most people can't tell the difference and if they can tell a difference, they prefer mine over Chick-fil-A's. I guess a double-blind super secret taste test is a good way to show you've nailed it.

    up close picture of bowl of salad

    Changes Made to the OG Chick-Fil-A Kale Salad Recipe

    Anyone can put together stuff in a bowl and call it a salad, but not everyone can make a good dressing that ties all of the stuff in the bowl together in the most perfect way. A good dressing is critical. Chick-fil-A's maple vinaigrette dressing is a little too sweet, IMHO. They also tend to drown the lettuce in the dressing like my 3 year-old playing with roly polies in a puddle. Chick-fil-A is also a little skimpy on the other ingredients besides their kale blend in the salad. I'm a kale fan and all but I don't want to just eat a bowl of kale drowned in a vinaigrette. Let's add more of the other ingredients.

    Ingredients You'll Need for this Salad

    Kale. Chick-fil-A uses a kale blend -- which means they put a little bit of kale in their salad and use other, cheaper lettuces. Let's cut to the chase and just use all kale, k? There's a lot to say about kale, so read the next section below to take your kale to the salon before eating. Kale likes to get all gussied up. Me and kale share that.

    flat lay of all ingredients needed to make kale salad: kale, broccolini, nuts, sour cherries, lemon, and maple vinaigrette.

    Broccolini. Fun fact: broccolini is trade-marked. Baby broccoli is not, so I'll use baby broccoli from here on out because I don't want to get sued by these guys. Baby broccoli is absolutely delicious with a delicate, sweeter taste than regular broccoli and packed with just as many essential vitamins and minerals. You'll simply boil it in salted water for 2 minutes then stick in an ice bath for another minute before chopping into pieces. Done.

    picture of broccolini getting boiled in a pot

    Nuts. Chick-fIl-A's superfood kale salad uses a roasted nut blend, which is Southern for I'm only giving you the cheapest nuts. That's cool. Just use whatever nuts you have on hand. Here, I roasted pine nuts, almonds, and pecans because that's what was in our pantry. (Side note: did you know macadamia nuts are the most expensive nuts in the world?)

    Dried sour cherries. Don't skip these. They make the salad pop with a tart, sweet bite amongst the super serious kale. Try to find dried sour cherries without added sugar if you can.

    bowl of broccolini taking an ice bath

    The Maple Vinaigrette

    For the maple vinaigrette, you'll need:

    • olive oil
    • pure maple syrup
    • apple cider vinegar
    • Dijon mustard
    • zest from one lemon
    • lemon juice
    • salt + pepper

    I've already raved about this vinaigrette, but to me it's the perfect combination of sweet (from the maple syrup) and acidic (from the vinegar) and really ties the simple salad together.

    aerial view of small jar of maple vinaigrette

    Kale: Massage it, massage it good.

    I think about 90% of people who don't like kale don't like it because it hasn't been massaged prior to eating. Kale is finicky -- it's large, dinosaur-like leaves are physically tough and can be tough on the gut as a result, but giving kale a quick beauty treatment tenderizes the kale and takes away much of the bitterness. Here are tips on how to massage your kale to peak satisfaction:

    • Quickly remove leaves from stems by running your fingers from the bottom of the kale stem to the top. Bye, stems!
    • Break up the kale into smaller pieces, then wash and dry. Drying is the hardest part -- but you'll want the leaves dry to prevent the kale from getting soggy.
    • Squeeze lemon juice on the leaves and massage with your fingers for about 2-3 minutes. You want to massage it well with your hands but not smother it so that the leaves become soggy.
    up close aerial view of bowl of chick fil a kale salad

    The dressing will also help tenderize the kale, so don't go too nuts on it. If you think kale is too bitter, you can double-wash your kale here, then add more lemon juice and massage again. I don't find kale terribly bitter though, so I stop after one round.

    Other Salads Y'all Will Love, Too

    Feelin' the salads along with me? Try some of my other favorites:

    • Spinach Salad with Mandarin Oranges and Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette
    • Copycat Cosi Salad with Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette
    • Citrus Fennel Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette
    • Tomato and Peach Salad with Whipped Goat Cheese

    This salad won't disappoint. Go and make you some. It's better than the one we spend too much money on. Guaranteed. Hope y'all enjoy!

    xox

    As always, if you make anything from the blog, be sure to let me know! I love hearing from you in the comments on this post below or find Worn Slap Out on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

    Copycat Chick-fil-A Superfood Kale Salad

    This superfood kale salad is perfect to enjoy year-round and involves a not-overly-sweet maple vinaigrette that ties in all of the goodness.
    4.68 from 53 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 side salads
    Recipe Author: Kathryn
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    Ingredients

