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Learn How to Grill Kale With This Tangy Salad Recipe
If you can roast it, you can grill it.
That’s a good rule of thumb. In fact, I don’t even turn on my oven during the hotter summer months because we don’t have air conditioning in our house. And I don’t want to turn on my furnace of an oven.
So, I grill everything. Including hearty greens like in this grilled kale salad with citrus and scallions.
Grilling kale is a quick an easy solution to otherwise raw, tough greens. In just about 5 minutes, you can get some nicely charred kale for snacking on, tossing with some grains, or adding to a salad like this one. Grilled scallions add some depth of flavor while an orange adds a blast of sweetness to balance it all out.
This is a fancy salad that isn’t fancy to make. You don’t even need to make a dressing. But, the flavor pops off. Also, it looks pretty great. So get ready to impress your friends.
There is just something about adding bright citrus to a green salad that says “yeah, I know what I’m doing with this cooking thing”. It is a brave move and a great idea. So, learn how in this grilled kale salad recipe.
Grilled Kale Salad Ingredients
- Kale – You can use any type of kale. I used a mix of curly kale and Red Russian which worked great. Regardless of the type of kale, look for bunches with bright, sturdy, and rigid leaves without wilting. Stay away from bunches with slimy, yellow, brown, or bruised leaves.
- Scallions – Choose scallions (aka green onions) with bright green and sturdy tips. Avoid slimy, brown, and sagging tips.
- Orange – Look for oranges that have firm skin and are heavy for their size. They shouldn’t feel soft or spongy when you squeeze it. The color of the orange doesn’t matter much, so use the other indicators when inspecting for quality.
- White wine vinegar – In an effort to simplify life and cooking, I use white wine vinegar in most dishes that need a splash of vinegar. Red wine and apple cider vinegar would also work great here.
- Olive oil – Extra virgin is best. This oil from California Olive Ranch offers the best price, taste, and availability combination. It is what I use every day.
- Kosher salt– Diamond Crystal kosher salt was used for this recipe and all other recipes on this site. It is the gold standard. Use this conversion table from The Spruce Eats if you only have another type of salt.
How Long Does This Salad Keep?
This grilled kale salad with keep 1-2 days covered in the refrigerator. I like these leakproof containers for storing leftovers like this salad.
Are Scallions and Green Onions the Same Thing?
Yes, they’re the same thing.
How to Make This Grilled Kale Salad
Gather ingredients and prepare grill for at least 1 medium heat and 1 indirect heat zone. See the second picture below for my heat settings for my 3 zone grill (Note: black circle is the highest heat, empty circle is off)
Toss kale and scallions with kosher salt and oil. Place kale over indirect heat and scallions over direct heat. Close lid and grill about 2 minutes. Flip scallions and grill another 2-4 minutes until kale is bright green and lightly charred in parts. Check a few times to ensure kale is not getting too charred. The leaves can go from done to blackened very quick.
Chop kale and scallions and add to a bowl. Toss with vinegar and remaining olive oil. Peel and cut orange into 1 inch chunks and add to the bowl. Serve.
Grilled Kale Salad With Citrus and Scallions
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale
- 1 bunch scallions (or green onions)
- 1 orange, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare a grill for at least 1 medium heat and 1 indirect heat zone.
- Toss scallions and kale with 2 tbsp olive oil and kosher salt.
- Place kale over indirect heat and scallions over direct heat. Close the lid and grill for 2 minutes. Flip scallions and continue grilling until kale is bright green and lightly charred in spots, another 2-4 minutes. Keep an eye on the kale because it can go from brown to burnt quickly.
- Chop kale and scallions. Add to a bowl and toss with vinegar and remaining 2 tbsp olive oil. Add orange chunks and lightly toss to combine. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Ready to Grill Some Kale?
If you grill it, they will come. And by “they”, I mean eaters who think they don’t like vegetables. Because the best vegetables are browned and crispy.
The grill is just another tool in your cooking toolbox. It’s part oven, part stove. So, it’s super versatile and can be used as an entire outdoor kitchen when the weather is right.
For similar crispy kale results, check out this roasted kale chips recipe. Crispy, salt, delicious kale in the oven. In fact, you could make this exact same salad roasting the kale and scallions instead of grilling. Your call.
More Articles From Our Kale Series
Everything you need to know about eating, buying, storing, cooking, and using kale. Plus, why you should.
- Kale 101: Everything You Need to Know to Buy, Store, Cook, and Eat Kale
- 12 Health Benefits of Kale: Why You Should Eat More Kale
- Everyday Simple Kale Salad
- Quick Sauteed Kale With Garlic and Sesame
- Anchovy and Garlic Braised Kale
- Roasted Kale Chips In the Oven
- Simple Chickpea and Kale Salad With Avocado
- Red Pepper, Potato, and Ricotta Frittata
- Healthy Kale and Egg Fried Rice
- Creamy Vegan Kale and Cauliflower Soup
- Baked Sausages With Kale, Apple, and Onion