Kale Bacon Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts.

This shredded Kale Bacon Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts has become one of our go-to holiday salads. It’s quick, festive, and so delicious. Shredded kale, arugula, nutty manchego cheese, and sweet dried cranberries, all tossed with a simple cider vinaigrette that’s sweet and tangy. The spicy candied walnuts and pepitas add a nice crunch making every bite of this salad delicious. It really does burst with flavor! Great served alongside your favorite dinner or at your next holiday gathering!

Every holiday season (how is it the holiday season? just how?!), I love to create a simple green salad that’s perfect for serving alongside our family dinners. Whether it’s a normal night at home, Thanksgiving, or a fun Christmas dinner. I think they all need a really great green salad.

With so many rich and decadent dishes being served, it’s nice to have something light on the plate as well.

Most of the time my salads include pomegranates or apples, but I thought I’d switch things up slightly this year. I wanted to highlight one of November’s most popular foods, cranberries.

Turns out, I love this salad. And just how simple it is to put together! No popping out pomegranate arils! Plus, you can even make it hours in advance, so you’ve gotta love that.

Here are the details

In my mind, the candied walnuts are the key ingredient of this salad. I love them. They really add a nice crunch along with a sweet and spicy flavor.

I like to make my candied nuts in the oven to keep the process easy. You’ll want to toss the walnuts together with raw pepitas, maple syrup, and cayenne. These are my healthier take on candied walnuts. They’re every bit as addicting as they sound. Perfectly sweet and just a touch spicy too. Finish these off with flaky sea salt to seal the deal.

I also like to crisp up my bacon while the nuts toast. This way you’ll save some time, plus use just one pan!

While the walnuts are baking in the oven, toss together the salad base. I like to use a blend of finely shredded kale and baby arugula. I find this to be the perfect mix. You could also use spinach in place of the arugula. Next, add in nutty manchego cheese. Parmesan or feta works too, but we love manchego.

Next, toss in the dried cranberries.

The last step is the vinaigrette.

This is just another variation of my go-to dressing, but I sure do love it. Olive oil mixed with apple cider vinegar, fig preserves, fresh thyme, orange zest (the secret), salt, pepper, and chili flakes.

Don’t skip the orange zest, it certainly adds something special to the entire salad that makes everyone think “oh yummm”.

It’s really such a wonderfully simple side salad that’s perfect for all of your holiday entertaining. Whether it’s Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, or Christmas!

Hoping you all give this delicious wintery salad a try!

Looking for other winter salad recipes? Here are a few ideas: 

Autumn Harvest Honeycrisp Apple and Feta Salad

Shredded Brussels Sprout Bacon Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette

Winter Pomegranate Salad

Super Green Sun-Dried Tomato Herb Salad

Kale Caesar Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas

Lastly, if you make this Kale Bacon Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!