Kale Quinoa Salad

This Kale Quinoa Salad is a delicious, healthy vegan salad recipe perfect for light lunches, healthy meals or as a barbecue side dish.

How To Make Kale Quinoa Salad

This salad takes less than 15 minutes to make. It takes a few ingredients, but nothing out of this world!

Ingredients

• Kale – pick organic curly kale, washed, drained, and roughly chopped. To remove the leaves from the kale, hold the base of the stem with one hand and use the other hand to peel the leaves by running it from the base to the other extremity. You can also use a knife to remove the stem.
• Quinoa – it brings protein and makes this recipe so fulfilling.
• Chickpeas – Drained and rinsed. To make the chickpea more digestible, I recommend removing the skin of the chickpeas. Do it by placing them on a clean towel and rolling them. The skin will fall pretty quickly.
• Almonds – you can use raw or roasted almonds. Whole or slivered.
• Almond Butter – almond butter brings a delicious taste to the dressing.
• Apple Cider Vinegar – this brings some acidity to the dressing, balancing the sweetness of the fruits.
• Tamari Sauce
• Maple Syrup – you can pick either sugar-free maple syrup, classic maple syrup, or even coconut nectar.
• Chili Flakes – adjust to your favorite level of spiciness.
• Apple – apples make this salad so refreshing.
• Raspberries – fresh, or frozen. You can also use dried cranberries.

Making The Salad

Start by trimming the kale. Use your hands or a knife to remove the stem. The stem is not easy to digest so it’s better to discard it.

Wash it and drain it thoroughly.

Cook the quinoa following the instructions – some brands cook faster than others, so it’s better to read and follow.

Drain the chickpeas and remove their skin by placing them between two clean kitchen towels and rubbing them against each other.

The skin of the chickpeas will fall off and they will become much more digestable.

Prepare the dressing or any of the other dressing options below and toss all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

Other Toppings

You can change the taste of this kale salad by adding other toppings. Here are a few suggestions:

• Olive Oil
• Nuts like peanuts, pecan nuts, or crushed macadamia nuts
• Onions – sliced red onions or cooked shallots
• A drizzle of lemon juice
• Salt and Pepper
• Cheese like goat cheese, feta cheese, or sliced camembert or brie.

Serving The Kale Quinoa Salad

This salad is perfect as a side dish to a summer barbecue.

You can also make it with a steak cooked to your favorite level, or with chicken nuggets.

If you want to change the dressing, there are many others that you can use:

• Avocado Ranch Dressing
• Keto Italian Dressing Recipe
• Red Wine Vinegar Dressing
• Avocado Salad Dressing
• Thousand Island Dressing Recipe
• Ranch Salad Dressing

Storage Instructions

This recipe can be stored for up to 24 hours in an airtight container in the fridge.

If you want to make it ahead of lunch, I recommend storing the dressing separately and combining the salad just before serving it.

More Healthy Salad Recipes

If you enjoy healthy salad, I have many more recipes for you.

Cauliflower Potato Salad 6g

Cucumber Avocado Salad 4.2g

Keto Cobb Salad 3.7g

Chicken Salad With Avocado 3g

Cucumber Salad 4.2g

Enjoy this Kale Quinoa Salad and leave me a comment if you want to connect with me!

Recipe Card

Kale Quinoa Salad

5 from 1 vote

This Kale Quinoa Salad is a delicious healthy vegan recipe perfect for light lunches, quick healthy meals, or side dishes.

Author: Carine Claudepierre

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 15 mins

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 1 bowl

Recipe Macros

Net Carbs 32.8g

Fat 16.1g

Protein 13.4g

Calories 353.9kcal

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients

Quinoa Kale Chickpea Salad

• ▢ 4 cup Kale washed, drained, roughly chopped
• ▢ 1 cup Quinoa cooked
• ▢ 1 can Chickpeas drained, rinsed
• ▢ 3 tablespoon Raw Almonds

Almond Butter Dressing

• ▢ ¼ cup Almond Butter
• ▢ ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• ▢ 2 teaspoon Tamari Sauce
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon Crushed Garlic
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Sugar-Free Maple Syrup

To serve

• ▢ 1 pinch Chili Flakes
• ▢ 1 Apple finely sliced
• ▢ ¼ cup Raspberries

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Instructions

• Cook the quinoa following the package's directions. When the quinoa is cooked, let it cool to room temperature for 10 minutes.  
• Meanwhile, wash, and drain the curly kale leaves. Trim the middle part and roughly chop the leaves. Place the kale pieces into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
• Stir in cooked quinoa, chickpeas, and whole almonds. Refrigerate while you prepare the dressing. 

Almond Butter Dressing

• In another bowl, prepare the almond butter dressing. Whisk together almond butter, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce garlic, and maple syrup.
• Pour the almond butter dressing onto the kale quinoa salad and combine to cover all the ingredients with the dressing. You can use your hands to massage kale and make sure it is well incorporated.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it in the fridge for 1 hour. It is optional, but this step will soften the kale leaves as they soak into the dressing. Also, the flavor will combine, and it will be even more delicious. 

Serving

• Serve topped with apple slices, a dollop of extra almond butter if you like, and defrosted raspberries. Season with salt and chili flakes if desired.

Storage: This recipe serves 4 people. Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

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Nutrition Facts

Kale Quinoa Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 bowl)

Calories 353.9 Calories from Fat 145

% Daily Value*

Fat 16.1g25%

Saturated Fat 1.4g9%

Trans Fat 0.1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 5g

Monounsaturated Fat 8.2g

Sodium 208.3mg9%

Potassium 727.3mg21%

Carbohydrates 42.7g14%

Fiber 9.9g41%

Sugar 6.8g8%

Protein 13.4g27%

Net Carbs 32.8g

Vitamin A 6734.1IU135%

Vitamin C 67mg81%

Calcium 273mg27%

Iron 4.1mg23%

Magnesium 176mg44%

Zinc 2.4mg16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.