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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
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!
Kale Bacon Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 432 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Salad
- 6 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
- 3/4 cup raw walnuts
- 1/3 cup raw pepitas
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 cups shredded kale
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 1 1/2 cups grated manchego or parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
Cider Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fig preserves or apple butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest
- kosher salt and black pepper
- chili flakes
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the walnuts and pepitas with maple syrup, and a pinch of cayenne. To the other side of the baking sheet, add the bacon in an even layer. Bake 8-10 minutes, until the bacon is crisping, watch close. Sprinkle with salt. 2. Meanwhile, toss the salad. In a large salad bowl, combine the kale, arugula, cheese, and cranberries. 3. To make the vinaigrette. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar. Whisk to combine. 4. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad, tossing to combine. Top the salad with walnuts and bacon. Serve or keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
To Make Ahead: the salad can be made up to 6 hours ahead, just add the bacon before serving.
Leftovers: leftovers will keep well for 2-3 days. This salad is delicious warmed or chilled.
Amazing salad and so perfect in a Thanksgiving dinner spread! The orange is a lovely accent and all the add-ins really make it special. Thank you!!
Hi Meg,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! xx
We made this recipe for the first time during thanksgiving and everyone loved the salad. We made 12 servings and amongst all the meats, mac & cheese, korean food, etc…, this salad got almost entirely devoured. Will definitely make again!
Hi there,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! xx
Delicious! Made this for Thanksgiving and even the kale skeptics loved it. Will definitely make this again 😁
Hi Erin,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! xx
A big hit and a welcome addition to our Thanksgiving table this year. Thank you for the wonderful recipe! And thank you for all of your recipes.
Hi Jessica,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! xx
I only have fig butter, will that work?
Hi there,
Sure, I bet fig butter would be great to use or honey is also another option! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Making this today for the second time! We absolutely loved the flavors. You did it again!
Hi Joy,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! xx
This salad is so good!! Great combination of sweet, savory, and spice. I like to dress the salad a little while before serving, so the kale really soaks up the flavor.
Hi Tiffany,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! xx
Do you massage the Kale with olive oil before combining it with the other ingredients?
Hey Sil,
You don’t have to, but you totally can if you want! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi! Can you cook the bacon the day before??
Hey Samantha,
Totally, that will be just fine for you to do! I hope you love this recipe! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Can you make the nuts a day or two ahead of time? Or does cooking them with the bacon add extra flavor from the grease?
Hey Katherine,
Sure, you could make them in advance, that would be just fine:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
This salad is incredible and so easy to prep, especially if you do it in stages in advance! I added avocado for a little bit extra healthy fat to make it filling. It was perfect!
Hey Elizabeth,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) Happy Thanksgiving! 🍽
We absolutely loved the flavours in this salad
Hey Kathy,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) Happy Thanksgiving! 🍽
It was delicious. I of the course forgot the cranberries, but it was still delicious.
Hey Moira,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go! xT
This was a hit at the Friendsgiving party we attended. The only change I made was to replace the arugula with romaine. Thank you, thank you!
Hey Nicci,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go! xT
I watched the IG video so I knew to do this but the bacon takes longer to cook than the nuts. No worries, just scoop out the nuts and keep cooking the bacon until done. The cayenne pepper on the maple nuts is seriously genius. So yummy!
Hey Sabrina,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend!❄️