An easy kale salad recipe with Reese Minnesota wild rice, Select Hearts of Palm, Non Pareil Capers, feta cheese, crunchy roasted pepitas, and tons of flavor. This recipe makes two large servings, or about four side dish servings.

This salad comes together SO quickly, and packs a ton of flavor and nutrients into every bite. I feel lucky to have teamed up with Reese Specialty Foods to bring you this awesome 5-star recipe, and used their hearts of palm, wild rice, and capers in this salad.

As a small batch recipe developer, I created this kale salad recipe to make 2-3 entree sized servings, or about four side dish servings. Perfect for enjoying one today, and over the next couple of days if you’re prepping this for yourself.

A ceramic bowl full of kale and wild rice salad surrounded by Reese food products, a linen, and a fork.

This kale salad is similar to a chopped salad, as all of the ingredients are formatted into bite-sized pieces, which ensures you get great flavor and texture in every single bite. I think the best kale salads are truly made this way, as the kale really benefits from having a lot of great flavor clinging to it.

Ingredients

6 cups Shredded Kale, thick stems removed
2 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, best quality
1 tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
pinch of Flaky Sea Salt, plus more to taste
1 1/2 cups Shredded Rotisserie Chicken
1 package Reese All Natural Minnesota Wild Rice
1 cup chopped Reese Select Hearts of Palm
2 tbsp. Reese Non Pareil Capers
1/3 cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
1/3 cup Dried Cranberries
1/3 cup Roasted Pepitas
1 medium Avocado, diced
Maple Balsamic Dressing

Ingredient Notes and FAQs

Shredded Kale

Kale is hearty, and can easily stand up to all of the other ingredients in this salad. If you just really are not a fan of kale, you can use shredded romaine, spinach, or arugula instead! I used juicing kale (chopped kale) in these photos, but it comes in large bags which typically still have some tough stems mixed in. It’s pretty easy to just buy a bunch of kale, remove the stems, and chop the leaves. Curly kale, Tuscan kale (also known as Lacinato kale or Dinosaur kale), or baby kale leaves are also great for this salmon salad. If your kale needs washed before hand, don’t skip that step. I find that drying it on kitchen towels or spinning chopped kale in a salad spinner are the best ways to ensure it’s dry enough to absorb salad dressing later.

Shredded Rotisserie Chicken

I wanted to keep this recipe simple, and using rotisserie chicken is an easy way to add protein to any recipe with minimal cooking time. If you have leftover chicken breast, you can shred it and use it in place of the rotisserie chicken. Flaked salmon would also be a wonderful substitute for shredded chicken.

Reese Minnesota Wild Rice

Not only is this wild rice absolutely delicious with its subtle nutty flavor and chewy texture, but it’s also super easy to make and adds both protein and fiber to this salad! The package will make enough for this salad, with about 1 ½ cups leftover for rice bowls, wraps, or more salads.

Reese Select Hearts of Palm

Reese hearts of palm are tender and have a slightly tart, nutty, vegetable flavor. They come from the inner parts of certain types of palm trees, and are a great ingredient for salads, stir fries, and pastas. The best part about them is that they don’t need any extra preparation; I just remove them from the jar, pat them dry, then cut them into half moons before tossing into this salad.

Crumbled Feta Cheese

Crumbled feta adds a layer of saltiness to this salad, and is perfect with the hearts of palm and maple balsamic dressing. If you’re not a fan of feta: goat cheese, gorgonzola, or blue cheese are all really great substitutes. Just aim for a crumbled cheese that will easily mix in with the other ingredients. You could even add a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese if you’re not into the other cheeses.

Roasted Pepitas

Roasted pepitas are my go-to for adding some crunch to salads. If you cannot find any, roasted sunflower seeds are a wonderful substitute. Or if you prefer to use nuts, I recommend using sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, or chopped pecans as a substitute. I also recommend toasting the nuts beforehand. To do this, add them to a nonstick pan, and toast them over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until they are more golden brown and very fragrant. This adds a lot of great flavor to the nuts, and still retains their crunchiness.

Maple Balsamic Dressing

I LOVE this dressing with kale salads specifically. I make it with Dijon mustard, good quality mayonnaise, and pure maple syrup (along with some garlic powder, dried oregano, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar). You can use any dressing that you love here, though. I recommend using a dressing that is slightly sweet if possible.

Hopefully some of the following tips and tricks can help you make these Kale and Wild Rice Salad successfully, but if you have any other questions, feel free to email me anytime! 🙂

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Throw in Veggies: Leftover roasted vegetables would be SO good in this salad. Broccoli, onion, bell pepper, carrots, and zucchini are all great to start. Feel free to get creative!
If you’re meal prepping, wait to add dressing until you’re ready to eat the salad. You don’t want a sad, wilted pile of kale for lunch.
Add Salt Before Serving: If there’s one thing that sets an “okay” salad apart from a great salad, it’s adding a touch of salt before serving. After working with a whole-foods-focused catering company over the past couple of years, this is undoubtedly the step that makes people rave about the salads we serve.

Directions

How to Make Wild Rice Kale Salad

Step One: Massage the Kale. Place the shredded kale in a large mixing bowl (larger than you think you’ll need). Add two teaspoons of your best olive oil, a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice, and a healthy pinch of salt. Use kitchen tongs or your hands to gently massage the kale for a couple of minutes; you’ll notice the texture becomes much softer.

Step Two: Add the Hearty Mix-Ins. Add the shredded chicken, cooked Reese Minnesota Wild Rice, sliced Reese Select Hearts of Palm, Reese Non Pareil Capers, crumbled feta, dried cranberries, and roasted pepitas to the mixing bowl with the massaged kale.

Toss to evenly mix all of the ingredients together.

Step Three: Add Avocado, Dressing, and Salt. Add the diced avocado, dressing, and another healthy pinch of flaky sea salt to the salad. Toss gently just until the dressing is mixed in, then serve.

Make this Kale Salad Yours!

Ways to Customize this Recipe:

Throw in some veggies if you like! Leftover roasted vegetables would be SO good in this salad. Broccoli, onion, bell pepper, and zucchini are all great to start. Feel free to get creative!
Swap Chicken for Salmon: Canned or cooked flaky salmon would be perfect with this salad; the wild rice is particularly delicious with salmon!

How to Make this Ahead of Time

You can combine the massaged kale with all of the ingredients except the avocado and dressing a couple of days ahead of time. Just toss the avocado and dressing in before you’re ready to serve the salad.

How to Store Leftover Kale Salad

Storing: Leftover salad can be stored in an airtight container for up to two days; note that if it is already tossed with dressing, it will wilt while being stored. I’ve found that tossing leftover salad with fresh greens or more massaged kale helps bring it back to life before serving.

More Hearty Salad Recipes

Want to make more than six servings? Increase the amount you want to make in the recipe card; there is a little slider bar near the “servings” section on the recipe card if you’re on a desktop, or if you’re on your phone, touch the number of servings on the recipe card (it will be a number, and colored dark red). You can adjust the slider bar that way instead of doing the calculations on your own! 🙂

If you make this Easy Kale Salad recipe and love it, please leave a comment and / or star rating below! You can also share it on Instagram and tag me, or use the hashtag #aflavorjournal so I can see it! If you have any questions about the ingredients or how to make it, send me an email so I can help out.

xx Sara