Author: If you love the flavors of fall but don’t want anything too heavy, this Turkey Apple Pecan Kale Salad is the perfect recipe for you! Crisp kale, chopped apples, cinnamon pecans, and sliced turkey come together in a quick honey mustard dressing for a salad that is anything but boring. The whole thing comes together in about 15 minutes and disappears even faster!
My 11-year-old son has been actively requesting this salad since I first made it about 2 months ago. I wanted to create a Autumn Harvest salad, and I feel like I nailed it!
Even my husband heartily enjoys this meal and loves the way the house smells while I’m cooking the cinnamon pecans.
Turkey Apple Pecan Kale Salad
The fall season comes with lots of delicious flavors, like this Cowboy Cornbread Casserole or even just a Sunday pot roast. But I wanted to enjoy the flavors of fall with a lighter lunch vibe.
Thus, this Turkey Apple Pecan Kale Salad was born!
Ingredients
Here’s a quick look at all the ingredients needed for this Turkey Apple Pecan Kale Salad, along with their substitutions, where possible.
- Kale – Any dark lettuce can be used in place of the kale, but I highly recommend keeping the kale in this recipe if possible. I will show you how to take the bitterness out of the kale so that you can fully enjoy the flavors!
- Turkey – For simplicity, we like to use a high-quality turkey deli meat. But any turkey meat can be used! Grilled chicken would also be a wonderful protein for this recipe if you want to use that instead.
- Pecans – Halves or pieces can be used. We like the look of the halves best. You can also use almonds or walnuts if you can’t get your hands on pecans.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar is required for this recipe, other sweeteners that I have tried don’t work properly. You can omit the sugar completely and just use the pecan halves plain, if desired.
- Cinnamon – Use whatever cinnamon powder you have on hand! We prefer the Saigon Cinnamon, but anything you have will be delicious.
- Apples – We prefer red apples for this recipe, but green would also be enjoyable. Our favorite at the moment are Pink Lady apples!
- Olive Oil – A high-quality olive oil is best, but any oil that you prefer will work. Just note that the flavors of the recipe may change dramatically based on the flavor of the oil you choose.
- Lemon Juice – I like to use bottled lemon juice to avoid the mess, however, you can use fresh lemon juice if you prefer!
- Mustard – Yellow mustard is called for. Dijon can be used in a pinch, but the flavor will be very different (but still enjoyable!)
- Maple Syrup – Any liquid sweetener could be used, but the depth of flavor in the maple syrup is preferable!
- Salt – This is used to massage the kale (and is then rinsed off) and also to flavor the dressing. Adjust to your liking. We use pink sea salt, but any sea salt will work well!
- Garlic – Just a touch of garlic is added to the dressing. It makes a big difference in the finished flavor!
Instructions
This recipe comes together so quickly, you’ll find yourself making it all the time!
Step 1 – Making the Cinnamon Pecans
By making these first and allowing them to cool while you make the rest of the salad, these cinnamon pecans will be nice and crispy when you’re ready for them!
Note that this recipe makes a lot of cinnamon pecans, but you don’t have to use them all at once! They store perfectly for up to 3 months in an airtight container when fully cooled before storing.
- Add the sugar, water, and cinnamon to a medium skillet.
- Whisk well and bring to a boil.
- Add the pecans and stir well to coat. Reduce the heat to medium.
- Stir constantly until the sugar turns white and powdery (about 3-5 minutes). Continue to stir for another 30-60 seconds and then remove the pan from the heat.
- Allow to cool while you prep the rest of the salad.
Step 2 – Prep the Kale
Most people think of kale as terribly bitter. However, just one simple step can take away all the bitterness and leave you with a lovely, crunchy, nutritious dark leafy green!
You can see how much this process shrinks the kale! It retains its crunch without the bitterness!
- Wash the kale and remove the stalk from each leaf.
- Chop into bite-sized pieces and add to a medium bowl.
- Sprinkle the kale with about 1/2 tsp of salt and begin to firmly massage the salt into the kale. The process takes about 1-2 minutes, and you will be able to see the size difference when the process is complete.
- Rinse the kale well to remove the salt. Pat dry, if desired, and set aside.
