This Easy Kale & Cannellini Bean Salad has it all! The kale leaves are massaged to soften and parmesan cheese is added for rich umami flavor. Top off with sunflower seeds for addictive crunch and my creamy lemon dressing brings it all together.
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This is officially my new favorite salad. It's reminiscent of the Erewhon market kale and white bean salad. For the uninitiated, that's a fancy grocery store in Los Angeles where this salad first became popular.
What I love most about this white bean kale salad is it's versatility. It makes a great salad side dish that is perfect for balancing out a rich or heavy meal. It would work really well as a BBQ side as it pairs perfectly with grilled meats and seafood.
However, it's equally delicious as a light salad main, or quick lunch, for those days when you want to cut back on meat, lighten the load, and enjoy a plant based dinner.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Kale and Cannellini Bean Salad Recipe
- Easy Kale Salad Ingredients
- How to Make Kale Cannellini Bean Salad - Step-By-Step
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Variations & Substitutions for Kale and White Bean Salad
- Tips & Tricks For Making Kale and White Bean Salad
- How To Serve
- How To Store
- Pin This Easy Kale & Cannellini Bean Salad with Lemon Dressing Recipe For Later
- What Do You Think?!
- More Easy Salad Recipe Ideas
- Printable Recipe
- Easy Kale & Cannellini Bean Salad Recipe (with Lemon Dressing)
- Reader Comments & Ratings
Why You'll Love This Kale and Cannellini Bean Salad Recipe
- This is a filling and hearty salad, packed with healthy fats, plant-based protein, iron, dietary fiber, and a whole range of other vitamins and minerals.
- Hands on prep time for making this delicious salad is minimal, the whole dish can be brought together in just 10 minutes.
- This is a versatile salad that can be served as a side, or a vegetable based main dish thanks to the addition of the cannellini beans.
- These are some of my most popular salads, why not give them a try:
Easy Kale Salad Ingredients
Find the full list and quantities in the recipe card below.
Kale - You can either use whole curly crunchy kale leaves and break them up, or use baby kale which is sweeter and requires no cutting.
Beans - Use any variety of creamy white beans in this kale salad recipe. I've opted for canned cannellini beans but you could also use white beans, butter beans, great northern beans, lima beans, or even chickpeas.
Parmesan - Grated Parmesan cheese adds great flavor to this salad. If making for vegetarian diners use a vegetarian alternative.
Seeds - I like adding crunchy seeds to salads, I've opted for sunflower seeds, you could also use pumpkin seeds or hemp seeds (hemp hearts).
Dressing - I like to dress the salad with my own creamy salad dressing. For the best flavor I use extra-virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice in this dressing, but feel free to use a store bought dressing if you prefer.
How to Make Kale Cannellini Bean Salad - Step-By-Step
Find the full printable recipe below.
Make the simple dressing by adding extra virgin olive oil, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and maple syrup into a small bowl. Mix until completely incorporated then taste and season with sea salt and black pepper as needed.
Assemble the salad by adding the prepared kale to a large bowl. Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of the dressing over the kale and massage the dressing into the leaves with clean hands (yes really!). This helps to tenderize the stems.
Add in the drained and rinsed beans, parmesan cheese and sunflower seeds along with as much dressing as you like to the salad bowl and toss, making sure it's thoroughly mixed.
Serve with any extra dressing on the side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does massaging kale make a difference?
Yes, massaging the salad dressing into the kale helps to tenderize this leafy green, breaking down the structure softens it, making it easier to chew and digest.
What is the best kale for salad?
I've opted for curly kale as it's got bite and a bit more texture to other leafy greens. I start by removing the tough fibrous stems and chopping into smaller bite-sized pieces. You can also use baby kale which has softer and slightly sweeter leaves.
Variations & Substitutions for Kale and White Bean Salad
If you're not a fan of regular kale, swap it for cavolo nero (Tuscan black kale) which has a far softer leaf. You could also use spinach, chard or arugula in this salad.
I've used cannellini beans as they have a great creamy texture, but feel free to use any other white beans or even swap for some chickpeas.
Add extra fruits and veggies to the salad, try sliced red onion, tomatoes, grated carrot, creamy avocado or even some sliced green apples.
I like to add Parmesan cheese to flavor the salad, but you can swap this for vegetarian parmesan.
For a vegan kale and cannellini bean salad, swap Parmesan for vegan feta and replace the Greek yogurt in the salad dressing with a plant based alternative, or leave it out entirely and serve as a delicious lemon vinaigrette.
Lemon juice is added to the salad dressing, but you can add some finely shredded lemon zest if you really want to ramp up the lemony flavor.
I've opted for a creamy lemony dressing, but you could also use a tahini dressing or even a classic vinaigrette, swapping the lemon juice for red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar.
Tips & Tricks For Making Kale and White Bean Salad
Take time to properly remove any thick stems as they are very fibrous and tough to eat.
If you don’t already massage kale, now is honestly the time to start! Kale leaves are so much better and easier to digest if you really mix the dressing really well into the leaves.
Unlike ordinary salads - kale leaves do better if you toss them a few minutes before eating to give the leaves time to tenderize and take on the flavor of the dressing.
Remember kale salad also lasts longer than regular salad so is good to eat the next day even if mixed with the dressing.
Don’t underdress this salad but don’t overdress either. Add dressing gradually as you toss and remember you can always add more but you can’t remove dressing if you drown it.
How To Serve
This salad can be served either as a main salad on its own, or as a side salad. If you want to add a bit more to the salad, add some extra protein like grilled chicken, steak or salmon.
How To Store
If making kale salad ahead of time, I recommend preparing and storing everything separately in the fridge in airtight containers. The salad can be tossed together, covered and kept at room temperature up to an hour in advance.
Kale salad lasts longer than regular leaves even when dressed so can be stored in an airtight container and used the next day. Store in the fridge and I always advise a quick re-toss just before serving, to freshen the salad up.
Pin This Easy Kale & Cannellini Bean Salad with Lemon Dressing Recipe For Later
What Do You Think?!
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More Easy Salad Recipe Ideas
Printable Recipe
Easy Kale & Cannellini Bean Salad Recipe (with Lemon Dressing)
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup Greek Yogurt
- ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Maple Syrup
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper
Salad
- 1 bunch Curly Kale - washed, stemmed & cut into small pieces
- 15½ oz Canned Cannellini Beans - or other white bean, drained & rinsed
- ⅓ cup Grated Parmesan or Vegetarian Alternative
- ⅓ cup Sunflower Seeds
Instructions
Make the Dressing
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a small bowl.
- Mix until completely incorporated. Season and taste, adjusting if necessary.
Assemble the Salad
- Add the kale to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of the dressing over the kale and massage the dressing into the leaves with clean hands. This really helps to tenderize the stems.
- Add in the drained and rinsed beans, parmesan cheese and sunflower seeds.
- Add as much dressing as you like to the salad and toss, making sure it's thoroughly mixed.
- Serve with any extra dressing on the side.
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