This mouthwatering Easy Mediterranean Kale Salad quickly becomes a favorite way to enjoy kale. It’s a staple at our house and a regular on the weekly lunch rotation. The salad combines tenderized kale with crunchy purple cabbage and cucumber, satisfying protein from poached or rotisserie chicken, and bright notes from an Easy Lemon Dijon Dressing. Simple to prepare and full of flavor, it’s a hearty, nutritious option for lunch or dinner.
Table of contents
- Why I love this Kale Salad recipe
- Types of Kale for this salad
- Poached chicken breasts
- How to poach chicken cutlets
- Ingredients for this Easy Mediterranean Kale Salad
- How to assemble this salad
- How to serve and store left overs
- Frequently asked questions
Why I love this Kale Salad recipe
This Mediterranean-style kale salad evokes the flavors of coastal meals — bright lemon, a hint of garlic, crisp vegetables and satisfying texture. The lemony dressing softens the kale and ties together the tomato and cucumber while the cabbage adds crunch. It’s a filling, nutrient-dense salad that works well as a light dinner, a packed lunch, or a make-ahead meal for busy days.
You can use any kale variety—baby kale, lacinato (dinosaur), or curly kale—all are excellent. For tougher kale leaves, remove the stems before chopping; they’re fibrous and won’t tenderize. Baby kale often comes pre-washed and ready to use. I usually make poached chicken cutlets for this salad because they’re quick and tender, but rotisserie chicken is a convenient shortcut. If you prefer a vegetarian option, chickpeas or garbanzo beans are a great protein swap. Feta cheese also complements these flavors if you want a creamier, saltier finish.
Types of Kale for this salad
All kale types perform well here. Baby kale is tender and ready to eat, lacinato kale offers a deeper flavor and sturdy leaves, and curly kale provides classic texture. For any whole kale, strip the leaves from the thick stems and chop them before dressing. Massaging the kale briefly with dressing helps break down the fibrous texture and makes it pleasantly tender.
Why should you massage Kale?
Massaging kale with a bit of dressing tenderizes its tough fibers. The acid in the dressing helps soften the leaves, improving texture and making the salad more enjoyable.
Poached chicken breasts
Poached chicken is my preference for this salad because it stays moist and is easy to shred. I use chicken cutlets for quicker cooking, but rotisserie or leftover roasted chicken also work well and shorten prep time.
How to poach chicken cutlets
Place chicken cutlets in a medium skillet or shallow pan with a lid. Add enough water to cover the chicken, a half dried bay leaf, one crushed garlic clove, a pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook about 10 minutes for thin cutlets. The chicken is done when juices run clear or the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Thicker or bone-in breasts will need longer—begin checking after 15 minutes. Remove cooked chicken from the liquid, let cool, shred, and discard the poaching liquid.
Ingredients for this Easy Mediterranean Kale Salad
- 10 ounces poached chicken cutlets or rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed, washed, dried and chopped
- 1 cup sliced English or Persian cucumber
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup shredded purple or green cabbage
- 1 recipe Easy Lemon Dijon Dressing
- Freshly cracked pepper
- Sea salt to finish
How to assemble this salad
In a large bowl, combine the chopped kale and half of the dressing. Gently massage the dressing into the kale for about a minute to tenderize the leaves, then set aside for roughly 30 minutes. After resting, add the shredded chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, and shredded cabbage. Toss with the remaining dressing, adjust seasoning with freshly ground pepper and a pinch of sea salt, and serve.
How to serve and store left overs
Finish with a touch of sea salt. This salad pairs nicely with warm pita and hummus or toum. The recipe makes two large portions or up to four smaller servings. It’s excellent for meal prep—store portions in glass containers with dressing in a separate small container to keep textures bright. Once tossed, the kale holds up well for a day; tomatoes and cucumber may soften after that, so consume within 24–48 hours for best texture.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. For best texture, add the dressing the morning you plan to eat it; by lunchtime the kale will be nicely tender.
Absolutely. Chickpeas, white beans, feta, cooked salmon or shrimp, and grains like quinoa or farro are all great alternatives.
Spinach or romaine are fine substitutes but are less sturdy for meal prep. Dress those greens just before eating to preserve texture.
If you enjoy kale salads, you might also like other variations such as Chicken Schnitzel with Autumn Kale Salad, Sweet Kale Quinoa Salad with Feta, or Kale Broccolini Roasted Butternut Squash Salad.
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating to help other readers. We appreciate your feedback!
All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
Easy Mediterranean Kale Salad
Ana Coronado
January 31, 2024
Pin Recipe
Equipment
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1 Large bowl
Ingredients
Poaching chicken breast cutlets (omit if you are using rotisserie chicken)
- 2, 5 ounce chicken cutlets boneless, skinless
- 1/2 dried bay leaf
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- pepper, fresh ground
Mediterranean Kale Salad
- 10 ounces poached chicken cutlets or rotisserie chicken shredded, skin removed if you are using rotisserie chicken.
- 1 bunch of kale stems removed, washed dried and chopped.
- 1 cup English or Persian cucumber sliced
- 1 cup tomatoes chopped
- 1 cup purple or green cabbage shredded
- 1 recipe Easy Lemon Dijon Dressing see link in notes
- Freshly cracked pepper
- Sea salt to finish
Instructions
Poached chicken cutlets (omit if you are using rotisserie chicken)
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Add chicken cutlets to a medium skillet or shallow pan and cover with water. Add 1/2 dried bay leaf, 1 garlic clove, a pinch of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
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Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook about 10 minutes for thin cutlets.
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Chicken is done when juices run clear or the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Thicker cuts will require more time—check after 15 minutes for larger breasts.
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Remove chicken from the liquid, let cool, discard the poaching liquid, and shred the meat.
Mediterranean Kale Salad
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Place chopped kale in a large bowl and add half the dressing. Massage gently for about a minute to soften the leaves.
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Set the dressed kale aside for 30 minutes.
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Add shredded chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, and cabbage. Toss with the remaining dressing.
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Finish with fresh ground pepper and a pinch of sea salt, then serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated online and should be used as a guide.
All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
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