This sticky cider salmon kale salad is one of my favorite cool-weather dishes. Sticky cider salmon, roasted potatoes, creamy goat cheese, toasted walnuts and a spiced vinaigrette come together to make a hearty, satisfying salad.
I present my most-made salad for the colder months.
This winter kale salad is topped with sticky salmon, roasted potatoes, crunchy toasted walnuts, creamy goat cheese and a bright, spiced cider vinaigrette. It’s a warm, comforting salad—perfect for evenings when you want something substantial but still full of greens.
Ideal for the chillier nights ahead.
I can’t overstate how delicious this is. It’s one of those salads you’ll find yourself making again and again. It’s a big dinner salad—nourishing and filling while still being vibrant and flavorful.
This also makes a wonderful dinner party salad. There are a few steps—roasting potatoes, cooking the salmon and assembling the bowl—but many components can be prepped in advance, like the dressing and chopping, which makes the process easy and nearly foolproof.
The combination of flavors is what sells this salad.
First: the sticky cider salmon. It’s similar to a classic sticky salmon but made with apple cider, which adds a bright, rich flavor that pairs beautifully with the fish.
Next: roasted potatoes. Little roasted potatoes are soft and buttery inside with a crisp exterior, adding weight and texture to the salad. They’re a welcome replacement for croutons and make the dish more filling.
I also add toasted walnuts and goat cheese. The goat cheese softens and becomes almost spreadable in the warm salad, adding tang and creaminess that complements the potatoes and salmon.
Finally, a spiced cider vinaigrette ties everything together. Made with apple cider vinegar, a touch of allspice and minced shallot, the dressing is bright and aromatic. The shallots marinate in the dressing and lend extra depth to the bowl.
I use a little of the dressing to massage the Tuscan kale, which softens the leaves and removes bitterness so the kale is tender and chewy—an ideal base for the warm ingredients.
This salad checks all the boxes and it’s always a crowd-pleaser.
Best dinner ever!
Winter Kale Salad with Salmon
Winter Kale Salad with Salmon
Yield:
4
25 mins
25 mins
50 mins
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Ingredients
Spiced Cider Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons apple cider
- 2 tablespoons diced shallot
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- Kosher salt and pepper
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Salad
- 1 pound petite gold potatoes, halved or quartered
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ⅔ cup walnuts
- 4 salmon fillets
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup apple cider
- 2 tablespoons water
- 6 to 8 cups torn Tuscan kale
- 3 to 4 ounces goat cheese
Instructions
Spiced Cider Vinaigrette
- Whisk together the cider, shallot, garlic, vinegar, allspice and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. The dressing keeps in the fridge for a few days—whisk or shake before using.
Salad
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Make the vinaigrette first so it’s ready.
- Toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once or twice.
- Toast the walnuts on a smaller sheet in the oven for 5 to 8 minutes until fragrant. Cool and chop coarsely.
- Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sear the salmon until golden, about 2 minutes per side.
- Whisk together the maple syrup, water and apple cider. Pour it over the salmon, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 3 to 4 minutes, spooning the glaze over the fish.
- Place the kale in a large bowl, drizzle with 2 tablespoons dressing and massage the leaves with your hands for a few minutes until tender. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Assemble the salad with the kale, salmon, roasted potatoes, goat cheese and walnuts. Drizzle with additional spiced cider dressing and serve.
- Note: Leftovers keep well—store potatoes, salmon and kale separately and combine before serving.
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Buttery and delicious!