This hearty kale mango salad with blood orange is the perfect blend of savory sweet. Shredded kale tossed in a honey lime vinaigrette and topped with slivers of fresh mango, blood orange wheels and almonds. Enjoy for lunch or serve as a side with any meal.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Kale is great for meal prep since is so hearty and holds up well even with dressing.
- I like to use slightly unripe mango, they're firm and easy to work with. Their taste is slightly sour with sweet undertones as they're often close to ripening when found at the grocery store.
- This delicious mango salad is tangy, chewy, sweet, crunchy and nutty. It also has a really bright flavor from the honey lime vinaigrette. It's gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian. The perfect lunch on a hot summer day.
Serve this mango kale salad as a side with my Easy Chicken Muffins, Homemade Gluten-Free Sloppy Joes, or my Vegan Chickpea Veggie Burgers. And if you love kale you should try my Crunchy Kale Salad with Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette and my White Bean and Vegetable Soup with Kale.
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make kale mango salad:
Ingredient Notes:
- Curly Kale Leaves: Remain a bright green color in this kale salad recipe but you can substitute for any type of kale like tuscan kale. Make sure to remove the hard stem and massage the kale for the perfect texture. Swap for romaine lettuce or baby spinach and skip the massage.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Helps to breakdown the fibrous kale when massaging and adds some healthy fats.
- Mangoes: Add a bright sweetness to the salad recipe. You can also use unripe mangoes, also known as green mangoes. They are citrusy and tart and will slice well into matchsticks.
- Blood Oranges: Have a lovely tart sweetness that pairs well with the bitterness of the kale and the sourness of the unripe mango. If you can't find blood oranges then substitute with your favorite variety of orange.
- Sliced Almonds: Adds a soft chewy texture. You can substitute with other chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts if you prefer more of a crunch.
- Honey Lime Vinaigrette: Adds bright notes of lime with a little honey to temper the tang in this delicious salad. Always try to choose organic lime when using zest in a recipe.
See recipe card below for all ingredients and quantities.
Expert Tips
- Make sure to give a good massage after you've removed the stems and chopped the kale. Get in there with both hands and scrunch the leaves for 5-7 minutes or longer if you prefer the kale more buttery.
- Add some creamy avocado to make a satisfying kale mango avocado salad. Or turn it into a meal by adding cooked chicken, shrimp, chickpeas or edamame.
- Add other ingredients like chopped pecans, walnuts, pepitas, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or hemp seeds. Or toast some coconut flakes for a tropical flare. Chopped red onion, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, green onions with a grind of black pepper. Red pepper flakes work well too.
- Store - The kale mango salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. If you're making the salad in advance, add all the ingredients except the mango and oranges. They should be sliced just before serving if possible.
How to Make Kale Mango Salad
- Prepare Salad: For the kale, wash, dry, remove stems and chop or slice thinly. In a large bowl, add kale, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. With clean hands, massage the kale by repeatedly scrunching and releasing for 5-7 minutes. This will break down the cell structure, relax the leaves and reduce the bitter taste.
- Prepare Mango: Peel unripe mango and slice into thin matchstick pieces working around the hard center seed. Or, dice the mango. Set aside.
- Prepare Blood Orange: With a sharp chef knife, cut off both ends of orange, then cut down the sides to remove the peel and the white pith. Once peeled, turn orange onto its rounded side and slice into wheels. Set aside.
- Prepare Vinaigrette: In a small bowl add olive oil, honey, red wine vinegar, lime juice and zest, garlic and sea salt. Whisk until well combined. You could also add ingredients to a mason jar and give it a good shake. No need for a food processor.
- Assemble Salad: Add vinaigrette to massaged kale and toss well. Top with mango and blood orange wheels and give a gentle toss to distribute evenly in salad. Top with a sprinkle of sliced almonds.
Common Questions
Why does kale need to be massaged?
Kale has a tough cell structure that makes it very bitter and hard to chew when eaten raw. When the kale is massaged with olive oil (and an optional light sprinkle of sea salt and lemon juice) it breaks down the cell walls and softens the leaves. The kale is much more palatable and easier to chew.
Storage Tips
- Refrigerator: The kale mango salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. If you're making the salad in advance, add all the ingredients except the mango and oranges. They should be sliced just before serving if possible.
Main Dishes to Pair With Kale Salad
📖 Recipe
Kale Mango Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette
This hearty healthy kale mango salad with blood orange is the perfect blend of savory sweet. Shredded kale tossed in a honey lime vinaigrette and topped with slivers of fresh mango, blood orange wheels and almonds. Enjoy for lunch, add a favorite protein, or serve as a side with any meal.
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Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
- 1 large salad bowl
- 1 small bowl
Ingredients
Kale salad:
- 2 bunches curly kale, stems removed and chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 large mango, cut in julienne (matchstick)
- 2 blood oranges, slice off peel and cut into wheels
- ½ cup sliced almonds (or choice of chopped nuts)
Honey lime vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- zest of one fresh lime
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Prepare salad: For the kale, wash, dry, remove stems and chop or slice thinly. In a large bowl, add kale, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. With clean hands, massage the kale by repeatedly scrunching and releasing for 5-7 minutes. This will break down the cell structure, relax the leaves and reduce the bitter taste.
- Prepare mango: Peel mango and slice into thin matchstick pieces working around the hard center seed. Or, dice the mango. Set aside.
- Prepare blood orange: With a sharp chef knife, cut off both ends of orange, then cut down the sides to remove the peel and the white pith. Once peeled, turn orange onto its rounded side and slice into wheels. Set aside.
- Prepare vinaigrette: In a small bowl add olive oil, honey, red wine vinegar, lime juice and zest, garlic and sea salt. Whisk until well combined.
- Assemble salad: Add vinaigrette to massaged kale and toss well. Top with mango and blood orange and give a gentle toss to distribute evenly in salad. Top with a sprinkle of sliced almonds.
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Notes
Store - in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. If making in advance, add all ingredients except the mango and oranges. They should be sliced just before serving if possible.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @eatfreshglow on social!
Ella says
This salad is my go-to summer meal! Super fresh and delicious. I highly recommend! Thanks Jacqui 🙂
Jacqui Wilson says
Hi Ella, you're so welcome! I'm glad you're enjoying the salad!