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    Tropical Kale Salad

    August 1, 2024

    Sure, kale salad is good for you, but did you know it can be delicious, too? Say hello to our tropical kale salad recipe! Finished with a creamy coconut curry dressing, it’s irresistible.

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    tropical kale salad made with mango, red cabbage, mint, cilantro, bell pepper, carrots, macadamia nuts and creamy dressing
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    We had Hawaiian macadamia nuts on the brain when we dreamt up this sunshine-y tropical kale salad recipe and so we gave the whole thing (even the creamy kale salad dressing) a bit of a tropical accent. The result? One of the very best kale salads ever to emerge from our kitchen (and many, many kale salads have passed through our salad bowls). With just about every color in the rainbow represented, and flavors as bright and enchanting as a tropical sunset, this salad is so easy to love. For more kale goodness, check out our classic Kale Salad, our garlicky Kale Caesar, and our Walnut-Kale Pesto.

    Kale, mango, cabbage, mint, cilantro, bell pepper, carrots & macadamia nuts in prep bowls to make a tropical kale salad

    Tropical Kale Salad Ingredients

    • Kale. Any kind will do! Lacinato kale (sometimes labeled “dinosaur kale” or “Tuscan kale”) seems to tenderize a bit more easily than curly kale, but any kale you love will work. Red Russian kale is the most tender of the three, but it can be harder to find.

    • Mango. Fresh, juicy mangoes only please!

    • Red cabbage. Pre-shredded is OK.

    • Fresh mint leaves.

    • Fresh cilantro. If you don’t like cilantro, no worries! It’s fine to leave it out.

    • Bell pepper.

    • Carrots.

    • Macadamia nuts. They add a lot of richness, so don’t skip ‘em!

    coconut milk, curry paste, cilantro, mint, salt, macadamia nuts, lime juice, and green onions being added to a blender
    dressing in a blender made with coconut milk, curry paste, cilantro, mint, salt, macadamia nuts, lime juice & green onions.

    Our Favorite Kale Salad Dressing Recipe of All

    Fresh lime juice and mint keep this creamy kale salad dressing from being overly rich, while a good dollop of red curry paste gives it tons of complexity with basically zero effort. To make this delicious (delicious on just about anything, BTW) dressing, just grab your blender and blend together:

    • Coconut milk. Full fat is the way to go.

    • Red curry paste. You all know that we pretty much only use the Mae Ploy brand of red curry paste, but feel free to use whatever brand you love best—flavors and spice-level can vary quite a bit from brand to brand, so it’s always good to play around a bit. Some brands do have fish sauce or shrimp paste in them, so if you want your tropical kale salad to be 100% vegan, be sure to look for a vegan brand of red curry paste.

    • Cilantro. Again, if you hate it, skip it!

    • Mint leaves.

    • Macadamia nuts. A splurge, but so worth it!

    • Lime juice.

    • Green onions.

    kale, mango, red cabbage, mint, cilantro, bell pepper, carrots, macadamia nuts being drizzled with creamy dressing

    How to Make Kale Salad

    We’ve got a few key tips for making this particular tropical kale salad recipe, or for branching out on your own and making whatever kale salad you’d like to dream up! Nothing too complicated, but following these basic guidelines will help you nail it every time:

    1. Do use fresh kale—the best you can find! It’s the star of the show! Old, wilty, less-than-fresh kale will always disappoint.

    2. Take a minute to massage the kale! After you wash it and shop it, you’ll want to massage the dressing into the kale a bit with your hands—just 30 seconds or so will go a long way towards making the raw kale tender and pleasantly toothsome instead of tough.

    3. Don’t skimp on the dressing! For any kale salad, a really good dressing is the secret to winning over any kale salad skeptics. We happen to think this coconut curry dressing is about as good as it gets.

    tropical kale salad made with mango, red cabbage, mint, cilantro, bell pepper, carrots, macadamia nuts and creamy dressing

    Kale Salad FAQs, Tips + How To Store Leftover Kale Salad

    • Raw kale is a little bit tough, which is actually a good thing! It means that you can dress your salad way ahead of time, and it’ll actually get better and better (instead of soggy, like many salads).

    • Our creamy kale salad dressing recipe rocks and it also happens to be vegan. We took our beloved red curry paste and built a salad dressing around it! Made creamy with coconut milk and macadamia nuts, our dressing is totally vegan (as long as you buy one without shrimp in it), but still incredibly rich and flavorful.

    • Yes, kale is super healthy! Vegan, raw, Whole30—you name it, this salad checks the box! Kale itself is brimming with nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, potassium and magnesium.

    tropical kale salad made with mango, red cabbage, mint, cilantro, bell pepper, carrots, macadamia nuts and creamy dressing

    What To Serve With Homemade Kale Salad

    As a light vegan meal, this salad could totally stand on its own! Sweet, juicy mango, crunchy macadamia nuts, cabbage and peppers—it’s a feast for the senses. And the creamy dressing makes the whole thing extra satisfying. However, you could pair it with any simple dinner you love, try pairing it with other tropical favorites! Like:

    tropical kale salad made with mango, red cabbage, mint, cilantro, bell pepper, carrots, macadamia nuts and creamy dressing

    More Easy Recipes With Kale

    Aloha, Healthy Dinner Recipes!

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    Tropical Kale Salad

    Updated on August 1, 2024

    • Serves:  4
    • Prep Time:  35 min
    • Cook Time:  0 min
    • Calories:  467
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    Ingredients

    • 4 cups packed stemmed and roughly chopped curly kale
    • 1 large mango, peeled, pitted, and sliced
    • 1 cup shredded red cabbage
    • ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
    • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
    • 1 medium red bell pepper, julienned
    • 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
    • ¼ cup macadamia nuts
    • 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds (optional)

    Coconut Curry Lime Dressing

    • 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
    • 1 tablespoon red curry paste
    • ¼ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
    • 8 to 10 fresh mint leaves
    • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ cup macadamia nuts
    • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
    • 2 green onions, roughly chopped
    • 2 teaspoons honey (optional)

    Method

    1. Make the kale salad dressing. In the base of a blender or food processor, combine the coconut milk, curry paste, cilantro, mint, salt, macadamia nuts, lime juice, and green onions. Blend until creamy and smooth, 2-3 minutes.

      coconut milk, curry paste, cilantro, mint, salt, macadamia nuts, lime juice, and green onions being added to a blender

    2. In a large bowl, toss the kale, mango, cabbage, mint, cilantro, bell pepper, carrot, macadamia nuts, and sesame seeds with the dressing until evenly distributed.

      tropical kale salad made with mango, red cabbage, mint, cilantro, bell pepper, carrots, macadamia nuts and creamy dressing

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 467
    • Protein 9 g
    • Carbohydrates 28 g
    • Total Fat 39 g
    • Dietary Fiber 9 g
    • Cholesterol 0 mg
    • sodium 394 mg
    • Total Sugars 15 g

    Tropical Kale Salad

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Julia

      Do you use raw or roasted macadamia nuts? Which tastes better? Thank you!

      You can use either, we use raw.

    • Elizabeth

      I'm not a big fan of mango. Do you have any recommendations for alternative fruits?

      You can just leave it out if you don't care for it. We haven't personally replaced it with another fruit.

    • Rachel

      It’s good and healthy. If I make it again, I would double or even triple the red curry paste.

      Thanks Rachel! We are so happy you loved it!

    • Rose

      This was really good! I did think the dressing needed more salt and lime juice but otherwise perfect. I made it with the Thai chicken skewers from once upon a chef.

      Sounds amazing! So glad you liked it.