• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Nutrition to Fit

  • ABOUT
    • Press
    • FREE eBook
  • SERVICES
  • RECIPES
menu icon
go to homepage
  • ABOUT
  • SERVICES
  • RECIPES
  • THE BLOG
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • ABOUT
    • SERVICES
    • RECIPES
    • THE BLOG
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Blog » Recipes

    Citrus Kale Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette

    Published: Jan 20, 2019 · Updated: Dec 11, 2019 · This post may contain affiliate links. · 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    This citrus kale salad is a massaged with a simple grapefruit vinaigrette for a satisfying salad packed with delicious flavors and textures. Perfect for winter citrus season!

    Rectangular plate full of a citrus kale salad massaged with grapefruit vinaigrette and topped with sliced avocado, citrus segments, and slivered almonds.

    Citrus Kale Salad

    This citrus kale salad was totally inspired by my super delicious and popular winter kale salad recipe.  While that version boasts dried cranberries, goat cheese, and a cranberry vinaigrette, this citrus kale salad takes a few different flavors, while still combining all the textures and nutrients for one satisfying salad.

    The kale is massaged with a delightful grapefruit vinaigrette. I used the juice from half a fresh grapefruit, but you could totally use bottled 100% grapefruit juice if that's what you have on hand or prefer. Gosh - even if you're not a big grapefruit fan but still want to try this salad, you could even use orange juice instead!

    Then of course - the toppings. Y'all know that when it comes to salads, I'm in it for the toppings. Leafy greens are great and all, but I love using toppings as a way to add flavors, textures, and other nutrients for a more balanced meal.

    Here we've got segments of grapefruit and oranges for bright pops of citrus flavor. Creaminess and healthy fats are added with sliced avocado. Almond slivers (use sunflower seeds if allergic) add great texture and more fiber and healthy fats. Finally, just a little bit finely chopped fresh mint throughout the massaged kale salad adds just another dimension of flavor that makes it even more satisfying to your taste buds!

    Rectangular plate full of a citrus kale salad massaged with grapefruit vinaigrette and topped with sliced avocado, citrus segments, and slivered almonds.

    How to Make Citrus Kale Salad

    Like the original winter kale salad, this citrus kale salad with grapefruit vinaigrette really is pretty simple!

    Toss your grapefruit vinaigrette ingredients into a small mason jar. Seal, shake until combined, then pour over your kale. (No jars? You can totally use a small bowl and whisk or fork, too.)

    Next it's time to massage your kale. Yup - massage. Every time I talk about a massaged kale salad there are always questions! I'll try to make a video soon, but basically quite literally massage (or rub or knead) the vinaigrette into the kale leaves. This will help the kale tenderize (making it less chewy and more tolerable to many compared to raw, untouched kale), and many say they feel massaged kale is less bitter tasting.

    I usually let my massaged kale salad then sit for 30 or so minutes in the fridge (or even up to a day, if I'm making it in advance). When I'm ready to eat, I add my toppings (grapefruit and orange segments, sliced avocado, and almond slivers) and dig in!

    Now, let's chat about the mint. I have mint listed as an optional ingredient here, primarily because I know how annoying it can be to buy a large package of a fresh herbs when you only need a small amount, and I don't want that to stop you from making this salad. Truthfully this salad still tastes great without it. But, if you're looking for another little pop of flavor, just chop some mint and add it to your kale before you add the grapefruit vinaigrette. Especially when you let the flavors sit and mingle for a while, the mint really gets drawn out!

    A handheld citrus juice, half a juiced grapefruit, and a small mason jar with the ingredients of a simple grapefruit vinaigrette.

    How to Turn a Salad Into a Balanced Meal

    Now I will say - I wrote this recipe to act as more of a side dish to accompany the rest of a meal. So if you're looking to make a full meal out of this salad, be sure to do a couple things:

    • Portion enough salad for a meal versus a side portion . You need enough energy to sustain you for a few hours so you can go about focusing on and enjoying your day.
    • Add some protein. Most individuals will need a little more protein from a meal than this salad provides. Pair it with leftover shrimp or salmon from last night's dinner, or add some grilled chicken, chickpeas, or lentils on top. Try pairing it with my foolproof instant pot salmon or crunchy roasted chickpeas!
    • Consider your needs and possibly adding some complex carbs. Some people will feel super nourished and satisfied from eating this salad with some protein and be done there. Others may need a little extra carbs, like baked sweet potato fries, whole grain toast, or even some quinoa added to the salad. Check in with yourself and your current hunger levels, how long you need this meal to sustain you, and again - add away! Try pairing it with my spiced baked sweet potato fries, sweet potato carrot soup, or an oatmeal banana muffin.

    Close up of a citrus kale salad massaged with grapefruit vinaigrette and topped with sliced avocado, citrus segments, and slivered almonds.

    Looking for More Easy, Healthy Salads Loaded with Toppings?

    Try some of the most popular Nutrition to Fit salad recipes:

    • Winter Kale Salad
    • Zucchini Noodle Antipasto Salad
    • Sunflower Seed Tabbouleh Salad
    • Mango Chicken Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
    • Blueberry Panzanella Salad
    • 5-Minute Broccoli Kale Quinoa Salad
    • Cranberry Apple Harvest Salad
    • Golden Beet Salad with Blueberry Lime Dressing
    • Strawberry Salmon Salad
    • Blueberry Kale Salad

    As always, when you try a NTF recipe, be sure to comment and rate the recipe below so others may see! And of course, take a picture of your finished creations and tag me on social media - @nutritiontofit and #nutritiontofit. I love seeing my recipes being enjoyed by you, and love to reshare your pictures on my social media accounts, too! Live well!

