Best Kale and Pretzel Salad Recipe

By Rex Marketing & CX Team

Kale and pretzel salad in ceramic bowl on wooden table with grilled sausage and beer mug

American Vinegar Works Kale & Pretzel Salad

Inspired by Oktoberfest and great year-round. This extra mustard and greens only salad is a perfect pairing for sausages because of how well it balances their fat. The pretzels add a fun crunch to this recipe which is inspired by a classic vinaigrette. 

Serve with classic German sausages like Bratwurst and vinegar potato salad or our “mess up mashed potatoes.”

This recipe features our IPA Beer Malt Vinegar, opens in a new tab and our California Extra Virgin Olive Oil . , opens in a new tab

Which vinegar to use, and why

Pretzel and kale want a malty vinegar rather than a fruity one. Porter malt vinegar ties the two together. We use Porter Beer Malt Vinegar here. It is slow-fermented and aged in oak at our mill in Worcester, Massachusetts, which is why it seasons the dish rather than just souring it.

Make it ahead and keep it

Dress it just before serving. Once the leaves are coated they soften quickly, so make the dressing ahead and combine at the table.

What to cook next

Try Kale Salad with Red Onions, or browse all our vinegar recipes. If you have not cooked with craft vinegar before, a mini bottle sampler set lets you taste across the range before committing to a full-size bottle. Orders over $85 ship free within the contiguous US.

Related products

IPA Beer Malt Vinegar front bottle view — craft malt vinegar

IPA Beer Malt Vinegar

Prices: Sale Price: From $13.00

500ml bottle of American Vinegar Works Organic Olive Oil, made from Arbequina and Koroneiki olives.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: California Organic

Prices: Sale Price: $29.00

Porter Beer Malt Vinegar front bottle view — craft malt vinegar

Porter Beer Malt Vinegar

Prices: Sale Price: From $13.00

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Kale & Pretzel Salad

American Vinegar Works

Servings

2–4 People

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cuisine

German-Inspired / American

Category

Side / Salad

This Kale & Pretzel Salad is an Oktoberfest-inspired side dish that is delicious year-round. The hearty greens and punchy, mustard-forward vinaigrette—made with IPA Beer Malt Vinegar and Maple Apple Cider Vinegar—are the perfect counterbalance to rich sausages like bratwurst. Crumbled soft pretzels add a fun, unexpected crunch and visual appeal to this simple yet flavorful salad.

Kale & Pretzel Salad

Ingredients

  • 5 ounces of baby kale leaves

  • 1 large pretzel 

  • 4 tablespoons of Organic California Olive Oil

  • 1 tablespoon of IPA Beer Malt Vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon of Maple Apple Cider Vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons of wholegrain Dijon mustard

  • Salt

  • Black Pepper 

Directions

  1. Follow a classic vinaigrette proportion of 2 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar but add in one teaspoon of grain mustard for every part of vinegar. 

  2. Mix mustard and vinegar together.  Whisk in olive oil until emulsifies.  Add salt and pepper to taste and then adjust acid level as needed.

  3. Crumble a large dried (or toasted) pretzel.  Add 1 tablespoon of the dressing to crumbled pretzel and toss to lightly coat pretzel pieces. 

  4. Dress the baby kale with remaining dressing and mix well.  Add pretzel pieces to the salad.  Mix and serve. 
Glass mug of hot apple cider with cinnamon stick and star anise on a yellow and red background
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