    For the salad

    • 1 bunch baby broccoli
    • 1 bunch kale (about 8 cups), massaged and torn into pieces*
    • β…” cup dried sour cherries
    • β…“ cup assorted nuts, whatever you have on hand**
    • Β½ lemon

    For the vinaigrette

    • ΒΌ cup olive oil, high quality
    • 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
    • 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • 1 teaspoon zest from one lemon
    • Β½ lemon squeezed
    • salt and pepper, to taste

    Instructions

    • In a small frying pan, toast nuts for about 5 minutes or until you can smell the nutty aroma. Shake pan constantly so they don't stick. This is when you know they're sufficiently toasted.
    • Get a large bowl of ice water ready. Set aside.
    • Place baby broccoli in small saucepan filled with salted, boiling water. Boil for 2 minutes. Take out of water and stick in ice water for a minute.
    • Place all vinaigrette ingredients except for olive oil in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil until completely combined.
    • Using the kale and baby broccoli as your base, add in the cherries and nuts and toss with the dressing. Serve immediately.

    Notes

    *See notes in post on properly massaging kale
    **I used a combination of pine nuts, almonds, and walnuts in this one, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand!Β 
    Tried this recipe?Mention @wornslapout or tag #wornslapout!
    aerial view of two bowls with salad in them next to jar with vinaigrette, bowl of nuts, half a lemon, and sour cherries.

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    Comments

      4.68 from 53 votes (30 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. forex day trading software says

      March 27, 2020 at 10:05 pm

      I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I absolutely enjoyed every bit of it.

      I have got you book marked to look at new stuff you post…

      Reply
    2. Biana | TastyGalaxy.com says

      March 28, 2020 at 10:29 pm

      5 stars
      I love using kale in salads, it is delicious and good for you! Looking forward to trying this salad.

      Reply
    3. Krissy Allori says

      March 28, 2020 at 10:48 pm

      5 stars
      Yum! I love this salad at chick-fil-a! I can't wait to try this at home. Adding it to my menu for next week. Thanks!

      Reply
    4. Adrianne says

      March 28, 2020 at 10:55 pm

      5 stars
      What a perfect looking salad! Travel does that to me too, you are not alone. I love the super healthy focus of this recipe and it makes me feel good just looking at the photos, thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    5. Jill says

      March 28, 2020 at 11:43 pm

      5 stars
      I've eaten and enjoyed this salad before. So glad I can make it at home now thanks to your recipe!

      Reply
    6. Anita says

      March 28, 2020 at 11:59 pm

      5 stars
      I've never paired kale with baby broccoli. They worked out really well, and I'll be making this salad often from now on.

      Reply
    7. Sula says

      March 30, 2020 at 6:41 pm

      5 stars
      Oh yummy! This salad has everything I love. I like to keep dried Montmorency cherries on hand, will be giving them a try in this! Thanks!

      Reply
    8. Chef Mireille says

      March 30, 2020 at 6:59 pm

      5 stars
      love the flavors in the vinaigrette. The salad must be aweseome, but I'm funny about kale - I like lacinato but not the regular kale. so I would definitely make this with lacinato.

      Reply
    9. Amy Chung says

      March 31, 2020 at 6:23 pm

      5 stars
      What a great salad! And I totally agree about the salad dressing. That truly is the icing on the cake and one thing that binds the whole salad together.

      Reply
    10. Christie Gagnon says

      March 31, 2020 at 8:04 pm

      5 stars
      Can't wait to try this! The maple vinaigrette sounds dreamy!!

      Reply
    11. Bhawana says

      April 03, 2020 at 12:06 pm

      5 stars
      This is great, I love kale and this kale salad tempting me a lot. I am gonna try this copycat chick-fil-a recipe for sure.

      Reply
    12. Lisa Killian says

      April 03, 2020 at 5:39 pm

      5 stars
      I love Chick Fil A's Kale salad and this looks perfect!! Can't wait to make this at home now!

      Reply
    13. Alexandra says

      April 03, 2020 at 5:40 pm

      5 stars
      I LOVE kale, and this salad is my kind of fresh and delicious dish. Love the flavours!

      Reply
    14. Dawn says

      July 05, 2020 at 4:18 pm

      5 stars
      I am not a huge fan of lemon, so when I made it the second time, I halved the lemon related ingredients and like it better. If you have to include drying time for kale, leave lots and lots of extra drying prep time! Try to find prewashed kale if at all possible. Cherry juice infused cranberries are a cheaper alternative for dried cherries here.

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        July 05, 2020 at 6:23 pm

        Thanks for the additional tips, Dawn! I do love me some lemon, so I probably like more than the average bear here!

        Reply
    15. Lori says

      July 14, 2020 at 10:38 pm

      5 stars
      Love this salad when I used to go to Chick-Fil-A! And this one is even better!

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        July 16, 2020 at 6:07 pm

        Thanks so much, Lori! I love that you love this salad as much as I do!

