Kale, Apple and Pancetta Salad
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This flavor-packed autumn salad, with kale, radicchio, and a zingy maple vinaigrette, will have even the biggest salad skeptics coming back for more!
Made with shredded kale, radicchio, crisp pancetta, tart apples, pecans, and a zingy maple vinaigrette, this gorgeous fall salad, adapted from Food & Wine, is a real flavor powerhouse. Even my husband, who isn’t usually a fan of salads (especially kale), can’t get enough of it. For a heartier meal, you can easily add some poached chicken or grilled chicken—it’s a versatile dish that works as a side or a main course.
What You’ll Need To Make Kale, Apple & Pancetta Salad
Step-by-Step Instructions
Combine the olive oil and pancetta in a small skillet over medium heat.
Cook, stirring frequently, until pancetta is golden and crispy.
Strain the pan drippings into a medium bowl and leave the crispy pancetta off to the side to cool.
Add the Champagne vinegar, maple syrup, salt and pepper to the pan drippings and whisk well.
Combine the radicchio, kale, apples and pecans in a large bowl.
Toss while adding the dressing, little by little, until the salad is well dressed. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with crispy pancetta.
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Kale, Apple and Pancetta Salad
This flavor-packed autumn salad, with kale, radicchio, and a zingy maple vinaigrette, will have even the biggest salad skeptics coming back for more!
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces pancetta, diced
- ¼ cup Champagne vinegar
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 small head radicchio, shredded
- 1 (8-ounce) bunch kale, stems discarded, leaves shredded
- 2 tart-yet-sweet apples, such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, sliced into thin matchsticks
- ¾ cup pecans, toasted if desired
Instructions
- Combine the olive oil and pancetta in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until pancetta is golden and crispy. Strain the pan drippings into a medium bowl and leave the crispy pancetta off to the side to cool. Add the vinegar, maple syrup, salt and pepper to the pan drippings and whisk well.
- Combine the radicchio, kale, apples and pecans in a large bowl. Toss while adding the dressing, little by little, until the salad is well dressed. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with crispy pancetta.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 541
- Fat: 43 g
- Saturated fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Sugar: 24 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Sodium: 363 mg
- Cholesterol: 19 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This salad was excellent. I used it as a side salad, so I had a lot more than 4 servings. It got better with age as is often the case with kale. (It softens up the longer it is dressed.) Mine kept for almost a week. It may not have been presentation worthy then, but it was still tasty. I used a fresh bunch of kale and was reminded what a convenience pre-washed bagged salad greens can be! I will go that route next time.
This is truly one of the best salads I have ever eaten! Thanks for such a wonderful recipe. It is the perfect combination of flavors.
Hi Jenn,
Can the dressing be made a day ahead of time, and if so, can I store it at room temperature? Do I need to reheat it prior to adding it to the salad?
Thank you!
Sure, Teresa, you can make the dressing a day ahead. While I think it would be fine to store at room temp, to be safe, I’d suggest refrigerating it. Then you can microwave it very briefly just to warm it up a little before dressing the salad. Enjoy!
I’m prepping it now, but I think it won’t be enough for dinner. What do you recommend serving with it?
Hi Lauren, I think this would be delicious with a crusty bread and soup (maybe this Butternut Squash Soup or Paste e Fagioli). Hope that helps!
Hi Jen, I never used the radicchio before, bought it for a first time. I tried one piece and it tastes somewhat bitter. Is this the way it should be? Will the dressing take away this taste? Or, I should replace it with a red cabbage? My concern is that the radicchio I got is not a fresh one…. Thanks in advance.
Hi Natalie, Yes, radicchio is bitter – in this salad all of the flavors balance out nicely but if you’re nervous, don’t add too much to start.
Thanks for the reply, the flavors do mix and balance out the bitterness, I let it stand in refrigerator for a couple of hours, the flavor is really rich and comfortting.
I won’t be scared next time 🙂
This was amazing! I omitted the radicchio since I don’t like that vegetable.
I couldn’t find champagne vinegar, so I used Pear Raspberry vinegar. The dressing turned out to be amazing. The maple syrup balanced out the tart vinegar taste, and there was the subtle bacon taste too!
I didn’t see the nutrition info at the end of the recipe. I am wondering about the calories and sugar content since we used 1/4 cup pure maple syrup.
Glad you enjoyed this! I just added the nutritional info to the recipe. 🙂
This is absolutely my favorite salad ever. I could eat it every night. I was surprised how long it will hold up in the fridge. I always double the recipe so I have leftovers. I add the apples as I serve it so they don’t darken in the leftovers. TRY this you will love it!!!!!!
Oh! I also use white wine vinegar because it’s cheaper than the champagne vinegar and it works well as a substitute.
I made this quite a few times and it’s always a hit. I don’t use kale though, I serve it with arugula for my husband and with baby spinach for myself. I also use glazed pecans (sold in the salad toppings section at the grocery store) and I don’t use all of the oil for the dressing – all just preferences. This has become a favorite in our home, we love the combination of flavors. My husband requests this regularly. It’s great served with Jenn’s Pasta e Fagioli for a more complete meal (and the Chocolate Biscotti for dessert!) 🙂
Recently, we started adding manchego cheese to this salad and it works well with the other flavors too!
This recipe is so good. And healthy. The warm dressing helps tame the kale, while the maple syrup gives a soft sweet without shouting maple syrup. I’ve shared the recipe twice already, once for a potluck and most recently for Thanksgiving eve with gathering family when we wanted a simple menu before the next day’s feasting.
To cut $$ corners I used the bacon on hand rather than pancetta. To reduce some of the holiday meal chopping, I started with bagged pre-cut kale and further chopped to desired texture.
The salad was served simply with baked potatoes and steak from the BBQ. A perfect division of labor: the men did the steaks and the women did the salad and potatoes.
The recipe is now a part of our family favorites notebook. Thank you, Jennifer!