Kale and Quinoa Salad
Kale and Quinoa Salad combines kale and quinoa with all the tasty things, including apple slices, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, and the best Honey Dijon dressing. This powerhouse salad packs a serious flavor punch, and the leftovers are great as well!
Sharing healthy salad recipes makes me very happy. I normally start each week by throwing a large salad together and rotating different versions to keep it interesting. So make sure you try my Fried Goat Cheese Salad with Strawberry Dressing, a super healthy Cruciferous Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing, and the Best Italian Chopped Salad!
The Best Kale Salad
Here’s a funny story for you. 😀
Mike and I recently took Josh and his girl, Tiffany, on a little adventure. We were looking for a quick place to eat lunch, and ended up in a rather sad joint, thanks to me, after refusing to eat in a “chain” type of restaurant that Josh had selected. BTW – I apologized profusely for my lack of sense.
Anyway, Tiffany and I each ordered the kale and quinoa salads, instead of the rather disgusting-looking biscuit sandwiches that this place is known for, apparently. So when they served our lunch, we both noticed that our kale and quinoa salads were missing the quinoa. :/ We asked the young girl in the front, and then the manager came out to explain that they “ran out of quinoa”.
Moral of the story. Don’t go to restaurants that serve you (and charge you) for salads with only half of the primary components. ARGH.
So…what did I do? I came home, ordered the ingredients from the store, picked them up, and made a LEGIT kale and quinoa salad. And yes, I did NOT forget the quinoa. LOL.
Super Foods!
Before I started this blog, I hadn’t touched either of these superfoods. Now? They are on the regular, and guess what? They taste great if properly prepared.
- Kale. One of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, kale is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Google it, and you’ll see what a powerhouse this vegetable really is.
- Quinoa. This plant food is naturally gluten-free, high in protein, and contains all nine essential amino acids. There are so many benefits to incorporating quinoa into your diet, which is why I now buy it in bulk.
Let’s shop!
Kale and Quinoa Salad Ingredients
THIS salad is full of superfoods, packed with nutrition and so many good-for-you ingredients.
- Kale – I like to buy fresh stalks of curly kale, instead of bagged ones.
- Quinoa – I often buy this in bulk, but it’s also easy to find in most grocery stores.
- Green Onions – You could use red onions as well.
- Apple – I used a honey crisp because I had it on hand. Feel free to use anything you like to eat.
- Dried Cranberries – Such a great flavor in this salad, but you could use any dried fruit.
- Sliced Almonds – A great protein boost, and we can’t get enough of them. You could use any kind of nut here.
Honey Dijon Dressing Ingredients
You probably have these ingredients in your pantry, but here is a quick list. I use this dressing in several of my salads. It’s just a delicious dressing for so many things!
- Olive Oil
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Honey
- Dijon Mustard
- Red Pepper Flakes
- S&P
Pro-Tip: Massage your kale! First, sprinkle it with salt. Then drizzle with olive oil, and massage. This will do two things:
- Your kale will turn a bright, beautiful shade of green.
- It will be tender, and not bitter to the taste.
How to make this healthy salad:
- Make your quinoa. You can prepare this on the stovetop according to package directions, or make it in the instant pot (my preferred method). Just combine quinoa and broth in the instant pot, pressure cook for one minute, and do a 10-minute natural release. Let sit and fluff with a fork.
- Prepare the kale. Make sure you remove the stems and break them apart in bite-sized pieces. Then sprinkle with salt and olive oil, and massage!
- Dice the green onions. So much flavor in these onions.
- Prep the apple. Thinly slice the apple, and add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to preserve the color.
- Toast the almonds. Just cook over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned in places.
- Add the dried cranberries. Or any dried fruit you like.
- Make the dressing. Shake all the salad dressing ingredients in a mason jar, and drizzle some on the salad. (You may not need all of it, or you can add more later.) I like to add the dressing an hour or two in advance, to really let the flavors absorb.
This recipe makes approximately six servings as a side salad. I like to eat it as a main course, and in that case, it makes three large servings.
Looking for more quinoa recipes?
Look no further! I’ve got some suggestions for you.
- Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
- Mexican Quinoa Salad with Avocado Crema
- Simple Quinoa Salad with Goat Cheese
Kale is good!
Ok, y’all. Remember this one thing. Kale tastes GOOD! If y’all are shaking your head at me, read on.
IMPORTANT
Kale must be prepared correctly for it to taste good. 1( drizzle with salt and olive oil, 2) massage it before combining it with other ingredients, and 3) add a tasty dressing to the top! You’re gonna like it. Trust me!
Make this soup salad next: Classic Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
xoxo ~Sue
Kale and Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 8-10 cups (packed) kale leaves – de-stemmed and massaged
- 1 cup quinoa (3 cups cooked) – rinsed and drained
- 2 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
- 1/3 cup green onions – diced
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds – toasted
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries – or any type of dried fruit
- 1 large apple – sliced thin
- 1 medium lemon – freshly squeezed over the apple slices
For the dressing:
- 6 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
Instructions
- Remove the stem from the kale, and break into bite sized pieces. Place in large bowl, sprinkle with salt, drizzle with olive oil, and massage the kale with your hands. You will see it turn dark green as you do so.
- Rinse the quinoa, and place in small pan with the chicken broth. Cook on medium, covered, until broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and cool in the refrigerator.
- Toast the sliced almonds over medium heat, and then set aside. Slice apple and top with a squeeze of lemon, to preserve the color.
- Make the dressing by combining all ingredients in a small mason jar, and shake vigorously.
- To serve, divide kale and quinoa in bowls. Top with green onions, slivered almonds, dried cranberries, and sliced apples. Drizzle with with dressing.
Notes
- Massaging the kale is key to great color and taste.
- You can make the quinoa on the stove top, or in an instant pot.
- Any kind of dried raisins work for the dried cherries.
- Add the dressing about an hour or two before serving, for best results.
- This recipe makes six salads for a side, or three larger salads for a main course.
this is absolutely delicious! Have made it several times now and we love tossing it with some marinaded grilled shrimp in the summer months!
This is an all timer recipe, my wife and I LOVE this salad, SO delicious!
It’s full of nutrients and we love it too!
it is amazing! Worth to try. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Thanks so much for try the recipe An! So glad you enjoyed it!
I love salads with lots of ingredients, but that often means they are time consuming to make. This recipe was quicker to prepare than I expected. The dressing has a kick and the ingredients compliment each other well. It was light, but made me feel full. Great salad, I’ll definitely make it again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Jenny! Thanks for letting me know (and it’s so good to hear from you)! 🙂
I’ve made this a few times now minus the apples. Generally prefer salads without the fresh fruit. Craig isn’t very excited about kale – too much chewing – but if I chop it very small he does better. This recipe is really yummy. I will continue to make it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it (minus the apples), Jackie! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
This looks so tasty and healthy! I am heading to get the ingredients asap!!!
Thanks again for posting! Mary Jane
Thanks Mary Jane! I hope you love it as much as we do! 🙂
Looks delicious! What is the best way to store the leftovers? Can I store it in the fridge with the salad dressing mixed in or will it get soggy?
Hi Saemi! Kale is pretty hardy, so I store leftovers with dressing on it. However, you could store the dressing separately if you prefer. 🙂
So crazy delicious and healthy!!
It’s hard to believe, but I could eat this salad everyday! Originally, I thought Kale was healthy, but did not taste good! Not true….. Also, the apple seems like a simple ingredient, but I really like it in the salad.
Now we are all kale OBSESSED! 🙂