This Kale Cherry Salad makes eating healthy easy! It’s packed with super foods like hardy kale, cherries and blueberries, and it’s tossed with creamy goat cheese, almonds and a tangy balsamic dressing. Ingredients can be prepped in advance so it’s great for meal prep and entertaining!

Cherry salad with salad servers digging into the bowl

I have so many summer salad recipes that I look forward to making time and time again. While I make my horiatiki and corn and tomato salad on a regular basis, I tend to gravitate towards sweet and savory salads because I love incorporating my favorite summer fruits into them.

My strawberry spinach salad and fig salad recipes are tried and true favorites, but this Kale Cherry Salad is at the top of my list.

Kale is one of my favorite greens because it’s nice and hardy, and the bitterness balances out the sweetness of the cherries and blueberries perfectly.

The creamy goat cheese adds a wonderful tang, the almonds add a nice crunchy texture and flavor, and my sweet, tangy balsamic dressing brings everything together.

I’ve found myself craving this salad daily lately, and I plan to make it all summer long.

This is one crave worthy salad. 🙂

Kale cherry salad in a white bowl

Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • This kale cherry salad recipe is packed with super foods and sweet and savory flavors for the best summer salad ever.
  • Ingredients can be prepped up to a few days in advance to make salad assembly even more quickly.
  • It’s great for meal prep and elegant enough for entertaining.
  • It’s gluten-free and can be made dairy-free by omitting the goat cheese.

Recipe ingredients

This cherry salad recipe includes just a few ingredients which can be customized to suit your tastes.

Kale cherry salad recipe ingredients

Ingredient notes

  • Kale. I adore kale and use it in salads often. Curly kale and lacinato kale are my favorite varieties for salads, but many people find it tough and bitter. If this describes you, be sure to check out my massaged kale salad to find out how to massage kale for ultra tender leaves and a more mellow flavor. Baby kale may be used as a time saver or sub with your favorite greens.
  • Cherries. Fresh cherries are juicy and sweet, and pair beautifully with the bitter kale and tangy goat cheese. If fresh cherries aren’t in season, sub with with your favorite fruit or dried cherries.
  • Blueberries. The blueberries add a pop of color and flavor that pairs perfectly with the other ingredients.
  • Goat cheese. The tangy flavor of the goat cheese brings out the sweetness of the cherries and blueberries and tames the bitterness of the kale. Sub with feta cheese or omit to make this recipe dairy-free.
  • Almonds. Sub the almonds with pecans, walnuts or your favorite nuts or seeds.
  • Dressing. My balsamic vinaigrette dressing is sweet, tangy and compliments the ingredients in this summer kale salad perfectly. It can be substituted with your favorite store bought dressing.

How to make this summer kale salad

This summer kale salad recipe is brimming with plump, juicy cherries, blueberries and hardy kale, and many of the ingredients can be prepped in advance to make salad assembly even faster.

Pro tip: Massage the kale, prep the cherries and dressing, and toast the almonds up to a few days in advance.

See the recipe card below for full instructions.

How to make summer kale salad
  1. Toast the almonds in a skillet over medium low heat for 3-5 minutes till golden and fragrant.
  2. Pit the cherries with a cherry pitter.
  3. Prep all of your ingredients.
  4. Assemble the salad.
Summer kale salad ingredients in a bowl

FAQs

Can I prep the cherries in advance?

Pit the cherries using a cherry pitter and store in an air tight container for 3-5 days.

Can I assemble this summer kale salad in advance?

The summer kale salad may be tossed with dressing up to a few hours in advance. For best results, don’t add the almonds until just before serving as they will lose their crunchy texture.

How long will this cherry salad keep?

Cherry salad will keep undressed in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, so it’s great for meal prep. Once dressed, it is best consumed within one day.

Summer kale salad in a bowl with servers

Serving suggestions

This summer kale salad can be served numerous ways for a special summer meal.

Recipe notes

  • Pro tip: Massage the kale, prep the cherries and dressing, and toast the almonds up to a few days in advance.
  • If cherries aren’t in season, sub with dried cherries or your favorite seasonal fruit.
  • Not a fan of kale? Sub it with your favorite greens.
  • Meal prep: Place all ingredients in containers and store undressed for up to 3 days.
Kale cherry salad in serving bowl with salad servers

More salad recipes you’ll love:

Did you try this recipe?  If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram

Cherry salad with salad servers digging into the bowl

Kale Cherry Salad

Kale Cherry Salad is packed with sweet and savory flavors and it's tossed in a balsamic dressing. It can be made entirely in advance so it's great for entertaining and meal prep!
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds sub with your favorite nuts or seeds
  • 1 bunch kale curly kale or lacinato, massaged; see notes
  • 1 cup fresh cherries stemmed, pitted, and halved
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese sub with feta cheese or omit to make this recipe dairy-free
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Toast the almonds in a large skillet over medium heat until golden brown and fragrant, stirring often, or about 3-5 minutes.
    1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • Place the kale, cherries, blueberries, goat cheese and almonds in a large bowl.
    1 bunch kale, 1 cup fresh cherries, 1 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
  • Toss with enough dressing to coat.  Serve and enjoy!
    Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Notes

  • Pro tip:  Kale can be tough and hardy, so see my instructions for massaged kale salad for tips to prep and massage the kale for nice tender leaves and also to mellow the bitter flavor.
  • If preparing the cherry salad in advance, do not add the almonds until just before serving as they will lose their crunchy texture once they’re tossed in the salad.
  • Nutrition information does not include the dressing as that has been calculated in a separate post.

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.002g, Cholesterol: 9mg, Sodium: 81mg, Potassium: 207mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 2388IU, Vitamin C: 24mg, Calcium: 107mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

**This recipe was originally published in July 2017. The photos have been updated to include step by step photos and the post has been modified to include more recipe information.

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