Kale Salad With Pickled Raisin Vinaigrette
Updated November 19, 2025
Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
- Ready In
- 25 min
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup red or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
⅔ cup raisins, preferably golden
Salt and pepper
¾ cup walnuts
1 ½ pounds (about 2 large bunches) lacinato (Tuscan) kale (see Tip), ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 to 12 servings)
11 grams carbs; 54 milligrams cholesterol; 384 calories; 15 grams monosaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 33 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 274 milligrams sodium; 12 grams protein; 8 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar and honey until emulsified. In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse the sliced shallot well in cool water to make it less potent then add it to the bowl. Add the raisins, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Step 2
Spread the walnuts out on a small rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven, shaking the pan halfway through, until fragrant and golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Cool for a few minutes then roughly chop, if whole.
- Step 3
Put the kale in a large bowl and massage with your hands until softened and slightly wilted. (The vinaigrette, kale and walnuts can be prepared up to two days ahead of time. Store the vinaigrette and kale separately, covered, in the refrigerator, and store the walnuts in an airtight container at room temperature.)
- Step 4
When ready to serve, add the dressing to the kale and toss well to coat. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Just before serving, add the walnuts and toss again.
Tuscan kale is the best variety for this salad because it’s more tender than curly kale, which can be quite tough raw. That said, you can use curly kale if needed.
Private Notes
Comments
This was solid but we liked it even more after we added some shredded parmigiano reggiano. For those who haven’t massaged kale, the author may have forgotten to mention you should put a little olive oil and a grind of salt on the greens before you massage. Also, there will be quite a bit of extra dressing so don’t pour it all on before you taste.
@RKS Northwest CT Dried cranberries would be lovely here. As would chopped dried figs, dried apricots, or even dates.
The dressing is "it". If massaged kale doesn't tickle your taste buds as salad, the dressing is also delicious on sturdy salad greens like chicories or even romaine and it is great used to dress slices of oven roasted Delicata squash or sweet potatoes or shallots or onions. Sultanas (golden raisins) are our fav in this but in a pinch I also used currants one time. I prefer less oil and more acid but everyone is different in that balance.
You might add the dressing earlier to the kale if you have curly. It will soften nicely.
i made this with red russian kale, the type i grow - much more tender than curly kale or even dinosaur (lacinato) kale. i used toasted walnuts. delicious!
Love this salad. I have a family member allergic to walnuts so I use toasted almonds and still get rave reviews when I make it!!