Why leave your house when you can make this copycat Chick Fil A Kale Salad right in your own kitchen? It's easy, quick and tastes even better than the original! There's got hearty kale, cabbage, dried blueberries, and almonds all tossed in a homemade vinaigrette.

Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients In A Homemade Chick-fil A Kale Salad
- How To Make Chick-Fil A Kale Salad At Home
- Ingredient Substitutions/ Recipe Variations
- Expert Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Storing Your Leftover Chick-Fil A Kale Salad
- More Copycat Recipes!
- Copycat Chick Fil A Kale Salad
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This copycat Chick Fil A Kale Salad is the perfect salad for the summer. It's full of crunch, loaded with nutrients, and can literally be made in 10 minutes.
You can enjoy it on the side of some burgers , pizza, or chicken with a glass of lemonade, or better yet, add your protein directly into it for a one bowl, 10 minute dinner.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's quick, easy, and takes 10 minutes to make
- this homemade salad tastes 10x better than the fast food version
- It's very healthy and full of nutrients
- This salad is gluten free and dairy free
- A great option to serve at a dinner party for an easy side dish
Ingredients In A Homemade Chick-fil A Kale Salad


EQUIPMENT:
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Large mixing bowl
FOR THE SALAD:
- Kale: I used pre-cut organic kale because it was the same price as an uncut bunch, plus it saves me time
- Cabbage: I like the color that red cabbage adds, so I used that instead of traditional green cabbage
- Almonds: I added spiced almonds for extra flavor, but any will work
- Dried blueberries: Really adding nutrients to this salad! Blueberries are high in antioxidants, and also add a great sweetness
DRESSING INGREDIENTS:
- Olive oil: You want to use a good quality, extra virgin olive oil because this is the base of the dressing and you want it to taste good
- Apple cider vinegar: This adds that notable tang and brightness
- Honey: You need the honey to sweeten the dressing and tone down the tang from the vinegar
- Dijon mustard: Wouldn't be a Dijon vinaigrette without the Dijon mustard
- Orange juice: I used this in place of lemon juice because I loved the sweetness it added
- Salt, black pepper, garlic powder: Just a little bit of each spice to round out the flavor of the salad dressing
How To Make Chick-Fil A Kale Salad At Home
1. Give your kale a good rinse, dry it, then, on a cutting board, cut out the center ribs and chop the leaves into bite size pieces
2. Once chopped, add the kale to a large bowl along with your cabbage
3. Whip up the dressing by adding all ingredients to a small bowl or mason jar and whisking until everything is combined


4. Pour half of the dressing over the kale and cabbage mixture, and use your hands to massage it in and let the kale rest for a few minutes to tenderize
5. After resting, add the chopped almonds and dried blueberries to the salad along with the rest of the dressing

Ingredient Substitutions/ Recipe Variations
Substitutions:
- Cabbage: You could use green cabbage, napa cabbage, or even shredded brussels sprouts or iceberg lettuce
- Almonds: Slivered almonds, candied, or sliced will work, just be sure to toast them first! If you don't like almonds, you can substitute with chopped walnuts, pecans, pistachios, or cashews- again, just toast them
- Dried Blueberries: Substitute these with dried cranberries, dried cherries, or raisins
- Olive oil: Use avocado oil instead
- Honey: Maple syrup is a good substitute, and would also work on making it vegan
- Dijon mustard: Substitute with spicy brown mustard for a vegan option
- Orange juice: Can easily be substituted with lemon juice
Variations:
- Add protein: Chicken breast, Shrimp, or tofu would all be good!
- Extra veggies: Add in chopped broccoli, sliced radishes English cucumbers, shredded carrots, or even diced apples
- Add a healthy fat: Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or pine nuts are a few favorites
- Turn into a wrap with chicken!

Expert Tips
- Cut the ribs out when cutting your kale
- Massage some of the dressing into the kale to tenderize it
- Add chicken or shrimp and turn this into a main dish
- Always toast your nuts
- Buy pre-shredded cabbage (great time saver)
- Swap the honey with maple syrup and the Dijon mustard with spicy or coarse mustard to make this vegan
- Store any leftovers in the fridge for 4-5 days
Frequently Asked Questions
Technically, you don't. However it only adds an extra 2-3 minutes to the recipe and makes the kale much more tender.
According to their website, they serve an apple cider Dijon mustard vinaigrette! That's why I made this one instead of a maple vinaigrette that used to be on their (now discontinued) superfood salad.
It is healthy, but the dressing contains extra added ingredients and inflammatory oils. Which isn't unhealthy occasionally, but my copycat recipe tastes even better with minimal and quality ingredients.
If purchasing from the fast food restaurant, it would cost about $2.29 per serving, while my copycat version costs around $1.10 per serving.
Since honey and Dijon mustard are main ingredients in the dressing, it is not vegan. However, with a few small changes, this can easily be made vegan! Check the substitutions list for options!
The one from the restaurant contains kale, green cabbage, and chopped almonds.

Storing Your Leftover Chick-Fil A Kale Salad
You can store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
If you have any leftover dressing, keep is in a mason jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. The olive oil will harden when chilled, so take it out 15 minutes before you plan on using it, then give it a good shake, and enjoy!
More Copycat Recipes!
- Copycat Chick fil A spicy southwest salad
- Avocado ranch dressing
- Panera chicken salad
- Starbucks blueberry muffins

Did you make this copycat Chick Fil-A Kale Salad Recipe? If you did, I would appreciate you leaving a comment and star rating down below. Additionally, you can follow me on Instagram and tag me if you make this or any other of my easy, healthy recipes.
*Recipe was updated 3/1/2023 to include more information, tips, and a clearer recipe card*
PrintCopycat Chick Fil A Kale Salad
Why leave your house when you can make this copycat Chick Fil A Kale Salad right in your own kitchen? It's easy, quick and tastes even better than the original! There's got hearty kale, cabbage, dried blueberries, and almonds all tossed in a homemade vinaigrette.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
- Category: salad
- Method: chopping
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
FOR THE SALAD:
- 6 cups chopped kale
- 1 ½ cups shredded red cabbage
- ⅓ cup spiced almonds
- ¼ cup dried blueberries
FOR THE DRESSING:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, orange juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Set that aside and work on your salad
- Give your kale a good rinse, dry it, then, on a cutting board, cut out the center ribs and chop the leaves into bite size pieces
- Once chopped, add the kale to a large bowl along with your cabbage
- Pour half of the dressing over the kale and cabbage mixture, and use your hands to massage it in
- Let the kale rest for three minutes to tenderize.
- After those three minutes, add chopped, spiced almonds and dried blueberries to the salad along with the remainder of the dressing
- Use tongs to give it a good toss to ensure everything is well mixed, then use tongs to serve it up and enjoy
Notes
- Cut the ribs out when cutting your kale
- Massage some of the dressing into the kale to tenderize it
- Add chicken or shrimp and turn this into a main dish
- Always toast your nuts
- Buy pre-shredded cabbage (great time saver)
- Swap the honey with maple syrup and the Dijon mustard with spicy or coarse mustard to make this vegan
- Store any leftovers in the fridge for 4-5 days
Keywords: chick fil a kale crunch salad, kale superfood salad recipe, chick fil a salad recipes
Lauren says
Tastes just like my fav menu item at CFA! I used lemon and Napa cabbage since Nicole said those substitutions would be alright, and they were excellent. I added chicken on top for the perfect meal!
★★★★★
Nicole Radcliffe says
So glad you liked it! Glad the substitutions worked for you, it's a pretty versatile recipe that tastes good almost any way!