Kale and Spinach Salad
Superfoods, here we come! This kale and spinach salad is nourishing and wholesome. Topped with crunchy walnuts, buttery avocado, and boiled eggs, plus a fresh lemony dressing that explodes with summer citrus flavours.
Just look at that bowl of fresh greens! Not to toot my own horn, but it’s rare you see a salad looking so fine.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a good track record with salads. From restaurants? They’re so often disappointing (limp, tasteless, soggy!). Salad bars are trendy, but they’re so unaffordable to the average person.
Then I started making my own salad, and everything changed. From Hawaiian tofu and watercress salad to arugula and spinach salad, and now this kale and spinach salad, I’m in my era of making bowls that would easily retail for £20, for only a fraction of that cost.
Amazingly, this meal, which is crammed with all those good-for-you nutrients, is so easy a beginner in the kitchen can ace it.
I’m talking tender kale, soft and creamy avocado, crunchy walnuts, mild spinach, and umami-rich eggs. And we haven’t even got to the dressing, which features mustard, lemon juice, spring onions, and garlic. Mmm hmm.
Well, as much as I describe the kale and spinach salad, it’s nowhere near as good as having the real thing on your plate. So, let’s make that happen, shall we? 😉
🤩 Why This Salad is Anything but Boring
🥑 Ingredient Rundown
The base of our salad is made from two leafy greens: kale and spinach. Both of these should be easily found at your local store or farmers market!
- Kale: A modern-day superfood, kale is rich in vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants. It has a peppery taste similar to radish, with a bitter earthiness characteristic of greens. You can use any variety, although Tuscan kale (cavolo nero) is milder than curly kale. I’ve used kalette, a fun hybrid of kale and Brussels sprouts.
- Spinach: A classic addition to salads, young baby spinach is tender and slightly sweet. According to Medical News Today, spinach is high in iron.
Next to the salad are our healthy proteins and fats:
- Hard-boiled eggs: A great source of vegetarian protein, hard-boiled eggs add a great texture to the salad: firm whites with creamy, intensely savoury yolks.
- Avocado: Avocado is creamy, buttery, and nutty. Hass avocados are the most desirable. They have a dark green (almost brown) textured skin and a gorgeously soft, mild flavour.
- Walnuts: Nutty and woody, these nuts add a unique flavour to the salad. When gently roasted (either in a frying pan or oven), they also add a delicious texture.
Finally, we’ve got our dressing
AKA, the pièce de résistance that brings everything together.
This tangy, punchy dressing is made up of common pantry ingredients, so there’s no need to go out of your way to buy specialist ingredients.
- Olive oil: Your favourite great quality olive oil should be fruity with notes of grassy pepperiness. It marries fabulously with kale.
- Lemon juice and zest: Adds citrusy acidity to our kale and spinach salad. You can switch this out for balsamic vinegar if you prefer.
- Spring onions: These provide a delicate pungency.
- Mustard: I like French wholegrain. It brings just a hint of spice and a bold tanginess.
- Black pepper: Compliments the natural pepperiness of leafy greens. Fresh cracked is always best.
- Garlic: Just a hint of raw garlic adds real punchiness to the salad.
Note: As always, ingredient quantities (in grams and cups) can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This section is purely informative!
Adapting the Recipe: Variations and Customisations
Kale and spinach salad is naturally vegetarian, gluten free, and soy free. Additionally, adapting the recipe for a nut free or vegan diet is straightforward.
- To make the recipe vegan, use maple syrup instead of honey, and swap hard-boiled eggs for cubed tofu or a plant-based egg alternative (there are some excellent recipes for vegan devilled eggs which would work exceptionally well here!).
- To make the recipe nut free, swap out walnuts with lightly roasted sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or even sesame seeds. Roasted chickpeas replicate that crunchy texture, too.
Don’t have any dietary requirements? You can also have fun with the flavours.
For example, add more leafy greens (like collard greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens, or broccoli rabe) to increase the slightly bitter, earthy notes.
