Kale and Date Salad With Crispy Sausage Bread Crumbs

By Ali Slagle

Updated September 28, 2026

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
30 min
Rating
5(22)
Comments
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This spicy-sweet kale salad has gusto – enough to be a complete meal. The star is the sausage breadcrumbs, made by crumbling and crisping hot sausage in a pan, then toasting bread crumbs in the sausages’ flavorful rendered fat. Add them to the kale, along with chewy-sweet dates, a shower of salty Parmesan and crunchy celery. That’s what’s great about a kale salad: The leaves are sturdy enough to handle hefty additions, even after a soak in vinegar tenderizes and brightens them. Feel free to add white beans or chopped almonds, too.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 3 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup

  • 1 large bunch Tuscan kale (about 12 ounces), stems stripped from leaves, both thinly sliced but kept separate

  • 4 celery stalks, thinly sliced

  • Salt and black pepper

  • 3 hot Italian sausages (about 12 ounces), casings removed

  • 1 cup panko or coarse fresh bread crumbs

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 4 Medjool dates, pitted

  • ½ cup finely grated Parmesan

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

34 grams carbs; 71 milligrams cholesterol; 549 calories; 18 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 37 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 820 milligrams sodium; 23 grams protein; 21 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, stir together the oil, vinegar and honey until the honey dissolves. Add the kale leaves (not the stems) and celery, season with salt and pepper, and toss until shiny. Set aside to soften.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, add the sausage and kale stems to a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet and set over medium-high. Cook, breaking up the sausage into crumbles, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted, 2 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  3. Step 3

    Rip the dates into small pieces. Top the kale salad with the dates, sausage bread crumbs and Parmesan. Eat right away.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
22 user ratings
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Comments

Kate C

I would suggest, in the final 2 minutes of cooking the sausage and breadcrumbs, toss the torn dates into the pan to fry. In my opinion dates become even more spectacular with a bit of toasting on their skins.

Erica K-M

I was just thinking about this - I would remove the sausage and kale stems from the pan after cooking, then toast the breadcrumbs in the fat left behind, and store both things separately. I'd also massage the kale with the dressing in the first step before adding everything else, and add the parmesan only when you're going to eat the salad.

Wavey

Pretty much followed recipe exactly (!!) and it’s a keeper. Added some roasted butternut squash cubes though for colour. Bit of hot sauce and/or lemon wedge on the side.

Michelle P

The kale is simply a vehicle for the delicious crunch of sausage, breadcrumbs, garlic, and date. Superb!

Fabulous

Made as directed and used homemade gluten free breadcrumbs. Seriously good.

Wavey

Pretty much followed recipe exactly (!!) and it’s a keeper. Added some roasted butternut squash cubes though for colour. Bit of hot sauce and/or lemon wedge on the side.

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