Quinoa Kale Salad with Balsamic and Feta
This kale quinoa salad recipe combines kale and white quinoa with a combination of salty and sweet toppings for a perfect side salad or a light main dish.
Servings 4 People
Calories 259kcal
Ingredients
- 1 Bundle Kale Leaves Cleaned and Chopped
- ½ Cup Quinoa Cooked and cooled
- ½ Cup Feta Crumbled
- ¼ Cup Kalamata Olives Chopped
- ¼ Cup Grape Tomatoes Halved
- ¼ Dried Cranberries
- ¼ Cup Red Onion Thinly sliced
Simple Garlic Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- Then remove the stems from each leaf. Tear or chop the kale leaves into bite sized pieces.
- Place the chopped kale into a large bowl.
- Next, add chilled quinoa to the bowl.
- Add chopped Kalamata olives, halved tomatoes, dried cranberries, crumbled feta, and thinly sliced onions.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
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
You need to think ahead a bit to 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 933mg | Potassium: 251mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1613IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 1mg