Kale and Quinoa Salad is anything but boring with fluffy quinoa, massaged kale, feta, fruit, and balsamic tossed to perfection.
Kale And Quinoa Salad
If you’re on the fence about kale and quinoa, this is the salad to convince you!
For years my husband was obsessed with a kale and quinoa salad from a local soup and sandwich shop. He finally convinced me to try a bite of his (I was less than sold on the idea of kale at the time) and I’ve been in love with kale, and the combination of kale and quinoa, ever since.
This salad is a copycat of the recipe that completely changed my mind on kale! It’s sweet, fresh, and loaded with texture.
I’m also sharing the “secret” to tender and tasty kale (no more tough, fibrous, chewy greens!) which involves a massage. More on this below.
Massaging Kale –The Secret to Tender Greens
So, what is the secret to delicious kale? Massaging it. High maintenance veggies, amIright?
It takes a little extra effort, but it is well worth it to make the best Kale and Quinoa Salad. Here’s how we do it:
- Remove stems. Hold the bottom and strip leaves upward, keeping only the tender top stem.
- Thinly slice. Ribbon the kale so it blends better and holds dressing.
- Massage with lemon and salt. Toss in a colander, add lemon juice and salt, and massage for 2 to 3 minutes until soft and dark green.
- Rinse and dry well. Use a salad spinner if possible. Wet kale makes a soggy salad.
Quinoa Tips
- Make sure to rinse the quinoa before cooking it. Quinoa has a natural coating called saponin which can make it taste bitter. Pour the uncooked quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold water for 30 seconds to a minute.
- Want to skip this step? Some quinoa comes pre-rinsed now; just check the package to see if that is advertised.
- Any quinoa works, but tri-color quinoa is my favorite in Kale and Quinoa salad!
- Allow time for the quinoa to steam. Once the liquid is absorbed, don’t rush to cool the quinoa, instead let it stand (covered) for at least 10 minutes. Letting the quinoa stand allows the quinoa to fully “pop” and ensures it doesn’t end up watery or mushy.
- If the quinoa has cooked through, but there is still liquid in the pot, make sure to drain off that liquid to avoid soft or mushy quinoa.
- Let the cooked quinoa cool completely before adding the other ingredients. (See “quick tip” below)
Quick Tip
To speed up the process for quinoa cooling: spread the cooked and fluffed quinoa on a sheet pan in one even layer. Place the sheet pan in the fridge (or freezer) for 10-15 minutes or until cooled to room temperature.
My favorite way to make a quinoa salad is with leftover cooled quinoa (the entire salad making process is so much quicker!) So the next time you’re prepping food for the week or preparing a dish with quinoa in it, cook up extra quinoa alongside that and use it straight from the fridge in this Kale and Quinoa Salad.
Other Kale and Quinoa Salad Toppings
- Berries: The kale and quinoa pairs so nicely with ripe berries. Grapes are another fun addition that adds some crunch. Unconvinced about grapes in a salad? I was too, but they’ve become one of my favorite salad additions after trying the restaurant’s version!
- Don’t want to use three kinds of berries? Pick one or two and simply increase the quantity of each.
- Dried blueberries: If you’ve never tried dried blueberries, you are in for a mega treat! They’ve got an intense sweetness and are a fun change from the dried cranberries you typically find in salads. Dried blueberries can typically be found by other dried fruits or nuts in the grocery store.
- Pistachios: I use shelled, toasted, and lightly salted pistachios to coarsely chop for this Kale and Quinoa Salad. Other nuts can be substituted such as pecans, almonds, walnuts, etc.
- Feta: Last, but certainly not least, we add feta cheese. Feel free to leave it out or replace it with crumbled goat’s cheese (my personal favorite).
Balsamic Dressing
If you follow along on the blog (or know me personally), you know I’m a huge fan of making my own dressings. I very rarely use a prepared dressing for a salad because I always think they taste better (and cost less) homemade.
So while I’ve shared a recipe for a homemade balsamic dressing on this kale and quinoa salad, I’ll also give my recommendation for a store-bought dressing because it’s convenient and a nice time saver. Since massaging the kale, prepping the fruit, and cooking the quinoa took a bit of time, using bottled dressing might help your schedule.
The one store-bought dressing I have used on this salad and do recommend is Simply Dressed® Marzetti Balsamic Salad Dressing (not sponsored). It’s the next best thing to homemade and is a great time saver.
More Flavorful Salad Recipes:
Salad With Kale and Quinoa
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup quinoa tri-colored (or plain) with 1 cup water for cooking
- 5 cups curly kale rolled up like a cigar and very thinly sliced into ribbons
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 lemon optional
- 3/4 cup fresh strawberries hulled and thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup fresh blackberries halved
- 3/4 cup fresh raspberries
- 1/2 cup seedless red grapes halved
- 1/3 cup dried blueberries
- 1/4 cup shelled pistachios coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Balsamic vinaigrette I like Marzetti brand; see note 1 for homemade balsamic dressing
Instructions
- Combine the quinoa and water with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small pot. Follow package directions to cook the quinoa. Cook until all the liquid is absorbed and quinoa has “popped,” about 15–25 minutes (depending on heat, pot size, etc.). Remove from heat; let stand, covered, for 5–10 minutes to steam. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a bowl; refrigerate to chill through. (To get it cold faster, spread it on a lined sheet pan and place in the freezer.) Quinoa can be prepared 3–4 days in advance.
- If preparing the dressing, start here so it has a chance to chill and for flavors to intensify. Follow directions in note 1.
- Remove the coarse stems on the kale. (I do this by grabbing the bottom of the stem with one hand and running my other hand along the stem in a tight grasp to remove the leaves. Some of the stem at the top is fine to leave; we’re more concerned about the large portion of the stem.) Roll the kale leaves up like a cigar and finely slice them to make thin, small ribbons of kale.
- Place kale in a colander and rinse. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt on top and squeeze on a few wedges of fresh lemon. Massage and rub the kale with clean hands for 2–3 minutes or until tender and a deep green color. Rinse again and thoroughly dry. (I add to a salad spinner.) Toss completely cooled quinoa with the fully dried kale.
- Add the prepared fruit (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and grapes) to the salad. Add the dried blueberries, pistachios, and feta cheese. Drizzle dressing over to preference. (I use the entire homemade dressing amount or about 1/2 cup Marzetti dressing.) Gently toss and enjoy immediately.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Kale And Quinoa Salad Recipe
Curly kale is my favorite for Kale and Quinoa Salad. It’s easy to find and softens well when massaged. Lacinato (also called Dinosaur or Tuscan) kale works too, but since it’s already more tender, it doesn’t need as much massaging.
This salad is best served cold!
As long as the salad isn’t dressed and berries are stored separately, it keeps well for up to 3 days. Store kale and quinoa together, toppings and berries in another container, and dressing in a jar. When ready to eat, assemble what you need and return the rest to the fridge.
Kale is tough and fibrous, but rubbing it with salt helps break down those fibers and mellow the flavor. After massaging, it’s easier to chew, easier to digest, and much tastier.
The absolute best…especially with the roasted chicken!
Yay!! Love hearing that! Thanks for the comment 🙂