Cranberry-Apple Kale Salad
with Parm Frico & Garlic Ciabatta
- Soy
- Wheat
- Eggs
- Milk
Step aside, side salad—this hearty kale version is the stuff of dinner dreams. We toss the tender greens with apple slices, roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potato, chewy dried cranberries, and a creamy, tangy honey Dijon dressing. It’s all topped with Parm frico—aka deliciously crispy cheese wafers—for a hearty-yet-light-feeling dinner you’re going to want to make again and again.
Ingredients
8 ounce
Brussels Sprouts
1 unit
Sweet Potatoes
1 unit
Apple
1 clove
Garlic
1 unit
Ciabatta Bread
(Contains: Soy, Wheat)
1 tablespoon
Fry Seasoning
4 ounce
Kale
4.5 ounce
Honey Dijon Dressing
(Contains: Eggs)
¼ cup
Parmesan Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 ounce
Dried Cranberries
Not included in your delivery
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon
Cooking Oil
2 tablespoon
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
1 teaspoon
Olive Oil
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust racks to top and middle positions and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry produce. • Trim Brussels sprouts; halve or quarter lengthwise depending on size. Peel and dice sweet potato into ½-inch pieces. Peel and mince or grate garlic. Halve ciabatta lengthwise. Remove and discard any large stems from kale; chop into bite-size pieces. Halve and core apple; thinly slice one half (whole apple for 4 servings).
• In a large bowl, toss Brussels sprouts and sweet potato with a large drizzle of oil, Fry Seasoning, salt, and pepper. Spread out across a baking sheet. (Keep bowl handy for step 5.) • Roast on top rack until veggies are browned and tender, 20-25 minutes. • Let cool at least 5 minutes.
• Once veggies are almost done, place 2 TBSP butter (4 TBSP for 4 servings) in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until melted, 30 seconds. Stir in garlic to taste, then brush onto cut sides of ciabatta. Season with salt and pepper. • Place ciabatta cut sides up on one side of a second baking sheet.
• Lightly oil opposite side of sheet from ciabatta; evenly sprinkle Parmesan into two 3-inch-wide circles (four circles for 4 servings) on sheet. • Bake on middle rack until ciabatta is toasted and frico is golden brown and crisp, 6-8 minutes. TIP: Check often to make sure the cheese doesn’t burn. • Let frico cool on sheet until crispy, then transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
• While ciabatta toasts, place kale in bowl used for veggies. Add a drizzle of olive oil; lightly season with salt. Using your hands, massage kale until leaves are tender, 30-60 seconds. • Add sliced apple, cranberries, and ¾ of the roasted veggies (save the rest for serving) to bowl; toss with honey Dijon dressing to taste. Season with salt and pepper.
• Halve garlic bread on a diagonal. Break frico into bite-size pieces. • Divide salad between plates or shallow bowls. Garnish with remaining roasted veggies and frico. Serve with garlic bread on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Sep 2026- Flavor: The sweet-and-savory combination of roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, apple, cranberries, and honey Dijon dressing is a standout — warm, hearty, and surprisingly satisfying 🎉. Some found the overall profile a touch too sweet; a more acidic dressing or a squeeze of lemon can balance it out.
- Ease of prep: The salad comes together well, though removing kale stems from pre-chopped kale is time-consuming — many reviewers recommend starting with whole kale leaves and stripping the stems yourself. Massaging the kale with olive oil and salt is a key step that makes it noticeably more tender.
- Suggestions: Add more cranberries, use the whole apple instead of half, and consider tossing in walnuts, pepitas, or candied pecans for extra crunch and protein. Use only two-thirds of the dressing to avoid overpowering the salad, and watch the Parm frico closely in the oven so it doesn't burn.
- Leftovers: The salad holds up well the next day, making it a great option for lunch — just keep the dressing separate until ready to eat.
- Parm frico: The crispy cheese wafers are a favorite touch that adds salty crunch; give them a few extra minutes to cool on the sheet so they firm up properly before serving.
Reviews from our home cooks
This salad was perfection in a bowl! The blend of saltiness from the frico and veggies with the sweetness of the cranberries and dressing were a perfect match. The tip provided about massaging the kale with olive oil was genius! This softened the chew to exactly the right texture. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Very easy and love the dressing flavors with roasted veggies. Didn't do the parm frico portion but customized with feta cheese garnish.
I love your salads that have roasted vegetables in them, as well crunchy croutons or Parm Frico and sweet dried cranberries. The only reason I did not give this 4 stars is that massaging the kale did not soften it at all, which is a problem I've had with store bought kale as well. The first time I ordered this salad the kale softened up beautifully so I keep ordering it, but this time I ended up having to cook the kale and eat the whole thing warm (which was still good). I'm just perplexed why some kale will soften with massaging it and some won't...
Like the mix of raw and cooked elements. I had been wanting to make fricos to snack on. This was a good chance to try it. We needed a bit more parmesan for this. The garlic ciabatta didn't seem to go well. Maybe a crouton instead. We got the smallest sweet potato I have EVER seen. It was almost half the size of the apple. The kale has been packaged weird the past month. It is like they put in a couple of handfuls of just stems.
This is my favorite salad so far. The combo of warm roasted veggies and cool crisp apple and kale was very satisfying.
This is a nice, colorful salad for fall and full of nutrients from the kale, apple, Brussels sprouts, and sweet potato. It would probably be good with toasted almonds rather than Parm frico if you wanted to make it dairy-free. Or, some crumbled goat cheese would also be a nice sub for the frico.
The salad was delicious the perfect combination of sweet and savory. The apples, honey dijon dressing, and cranberries are what made the salad. The kale had a nice bite to it as well & of course the frico was great.
Amazing flavor. Loved the roasted veggies with the kale. The apple and cranberries added just enough sweetness to balance everything out! GO TO MEAL!
I'm not sure I can write a deserving-enough review of this salad. If a restaurant had this on their menu and was 50 miles away, I would drive there once a week to get this salad. Never have I had a yummier, more hearty, fulfilling, tasty, well-balanced flavorFUL salad as this one. From the dressing to the spiced sweet potatoes to the simple little parmesan-baked toppers to the easy-prep fresh garlic ciabatta bread, my tastebuds and belly are so, so happy. Please thank your amazing chefs for putting this on the menu!! I will order it every time I see it!!
Great salad. Love the parmesan frico. Adds some salt and crunch. Interesting directions about 'massaging the kale'. It really makes the kale texture better.