Or, why not soft-boiled eggs to make for a runnier yolk, resulting in a richer, buttery flavour?
🥗 How to Make Kale and Spinach Salad (Step-by-Step Photos)
It takes less than 10 minutes to bring this salad together. That includes massaging the kale, mixing the dressing, and prepping the ingredients.
One: Add kale to a bowl along with a sprinkling of salt.
Two: Massage the kale with both hands for 2-5 minutes, or until the kale becomes visibly shinier and softer (see photo).
Three: Add all the ingredients for the salad dressing to a small bowl.
Four: Whisk vigorously to combine the dressing.
Five: Add the massaged kale, raw spinach, walnuts (you can toast these), chopped avocado, plus peeled and chopped hard-boiled eggs to a bowl.
Six: Pour over the salad dressing and toss/mix until the salad is coated in the dressing. Serve immediately.
Note: I like to hard-boil my eggs in advance. To cook the eggs, either steam (for around fifteen minutes) or add eggs to a pan of water, bring to a rolling boil, turn off the heat, and let them sit for ten minutes, then cool and peel when ready to prep the salad.
🧑🏫 Quick Tips
Did you know that chilling your salad dressing beforehand results in a brighter flavour?
Instead of using the dressing right away, this allows the flavours to meld smoothly.
Of course, you can skip this step if you don’t have the extra time (one of the highlights of this recipe is that it’s so quick to make, after all!).
The best expert advice for kale and spinach salad is really simple: don’t skip massaging the kale. This step may seem arbitrary, but it transforms the leafy green completely. It’s incredible how much it changes not only the taste, but also the texture!
🫙 Make Ahead and Storage
You can make certain elements of the kale and spinach salad beforehand. For example, hard-boiled eggs can be made up to three days in advance, as can the dressing. You can also massage the kale a day or two earlier.
However, avocado browns quickly, so it should be cut and added at the last moment. That’s why it’s best to assemble the salad just before serving for the freshest taste and texture.
If you don’t mind sacrificing the appearance, you can load the salad into a jar or Tupperware in the morning for your weekday work/school lunch.
🥖 Serving Suggestions
Because this salad is packed with hearty protein (hard-boiled eggs), healthy fats (avocado) and plenty of fresh greens, it’s a nutritious, balanced meal that will keep you fuller for longer. I usually serve it as a light main course.
Add grilled tofu on the side for a more robust plate. It pairs perfectly with that gloriously lemony dressing, and since homemade tofu has a neutral flavour, it won’t compete for attention.
You can also add grains like couscous, farro, or quinoa. Mix them into the salad or serve on the side to make for a beautiful green nourish bowl.
Alternatively, serve kale and spinach salad with hearty soup and crusty garlic bread as an appetiser. It’s also delicious with homemade sourdough (my mouth is watering as I type this!).
If you tried this kale and spinach salad recipe — or any other recipe on my website — please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know your thoughts in the ✍️ comments at the bottom of the page. Thanks for being a part of my community!
Kale and Spinach Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 60 g kale
- 40 g spinach
- 3 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 avocado
- 40 g walnuts
For the Dressing
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 spring onions scallions/green onions in the U.S.
- 1 clove garlic
- ⅛ teaspoon mustard wholegrain
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Add 60 g kale to a large bowl and sprinkle with salt (to taste). Use both hands to massage the greens for 2-5 minutes, until the kale becomes visibly shiny and soft.
- Add the massaged kale, 40 g spinach, 3 hard-boiled eggs (chopped or grated), 1 avocado (chopped), and 40 g walnuts (lightly roasted) to a bowl.
- Make the salad dressing by mixing 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, 2 spring onions (chopped), ⅛ teaspoon mustard, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, and 1 clove garlic (grated) in a small bowl, until combined.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Notes
- To make the recipe vegan, use maple syrup instead of honey, and swap hard-boiled eggs for cubed tofu or a plant-based egg alternative.
- To make the recipe nut free, swap out walnuts with lightly roasted sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or even sesame seeds. Roasted chickpeas replicate that crunchy texture, too.
