Houston's Kale Salad Recipe (Hillstone Emerald Kale Salad Copycat)

Name: Houston's Kale Salad Recipe (Hillstone Emerald Kale Salad Copycat)
Prep time: 15 min
Ingredients: 4 cups finely chopped curly kale; 2 cups finely shredded green cabbage; 2 rotisserie chicken breasts (shredded); 4 green onions (thinly sliced); 1 large handful fresh mint leaves; 1 large handful cilantro leaves; ½ cup dry roasted peanuts; ½ cup freshly grated parmesan (I like to use the large side of the box grater); 1 thinly sliced red chili ((optional)); ½ cup roasted peanut oil (or ¼ cup peanut butter and ¼ cup neutral oil); ¼ cup rice vinegar; ¼ cup lime juice; 2 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp dijon mustard; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tsp toasted sesame oil; 1 tsp red chili flakes ((optional))

If you’re familiar with the Hillstone Emerald Kale Salad, then you know just how addictively good it is. Here’s a copycat Houston’s Kale Salad recipe so you can get your fresh, crunchy, and peanut-y fix anytime you need it.

I have to admit, I’m not normally someone who orders a salad when I’m eating out, especially at somewhere as great as Hillstone. But when it comes to the Houston’s Emerald Kale Salad, it has my heart every single time.

It’s crunchy, fresh, and totally addictive, mostly thanks to that roasted peanut vinaigrette that makes you want to drink it straight our of the jar. The best news? It’s super easy to make at home for a fraction of the $25 cost you’d pay in the restaurant.

This copycat recipe comes together in just 15 minutes and gets even better in the fridge, making it one of my go-to meal prep option for busy weeks.

If you’re looking for more ideas like this one, I’ve got a whole list of 40 Healthy Lunch Meal Prep Ideas that are just as easy to prep.

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Emerald kale salad served in bowls with peanut vinaigrette, chili, and fresh herbs

What You Need to Make the Houston’s Kale Salad Recipe

Because this salad is so packed with flavor, it does require a few different ingredients. But they are all super easy to get at your local grocery store.

Kale: The original Houston’s Kale Salad recipe calls for finely chopped curly kale but lacinato (or dino) kale will also work well.
Green Cabbage: Finely shredded green cabbage adds a bit of a cruciferous crunch, which is great for flavor and for adding fiber and healthy nutrients to the fantastic base of the salad.
Fresh Herbs: One of the biggest hacks for making delicious salads is adding tons of fresh herbs. Plus, did you know that herbs are often more nutrient-dense than leafy greens like spinach and kale? The Houston’s kale salad recipe calls for green onions, cilantro, and fresh mint.
Parmesan: It wouldn’t be a Hillstone salad without a healthy dose of cheese. The Emerald Kale Salad calls for grated parmesan which adds a salty, nutty, and cheesy flavor to the salad. I like to use the large side of the box grater to grate the cheese.
Roasted Peanut Vinaigrette: The star of the show is the famous roasted peanut vinaigrette which can be made with roasted peanut oil or a combination of peanut butter and neutral oil if your local grocery stores don’t carry the peanut oil.

Rotisserie chicken is one of my favorite shortcuts. If you love using it as much as I do, I’ve got 14 chicken salad recipes that all use rotisserie chicken and come together in 15 minutes or less.

Tossing Houston's kale salad with peanut dressing in a large mixing bowlTossing Houston's kale salad with peanut dressing in a large mixing bowl

How to Make the Emerald Kale Salad Recipe

Making the Houston’s Kale Salad recipe is as easy as chopping up the salad base ingredients and giving the signature dressing a quick blend. It all comes together in under 15 minutes, and it’s easy to prep a large batch so you’ll be set for the days to come. Trust me, you won’t get sick of it!

