This salad is one of my favorite varieties – BAKED SALAD. And yes, that’s definitely a salad style I included in my cookbook. Baked Salad is a style of vegetable bowl that I’ve been obsessing over (and finessing!) since 2020. And yes, to keep it simple, it is leafy greens…that are baked. But there’s a fun dressing involved! And toppings! Honestly, what’s not to love? So I’m excited to give you another rendition of salads with this Baked Kale Salad with Brussels Sprouts, Honey Mustard and Green Apple!
It’s a flavor combination that sounds simple, nearly to the point of being obvious, but it is PACKED with flavor and just tastes like home. Maybe it’s because I’m writing this during the holidays, but I just want everything to feel peak nostalgic right now. And honey mustard, apple and cheddar? That totally fits the bill.
Table of contents
- Ingredients you will need for this baked kale salad
- Why it’s okay to crowd the pan when roasting vegetables for a baked salad
- How to make a perfect honey mustard dressing
- The best way to store a baked salad
- The best adaptations and variations for this baked kale salad with quinoa
- Looking for similar recipes?
Ingredients you will need for this baked kale salad
I’ve recently learned that sometimes with vegetables, it’s best to keep it simple! And this recipe is incredibly simple, but very rewarding. I split the ingredients into sections so you know what you need when, and also you know how to riff on it!
Here is everything you will need:
For the baked salad:
- 1 cup uncooked sorghum or quinoa
- 2 pounds lacinato kale
- 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
The honey mustard dressing:
- 1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the toppings:
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts
- 1 small green apple
- 2 ounces sharp white cheddar
Why it’s okay to crowd the pan when roasting vegetables for a baked salad
I have seen this advice time and time again: Don’t crowd your pan.
And while 90% of the time this is true, here it doesn’t apply, and let me tell you why!
When you crowd a pan, you are causing your vegetables to steam first, then roast. This makes it so that your crowded vegetables almost never get the chance to brown, release moisture, and get crispy. So if you are looking for a perfectly crisp potato – don’t crowd your pan.
Now with a baked salad we want the vegetables to be wilty and pliable, with some having crispy edges. If the whole salad had browned, crisp edges, that would NOT be a good mouthfeel.
So I recommend you crowd your pan – just a little! It allows the Brussels sprouts to soften while still gaining color on the edges, and it lets the kale wilt into a very delicious texture. Plus…it saves you a few pans!
How to make a perfect honey mustard dressing
What I love about honey mustard dressing is it packs a ton of seasoning on its own. I hardly ever need to dip into my salt and pepper to make it taste as zippy as I like it to.
For this honey mustard we are only making 1/2 cup of dressing. I find that is plenty for a salad of this size.
Now my biggest tip to making the perfect honey mustard is whisk together everything but the oil FIRST. Then whisk while drizzling in the oil to emulsify it. It seizes up into my favorite glossy texture, and it is finished in minutes.
The best way to store a baked salad
Baked salads are meant for storing, which is why they are some of my favorite recipes for meal prep!
To store I baked salad, I say throw everything together except for the toppings. In this case that means the cheddar, nuts and apple you will want to keep separate.
I like to dress the salad before storing because it just gets better with time in the fridge! And the greens and grains hold up.
I say this salad lasts five days in the fridge. However, it is not suitable for freezing. (It just won’t reheat well, trust me!)
The best adaptations and variations for this baked kale salad with quinoa
When adjusting a recipe, I always say go forth with what you have! When it comes to subbing out vegetables, I’ve found baked salads to be pretty forgiving. Here are my best substitutions:
- For the kale: sub in Swiss chard, mustard greens, or collard greens! Anything that won’t lose its shape in the oven is good here!
- For the Brussels sprouts: sub in cabbage (thinly sliced!), chopped broccoli, chopped cauliflower, or thinly shaved fennel!
- For the honey: maple syrup or sorghum syrup is a great sub!
