This kale slaw salad stays nice and crunchy hours after adding the dressing, perfect for picnicking! Kale and red cabbage gives lots of crunch and radish adds a good spicy bite.
I first threw this together as a slaw for stuffing tacos, but enough people raved about it as a stand-alone salad that I had to remake it. It can hold its own as a main salad, even better topped with grilled chicken; as a side for backyard barbeques (hello, every summer picnic); or back to its roots as taco slaw.
The mexican-ish flavored dressing is just enough to coat the whole salad without getting soggy – and it definitely does not have mayonnaise. Mayo has its place in dips but never in anything called a salad, despite what the Midwest will tell you.
Prep time takes a while thanks to chopping, slicing, and mincing a ton of veggies, but it makes a giant bowl for sharing. You can easily cut it in half, but I figure if I’m already chopping away I might as well make enough for the full week.
Kale Slaw Salad
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale shredded & stems removed
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 head red cabbage thinly sliced
- 1 lb. radishes thinly sliced
- 1 bunch green onions sliced
- 2 jalapeños minced
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese crumbled
Dressing
- 1/4 cup crema fresca
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 T. lime juice
- 1/2 t. cumin
- 1 t. salt
Instructions
- Place the kale in a large bowl and sprinkle salt over the kale. Massage the salt into the kale until the kale breaks down and softens, about a minute.
- Add the remaining slaw ingredients to the softened kale. Set the bowl aside.
- Pulse all the dressing ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
- Pour the dressing over the kale slaw and toss to thoroughly coat the salad.
- Let the slaw rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours to let the dressing flavors marry and soften the kale.
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