        Reply
    16. Jen says

      September 01, 2020 at 2:19 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is spot-on, I make a big batch to last for a couple lunches...the kale holds the dressing well and does not wilt if you have left-overs....very yummy!

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        September 01, 2020 at 6:01 pm

        I'm so happy to hear this, Jen! Thanks for sharing your feedback!

        Reply
    17. Debbie says

      October 07, 2020 at 6:39 pm

      4 stars
      Hello I was looking for a kale dressing to top my kale blend I got at the market and this fit the bill. Love it! The only adjustment I made was to add less vinegar as that is to my taste.

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        October 09, 2020 at 9:50 pm

        I'm so glad you were able to make adjustments that worked for you! It's one of my favorite dressings!

        Reply
    18. Jeanne says

      January 05, 2021 at 4:04 pm

      5 stars
      Love your version of this salad. I like it better than Chick Fil A because I can control the amount of dressing used. I used Jacinto Kale which I find to be less bitter than regular kale. Will check your website often.Thank you!

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        January 05, 2021 at 11:10 pm

        Thanks so much for leaving a comment and rating, Jeanne! I'm so glad you loved it...and I love using Jacinto kale! Such a great idea.

        Reply
    19. Claudia says

      January 07, 2021 at 8:15 pm

      4 stars
      I love the Chick-FIl-A salad but did fill it needed more dressing. I love the sound of your dressing and can’t wait to use it. Now I can have kale salad more often. Thanks a billion!

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        January 08, 2021 at 10:52 am

        Thanks so much for leaving feedback, Claudia! That's a good note on the salad dressing -- and having extra from doubling the recipe isn't a bad thing!

        Reply
    20. Debbie says

      May 18, 2021 at 10:10 am

      I couldn’t have made this great salad without You. Thanks so much.

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        May 18, 2021 at 11:32 pm

        I'm so glad, Debbie. Thanks for dropping by!

        Reply
    21. Mark R says

      June 20, 2022 at 2:30 pm

      5 stars
      Very close to Chick-fil-A. Maybe even better. I use dried cherries and blueberries along with the dried cranberries. Excellent and healthy!

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        June 21, 2022 at 10:16 pm

        Hi, Mark! I'm so happy you loved it. Blueberries are such a great addition!

        Reply
    22. Jojo says

      February 23, 2023 at 6:25 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is πŸ”₯. We’re doing plants only for a cleanse and kale is recommended. I thought about the kale crunch salad, but I didn’t want to spend two dollars for something very small. I bought a bunch from Walmart and came home and follow the directions to a T. I would lean towards three minutes for massaging the kale. Two minutes left it a little tough for me on the first batch. The vinaigrette is so delicious, I could drink it. It will become a staple in our home. I did not use Dijon mustard because I didn’t have any. Yellow mustard still tasted pretty good. Excellent recipe. One less reason to eat out.

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        March 05, 2023 at 5:26 pm

        Thanks, Jojo! I'm so glad the recipe worked our well! Thank you for leaving such detailed feedback!

        Reply
    23. Eileen says

      April 27, 2023 at 2:24 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for this recipe. I love it. I made a double batch, sometimes doubling can be tricky so I did 3tb instead of 4 tb maple syrup and it was fine , still sweet, I may even try to go a little lower on the syrup.

      I'm glad I made double, it's almost gone already!

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        May 09, 2023 at 1:19 pm

        Glad to hear it went fast. Next time you'll have to triple the recipe! πŸ˜‰

        Reply
    24. Teresa says

      May 01, 2023 at 7:00 pm

      Love the dressing

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        May 09, 2023 at 1:13 pm

        Me, tooooo, Teresa! I think I could drink it straight from the jar. πŸ™‚

        Reply
    25. Amy Kobylarz says

      June 27, 2023 at 8:38 pm

      5 stars
      I just made the dressing and it’s AMAZING. Thank you

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        July 01, 2023 at 9:03 pm

        Yay! Love to hear this. I think I could drink this dressing. πŸ˜‰

        Reply
    26. Brittny B says

      July 09, 2023 at 9:26 pm

      5 stars
      Made this and it came together super well and tasted amazing. Everyone loved it and we will make this again and again. We used fresh premier kale from the garden.

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        July 09, 2023 at 9:45 pm

        I love that you have homegrown kale to use! Thanks so much for making this salad!

        Reply
    picture of kathryn, owner of worn slap out food blog.

    Hi, I'm Kathryn!

    Welcome to Worn Slap Out, a Southern-inspired recipe corner for busy people on the go. As a mom of two littles who also loves food, I need meals on the table ASAP but I also want to eat well. Here, you'll find quick, easy, and reasonably healthy meals you can make in a flash. Other loves include Georgia football, cake of all kinds, and elastic waistbands.


    More about me β†’

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