Chop, chop, chop: Chop up the kale, cabbage, and fresh herbs (and chili if adding) and combine in a large bowl for a super nutrient and flavor-dense base for the salad. A finer chop leads to more flavor in each bite as it allows the ingredients to be more evenly distributed.
Grate the Parmesan: Grate the Parmesan and add it to the salad base. I prefer a rougher grate by using the large side of a box grater. That way you get a bigger nutty salty punch.
Chop the Peanuts: Chop the peanuts so that some of the pieces are quite fine while other pieces are left nearly whole. This will disperse the peanut flavor while leaving a good level of crunch.
Make the Peanut Vinaigrette: To make the signature peanut vinaigrette, you start with a cup of peanut oil or a combination of peanut butter and neutral oil. Then add the rest of your dressing ingredients, including your acids, rice vinegar, lime juice, mustard, and a bit of sweetness from honey. To punch up the asian flavors, add a dash of soy sauce and sesame oil. Blend with an immersion blender for a super creamy result.

Variations & Dietary Restrictions

With just a couple of small modifications, the Houston’s Kale Salad recipe can fit most diets, whether you’re gluten-free, dairy-free, or high-protein.

Gluten-Free: To make this copycat of the Houston salad gluten-free, simply use tamari instead of the tablespoon of soy sauce in the peanut dressing recipe.
Dairy-Free: By omitting the Parmesan cheese, the copycat emerald kale salad is already dairy and lactose-free. I recommend adding a bit more salt to the peanut dressing recipe to compensate.
Vegetarian & Vegan: Remove the chicken altogether or replace it with crispy tofu for a vegan salad. If vegan, also omit the parmesan.
High-Protein: If you want to add a bit more protein to the Houston’s Kale Salad recipe, you can double the amount of rotisserie chicken or add a couple of tablespoons of hemp hearts with the salad greens.
Peanut Allergy: While this recipe is famous for its peanut flavor from the tangy homemade dressing and chopped peanuts, you can easily sub them with almonds instead (use almond butter in the dressing and chopped walnuts in the salad). Or if you’re nut-free, try sesame seed oil instead of peanut oil and pumpkin seeds instead of peanuts.

Victoria’s Tips

I’ve made this Houston’s kale salad recipe a borderline embarrassing number of times. These are the things that actually make a difference.

Massage the kale. Spend about a minute squeezing and scrunching the chopped kale with your hands. It breaks down the tough fibers, kills that bitter raw edge, and you’ll literally feel it soften up under your fingers. It’s not necessary but it does make the texture just that little bit extra special.
Go fine on the chop. The finer you chop the kale and cabbage the more flavor you get in every bite. You want everything roughly the same size so the peanut vinaigrette coats it all evenly.
Let it sit. Hear me out. Toss the salad with the dressing and give it like 10 minutes in the fridge before you eat it. The kale softens a little more, the flavors come together, and I swear it tastes better than what you’d get at Hillstone at that point.
Mix up the peanut sizes. Leave some pieces chunky, chop others super fine. The small bits spread that roasted peanut flavor everywhere and the bigger ones give you crunch. It’s a whole different salad when you do this.
Use the large side of the box grater for the parmesan. Bigger parmesan pieces = saltier, nuttier bites.

Houston's kale salad meal prep container with pita chips and peanut dressing

How to Store this Emerald Kale Salad

It’s up to you whether you prefer a pre-dressed salad or you want to keep the vinaigrette separate until eating. Either way, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Good things come to those who wait, because this salad just gets better the next day.

If you’re into kale salads, my Erewhon Copycat Kale White Bean Salad is another one I always go back to.

FAQ

How many calories are in the Houston’s kale salad?

This copycat version comes in at 616 calories per serving with 37 grams of protein, which is pretty close to what you’d get at the restaurant. The bulk of the calories come from the roasted peanut vinaigrette and the parmesan, so if you want to lighten it up, just go easy on the dressing.

What kind of kale does Houston’s use?

The original Hillstone Emerald Kale Salad uses finely chopped curly kale. You can swap in lacinato (dino) kale if that’s what you have on hand, but curly kale gives you that signature crunch that makes this salad so good.

Can you make this salad ahead of time?

Yes, and honestly it’s better the next day. The kale softens just enough from the dressing without getting soggy. Store it dressed or undressed in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I meal prep this one all the time.

What is the Houston’s kale salad dressing made of?

The roasted peanut vinaigrette is made with roasted peanut oil (or peanut butter and neutral oil if you can’t find the oil), rice vinegar, lime juice, honey, dijon mustard, soy sauce, and a little toasted sesame oil. Blend it all up with an immersion blender and it gets super creamy.