    Rectangular plate full of a citrus kale salad massaged with grapefruit vinaigrette and topped with sliced avocado, citrus segments, and slivered almonds.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Citrus Kale Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette

    This citrus kale salad is a massaged with a simple grapefruit vinaigrette for a satisfying salad packed with delicious flavors and textures. Perfect for winter citrus season!
    free from: wheat/ gluten, dairy, soy, fish, shellfish, eggs, peanuts, *tree nuts optional (sub sunflower seeds for almonds)
    Prep Time15 mins
    Resting Time30 mins
    Total Time45 mins
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 237kcal
    Author: Lindsey Janeiro, RDN, CLT

    Ingredients

    Grapefruit Vinaigrette

    • ¼ cup grapefruit juice (about half a grapefruit)
    • 2 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon honey
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt

    Citrus Kale Salad

    • 8 cups chopped kale (remove stems)
    • 1 tablespoon chopped mint (optional)
    • ½ grapefruit segmented
    • 1 naval orange segmented
    • ½ avocado sliced
    • 2 tablespoon slivered almonds
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Combine the grapefruit vinaigrette ingredients in a small mason jar, seal, and shake until thoroughly incorporated. Alternatively, you can whisk ingredients together in a small bowl.
    • In a large bowl, add chopped kale, optional chopped mint, and the grapefruit vinaigrette. Massage the vinaigrette into the kale by kneading and rubbing it into the kale leaves, tenderizing the kale.
    • While the salad can be enjoyed right away, you can also allow the flavors to really develop and kale to become extra tender by setting the massaged kale in an airtight container in the fridge for 30 minutes or up to one day.
    • When ready to serve, top with remaining salad ingredients and enjoy.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 939mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 13870IU | Vitamin C: 194.3mg | Calcium: 237mg | Iron: 2.4mg

    This citrus kale salad is a massaged with a simple grapefruit vinaigrette for a satisfying salad packed with delicious flavors and textures. Perfect for winter citrus season!

    This citrus kale salad is a massaged with a simple grapefruit vinaigrette for a satisfying salad packed with delicious flavors and textures. Perfect for winter citrus season!

    « Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
    Protein: Everything You Need to Know »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Julia says

      April 01, 2020 at 9:14 pm

      Made this recipe on April 1/2020. Came out great— definitely would recommend letting the dressing sit on the kale before adding toppings. That made all the difference and was really yummy. We switched in oranges for the grapefruit because I can’t eat them, and it tasted just as good in the vinaigrette and on top of the salad. Great with chicken, very refreshing!

      Reply
      • Lindsey Janeiro, RDN, LDN says

        April 07, 2020 at 9:26 am

        Sounds so good, I'm going to make with oranges soon, too! Thanks Julia!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome, friend!

    Welcome to Nutrition to Fit! I'm Lindsey, a balanced nutritionist and Registered Dietitian obsessed with helping you find your healthy balance with food and health! I'm not going to tell you what I think you should do, but instead my goal is to empower you to create your own balance (which, PSA, absolutely includes delicious foods!). Learn More

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    As Featured In:

    Featured Recipes

    overhead shot of 6 glasses of brightly and different colored agua frescas

    How to Make Agua Frescas

    Maple dijon brussels sprouts are your answer to add flavor to easy roasted brussels sprouts. Try this easy, healthy side dish recipe today!

    Maple Dijon Brussel Sprouts

    a bite from a decadently fudgy, ganache frosted avocado brownie on a white plate

    The Best Avocado Brownies

    green spinach banana muffins on a metal tray - some with almonds, some plain, some with blueberries

    Spinach Banana Muffins

    • ABOUT
    • SERVICES
    • RECIPES

    Footer

    Leave a ❤️ if you needed to see this. Leave a ❤️ if you needed to see this.
    Sacrificing your life for your "health" is a red f Sacrificing your life for your "health" is a red flag that diet or those methods may not be the healthiest for you.

Create a healthy balance that helps you feel at home in your body and lets you live your life!
    Feeling a little off-balance in your eating and he Feeling a little off-balance in your eating and health habits after the weekend? Or just in general lately?

It happens!

But if this has typically triggered restrictive or extreme habits or eating patterns, let's try something different:

Can you try to gently step back into caring for yourself?

Check in with your baseline habits.
+How are you sleeping?
+Managing stress?
+Has your water intake turned to mostly coffee intake? 
+Are you moving your body in a way that feels good right now?
+How are your eating habits?

Then, when the opportunity next presents itself to do something a little different, like adding vegetables to your lunch or skipping Netflix to actually go to bed at a decent time😘, act on it!

What's one thing you're going to do today to support nourishing and caring yourself and getting back to any of your health goals?
    Don't shoot the messenger!!🙈 I have nothing aga Don't shoot the messenger!!🙈 I have nothing against coffee or protein coffee, but neither👏are👏a👏meal👏

Per usual, remember to add - swipe for some ideas of protein coffee pairings that make a better balanced breakfast.

Are you a protein coffee fan?
    Friendly reminder for the first Monday of the new Friendly reminder for the first Monday of the new year: unless you're allergic or the food's gone bad, you don't have to cut any foods from your diet!

Instead, shift your focus to what you can add - like more fiber, more fruits and veg, more water, more joyful movement. It's going to be more enjoyable, sustainable, and may be the shift that helps you find your healthy balance!

#healthybalance #balanceddiet #foodfreedom #dietitian #nutritiontips #newyearnewme

    back to top | privacy policy | affiliate disclaimer | contact | © 2022 all rights reserved

    as an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Privacy Policy
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT