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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Re: Kale, apple and pancetta salad – can I substitute baby spinach or other greens for the kale. Thank you for your wonderful recipes, you are always my go to. Ann B
So glad you like the recipes! You can substitute other greens for the kale. Just keep in mind the kale is pretty sturdy so make sure you toss the salad gently if you use different lettuce. Enjoy!
The nutrition details, is that for the whole salad or per serving and if per serving, how many servings are in this recipe? Thank you, a noomer
The nutritional information is per serving and the salad serves four. Hope that clarifies!
I love this recipe. The balance with the acid and maple syrup and green apples is amazing. Thanks
This was delicious and everyone I work with loved it 🙂
I made a couple additions; I added 1 T Dijon mustard and 1 shaved shallot to the dressing. I added crumbled feta cheese (or blue) to the top at the end, and substituted toasted almond slices in and bacon instead of the pancetta (with most of the fat trimmed off) since that’s what I had. SO good!
Hi Jenn!
I’m having some difficultly finding champagne vinegar and I was wondering if I could substitute it with some other type of vinegar?
Thanks!
Tisa
Sure, Tisa, either white wine vinegar or cider vinegar will work. Hope you enjoy!
This salad is amazing! I have made it over 20 times. Why I have not left a review until now is a mystery! When I do not have pancetta, I sub bacon and it is just as good. This salad is so good that a few of my friends (that I have made this salad for) now have champagne vinegar in their pantry just for this salad. All of Jenn’s recipes are a hit at our house. Love the cookbook!
I skipped the pancetta part and it stilled tasted delicious. Also threw in cranberry and sweet roasted pecan.
The best! I have never served a salad for which so many people went back for multiple helpings! Left the toasted pecans on the side for those who wanted it. I want to suggest that it would also be delicious with chopped and crisped pancetta rather than prosciutto, as I used the essence of this dressing recipe on extra kale several days later, but with pancetta, and it was fabulous… absolutely fantastic.
Served it with OUAC pumpkin leek soup and it was a great combo!
Hello…this looks delicious. How far ahead can I dress the salad?
Hi Tanyia, I’d dress the salad right before serving. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jen, 3 questions:
1. May I use packaged baby kale?
2. Your photo seems to showGranny Smith apples, (pale green peel) but you suggest Fuji or Honeycrisp.
3. Is this recipe for a main course or side salad. I plan to serve this to eight guests with your luscious curried sweet potato carrot soup. Should I double this recipe?
Thank you.
Hi Diana, If you want to use baby kale, I’d dress it right before serving as baby kale is more delicate than traditional kale. And you’re absolutely right — I do use Granny Smith apples in this. It was a mistake that I didn’t suggest it in the ingredients (I’ve updated it)! And last, this is more of a side salad versus a main course. If you’d like to serve it to 8 people, I’d double it. Hope that helps!
Like every recipe I’ve made from this site, this salad is absolutely delicious. I didn’t think I liked kale but decided to take a chance on this recipe. So, so, so good!