Kale and Quinoa Salad

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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:

1. Your kale will turn a bright, beautiful shade of green.
2. It will be tender, and not bitter to the taste.

How to make this healthy salad:

1. 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.
2. 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!
3. Dice the green onions. So much flavor in these onions.
4. Prep the apple. Thinly slice the apple, and add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to preserve the color.
5. Toast the almonds. Just cook over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned in places.
6. Add the dried cranberries. Or any dried fruit you like.
7. 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

Please let me know if you try this recipe. Be sure to comment and leave a review on the blog so I can see what you think. You can also like my Facebook Page, follow me on Pinterest, and catch me on Instagram.

xoxo ~Sue