- If you are dairy free: you can just skip it, or any crumbly plant-based cheese is a great alt!
- For the apples: I love a Japanese pear here, or any other sweeter apple variety will do!
- For if you are allergic to nuts: try pumpkin seeds! They add a similar crunch and are a perfect partner here.
Looking for similar recipes?
Here are some of my best salads from the blog!
And that’s it for this kale salad!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Baked Kale Salad with Brussels Sprouts, Honey Mustard, Apple and Cheddar
Equipment
- 1 medium pot
- 1 chef's knife
- 2 half sheet pans
- 2 sheets of parchment paper
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
For the baked salad
- 1 cup uncooked sorghum or quinoa
- 2 pounds lacinato kale
- 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
For the honey mustard dressing
- 1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the toppings
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts
- 1 small green apple
- 2 ounces sharp white cheddar
Instructions
- Begin by boiling your grains according to package instructions. When they are ready, drain and set aside.
- Position two racks at the bottom section of your oven and preheat to 400*F.
- Remove the ribs from the kale and thinly slice it. Transfer it to a half sheet pan.
- Thinly slice the Brussels sprouts and transfer to a half sheet pan. It's ok if your pans look a bit crowded, if they are too sparse the vegetables will get too crisp in the oven!
- Drizzle both the kale and the Brussels sprouts with 1-2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and season with a liberal pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Mix to coat.
- Add the Brussels sprouts to the bottom rack of the oven and put the kale on the rack right above. I bake these both for 18-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are browning on the edges.
- While the vegetables are roasting, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing except the oil. Then whisk continuously while slowly drizzling in the oil to emulsify. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Roughly chop 1/2 cup of hazelnuts. Transfer them to a pan over medium heat and toast for 3-4 minutes or until fragrant.
- Thinly slice the apple and crumble the cheddar.
- When the vegetables are out of the oven, combine them on one sheet pan and pour in the grains. Cover in the dressing and mix to combine.
- To serve, portion into four bowls, top with the hazelnuts, crumbled cheddar and apple slices. Serve immediately!
This is soooo good and was really easy and quick to make. I love the dressing so much!
I’m so thrilled you liked it!!
Very hearty, and full of classic fall flavors! I ended up addinga bit more apple and doubling the dressing to add some more acidity for my own taste. And a tip from someone who has yet to remember: Do not- I repeat- do not, walk away from toasting nuts to do ANYTHING else. They WILL punish you for multitasking. Every time.
Delish and will repeat!
So so happy you liked it!
This is a perfect fall/winter (or any time, let’s be real) salad and will be making a regular appearance in my meal prep moving forward!
I really want to make this for a dinner party. Never hosted one before. I have no idea.. is this supposed to be served hot or cold? Seems like hot? Would it still be okay made a little in advanced?
Thanks!
Very good flavors! I made the mistake of using Bulgur instead of Quinoa because it’s what I had on hand and it absorbed too much of the dressing, sadly. And then like a silly goose I used my un-toasted pecans instead of my pre-toasted ones. All my own mistakes- but want to try again bc the dressing/cheese/apple/nut combo went hardddd.
I love this recipe! Wondering how it would work for a party side—is this make-ahead-able??
Absolutely! The apples tend to brown, so slice them right before topping, but everything else can be prepped!
What other grains could I substitute for the quinoa? I’m wondering if black lentils would work.
That would work just fine!
Made a massive batch of this–used miso in the dressing because I didn’t have dijon, and added sliced chicken sausage on top of the sprouts while roasting. Turned out great, and I will definitely be making this again!
So SO happy you liked it!
Justine, how did you know I had a bunch of kale and a bag of brussel sprouts in my fridge? This was nice, I think it needed a bit more brightness for my taste. I added some fresh lime juice to the dressing, and some dried cranberries for a bit of a kick.
Love your work, ps, when does your book come out in Australia? I’d love to support you x
I’m not sure, but I know you can get it off amazon and it will get to you!