Go Back
+ servings
dirndl kitchen german kale spatzle lentil salad recipe2
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Kale Salad with Spätzle and Lentils

Today's salad recipe packs some super foods like lentils and kale and dried cherries, then throws some spätzle in the mix! It's inspired by some of my favorite German ingredients coupled with my favorite salad by Chrissy Teigen.
Prep Time30 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Brunch, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: German
Keyword: German kale salad recipe, German Recipe with Lentils, German recipe with Spätzle, German salad recipe with cherries, german Salad recipe with lentils, German salad recipe with spätzle, German Spätzle Salad Recipe, Salad Recipe with Lentils, Wholesome German salad recipe, Wholesome German salad recipe with Kale
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 687kcal

Ingredients

Spätzle

  • 2 eggs
  • 200 g all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • teaspoon ground nutmeg freshly grated/ground is best
  • 150 ml milk start with a little less, then add to achieve the perfect, thick and barely runny consistency
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Dressing

Other Salad Ingredients

  • 100 g dry lentils I used green lentils, but black lentils are also a good choice. Red are not recommended here as they break apart during cooking.
  • 2 cloves garlic minced, use for lentils
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil use for lentils
  • 150 g crumbled feta cheese
  • 100 g dried cherries
  • 140 g baby kale
  • 50 g sliced onion red is great if you have it

Instructions

Make Spätzle

  • NOTE: You can skip this step and cook 200 g of dried spätzle according to the instructions on the package instead.
    Whisk all the ingredients together. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Either utilize a Spätzle press. I used my Westmark Spätzle press. It makes it so quick and easy!
    Alternative Methos: drop them in the hot water using the cutting board and knife method. (Spread the batter onto a cutting board, with a large Santoku knife, fling pieces of batter into the water at high speed. Make sure you work in batches and stir the water occasionally to avoid the noodles from clumping up).
  • Let boil of about 2 minutes, then drain or remove from hot water using a skimmer. Drop some flakes of butter over the hot Spätzle and allow it to melt into the noodles. This will add incredible taste and will keep the noodles from sticking. You will not need to let the noodles cool down to use in the salad.

Cook Garlic Lentils

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small pot, then add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Add some salt, the lentils and 250 ml/ one cup of water (I used green lentils. If you're using a different kind, the amount of water you need may vary), reduce to a slow simmer and cook for 25 minutes. You will not need to let the lentils cool down to use in the salad. I like to use mine warm.

Make Dressing

  • Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Construct the Salad

  • In a large bowl, toss together all salad ingredients with the dressing. If you must store leftovers (the texture of this salad will actually survive if stored in the fridge unlike many other salads that just fall apart), then I would recommend bringing the salad back to room temperature before serving. Otherwise the flavors tend to get lost.

Nutrition

Calories: 687kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 817mg | Potassium: 598mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 4820IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 344mg | Iron: 6mg