Kale and Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Dressing

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If you are looking to update your lunches or add a sophisticated side to the menu, this quinoa kale salad is just the ticket. With beautiful crisp kale, fluffy quinoa, dried cranberries, feta, cherry tomatoes, red onion, olives, and a balsamic vinaigrette, this salad is a taste explosion.

overhead of mixed salad on white plate with orange napkin

I love to eat salad, but I have a major pet peeve when it comes to the stuff from the bag. There are never enough toppings. You won’t have that problem with this superfood salad. Kale is the perfect vehicle for super hearty, healthy toppings. You get sweet and tangy along with earthy and zesty.

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Make this recipe!

Ingredients

Instructions

Diana's Tips for Success

Related Recipes

📖 Recipe

Quinoa Kale Salad with Balsamic and Feta

Simple Garlic Balsamic Vinaigrette

Make this recipe!

Raw kale salad is made with simple ingredients and is a perfect side dish or a light lunch.

Kale holds up perfectly to dressing and hearty toppings. You get the perfect balance of flavor and no sad wilted lettuce.

You can make this ahead of time, dress this salad in the morning, and it will still be delicious when you eat it at lunch time. Leave the dressing off and pack this up for your weekly meal prep.

The balsamic vinaigrette is simple to make and adds just the right amount of sweetness and tang.

You can definitely use leftover quinoa. This is great for time saving and for managing food waste in your home.

This Kale and Quinoa Salad is a great addition to the Holiday table. If you are asked to bring the salad to Thanksgiving; you will be sure to impress with these unexpected autumnal flavors.

Ingredients

Kale- For this recipe I used curly kale which is widely available. Bagged and prewashed curly kale are frequently available at the grocery store for convenience. However, you can use any type of kale you like and even mix them up. Dinosaur kale and Lacinato kale are seasonally available and have smoother leaves.

Did you know that Quinoa is actually a seed?

Although it is a seed, you will find quinoa nestled amongst the grains in a traditional grocery store in the U.S. We cook and eat this superfood like a traditional grain. It is a great source of fiber and protein. Find out more at The Nutrition Source.

Instructions

Step 1

Heat 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Once the water comes to a simmer, add 1 Cup of dry quinoa. Turn the heat down and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Then turn off the burner and let the quinoa sit, covered for another 5 minutes to absorb the remaining water.
Fluff quinoa with a fork.
Then, transfer to a bowl, cover, and place in the refrigerator to cool.
This method makes extra quinoa. You can also used leftover quinoa.

Step 2

Take your bundle of kale and place in a bowl of ice water for about three minutes. Cold water rinses away any dirt and makes sure the leaves are fresh, perky, and ready to stand up to some bold toppings.

Step 3

Then remove the stems from each leaf. Tear or chop the kale leaves into bite sized pieces.

Step 4

Then, put the chopped kale into a large mixing bowl.
Next, add chilled quinoa.

Step 5

Add chopped Kalamata olives, halved tomatoes, dried cranberries, crumbled feta, and thinly sliced onions.

Slice the red onion very thin. The thin pieces soak up the dressing and add amazing flavor.

Chop the toppings into small pieces so that every bite can be filled with all of the different flavors.

Step 6

Mix the balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, and spices together in a small bowl or mason jar.
Finally, add the balsamic vinaigrette to the kale and quinoa salad and toss.

vinaigrette ingredients in small glass bowl

Grate or press the garlic cloves so that the pieces of garlic are really small. This way the bits can integrate really well into the vinaigrette and you won’t get any overly spicy bites.

Let the salad sit for 5 minutes before serving. The acid in the vinaigrette will tenderize the kale leaves just a bit.
Serve this salad as a delicious meal or side dish.

How do you cook quinoa?

The standard cooking method for quinoa, is to add one part quinoa to two parts liquid and bring to a low simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat an let sit with the lid on for another 5 minutes while the remaining liquid gets completely absorbs. Fluff with a fork and serve.

You can use broth or water as your cooking liquids. Adding additional spices and herbs will add flavor to the cooked quinoa as well.

Do I need to massage Kale for a salad?

This tip has made its way across the internet, but I assure you, it is completely unnecessary. The process of cleaning large leaves with an ice bath and cleaning away stems will leave the kale sufficiently handled.

An acidic dressing will also tenderize the leaves. If you like your salad with less bite, simply dress the salad and let it sit for five to ten minutes before eating.
The baby kale you find in the prewashed tubs at the store is also very tender and requires no extra treatment.

Diana's Tips for Success

Think ahead and make sure you have time to cook and cool the quinoa. I often use leftovers for this salad.

Make the best of your leftover ingredients. You won’t use a whole container of grape tomatoes, a whole red onion, jar of olives, and container of feta. Put these leftover ingredients to good use. Make extra quinoa and make this kale salad at the beginning and end of the week.

Store the remaining ingredients in an airtight container and add dressing right before serving.

Use up the excess by making this Traditional Greek Salad. Having a plan for excess ingredients is a great way to manage your budget and eliminate food waste.