Step 3 – Dressing the Salad
Now it’s time to pull it all together!
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a mason jar and attach a lid firmly.
- Shake vigorously for 60 seconds and pour about 1/4 cup of the dressing over the kale. Toss to combine.
- Chop the apple and turkey.
- Divide the kale into 4 bowls (or as desired) and top with turkey, apples, and pecans as desired.
- Enjoy!
Making this Salad in Advance
One thing I love about this salad is that you can prep it days in advance and enjoy it all week! Here’s how I like to keep things crisp.
- Prep the kale and dress it as normal.
- Chop the apples and turkey and keep them in separate containers.
- Make the pecans and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.
Then, when you’re ready to eat, just combine everything as normal! If you want to meal prep this, you can make the salad bowls without the pecans to store in the fridge. Then preportion the pecans into snack baggies to grab when you’re ready.
This lasts, pre-made in the fridge, for up to 5 days.
Even More Fall Recipes to Try Next!
- Cranberry Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cornbread Cowboy Casserole
- Caramel Popcorn (without Corn Syrup!)
Turkey Apple Pecan Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound turkey chopped
- 1 apple chopped
- 1 bunch of kale washed and chopped
Pecans
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 water
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1.5 cups pecan halves
Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1.5 tbsp mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
Making the Cinnamon Pecans
- Add the sugar, water, and cinnamon to a medium skillet.
- Whisk well and bring to a boil.
- Add the pecans and stir well to coat. Reduce the heat to medium.
- Stir constantly until the sugar turns white and powdery (about 3-5 minutes). Continue to stir for another 30-60 seconds and then remove the pan from the heat.
- Allow to cool while you prep the rest of the salad.
Prep the Kale
- Wash the kale and remove the stalk from each leaf.
- Chop into bite-sized pieces and add to a medium bowl.
- Sprinkle the kale with about 1/2 tsp of salt and begin to firmly massage the salt into the kale. The process takes about 1-2 minutes, and you will be able to see the size difference when the process is complete.
- Rinse the kale well to remove the salt. Pat dry, if desired, and set aside.
Dressing the Salad
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a mason jar and attach a lid firmly.
- Shake vigorously for 60 seconds and pour about 1/4 cup of the dressing over the kale. Toss to combine.
- Chop the apple and turkey.
- Divide the kale into 4 bowls (or as desired) and top with turkey, apples, and pecans as desired.
Notes
Ingredients
Here’s a quick look at all the ingredients needed for this Turkey Apple Pecan Kale Salad, along with their substitutions, where possible.- Kale – Any dark lettuce can be used in place of the kale, but I highly recommend keeping the kale in this recipe if possible. I will show you how to take the bitterness out of the kale so that you can fully enjoy the flavors!
- Turkey – For simplicity, we like to use a high-quality turkey deli meat. But any turkey meat can be used! Grilled chicken would also be a wonderful protein for this recipe if you want to use that instead.
- Pecans – Halves or pieces can be used. We like the look of the halves best. You can also use almonds or walnuts if you can’t get your hands on pecans.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar is required for this recipe, other sweeteners that I have tried don’t work properly. You can omit the sugar completely and just use the pecan halves plain, if desired.
- Cinnamon – Use whatever cinnamon powder you have on hand! We prefer the Saigon Cinnamon, but anything you have will be delicious.
- Apples – We prefer red apples for this recipe, but green would also be enjoyable. Our favorite at the moment are Pink Lady apples!
- Olive Oil – A high-quality olive oil is best, but any oil that you prefer will work. Just note that the flavors of the recipe may change dramatically based on the flavor of the oil you choose.
- Lemon Juice – I like to use bottled lemon juice to avoid the mess, however, you can use fresh lemon juice if you prefer!
- Mustard – Yellow mustard is called for. Dijon can be used in a pinch, but the flavor will be very different (but still enjoyable!)
- Maple Syrup – Any liquid sweetener could be used, but the depth of flavor in the maple syrup is preferable!
- Salt – This is used to massage the kale (and is then rinsed off) and also to flavor the dressing. Adjust to your liking. We use pink sea salt, but any sea salt will work well!
- Garlic – Just a touch of garlic is added to the dressing. It makes a big difference in the finished flavor!
Nutrition
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