This fresh kale and quinoa salad makes an excellent addition to any meal-time. It’s also perfect for the upcoming picnic season! Take 20 minutes to prepare this nutritious and delicious summer salad.
Greetings from the sunshine state! I just woke up for the 4th morning in a row without an alarm clock. #SPRINGBREAKFOREVER (related: should I stop hashtagging in my posts? No.)
I got here on Monday morning and all but ran straight to the pool. I was feeling kinda icky, though, thanks to my flight. You know that post-flight bloat most of us experience? Even with all of the water I drink (and airplane snacks I avoid), I still experience some form of gastro distress. So I knew I wanted to have something good-for-you, light, and tasty for dinner.
But what?
Enter: Fresh Kale and Quinoa Salad
As I walked through the produce section at Publix, I just started grabbing things that I thought sounded good together: kale, red onion, walnuts, quinoa, and grapes. Put all of that together with one of my favorite homemade vinaigrettes and I had the makings of a delicious salad.
You guys, it is so delicious. As I was serving up dinner, I asked my grandpa if he wanted to try any and he said no. So, I was like “okay, too bad, just try it” and put a spoonful on his plate. HE LOVED IT. He said it was good enough to sell in stores. And he told me not to share the recipe with anyone and to keep it a secret so I can sell it. Uh, yeah, can you tell he doesn’t read the blog? (My grandma does though – she also loved the salad – hi gram!)
What’s even better is THE LEFTOVERS. Or should I say: the longer this salad sits in the fridge, THE BETTER. I brought some to the beach (ugh, sorry for rubbing it in) along with some rotisserie chicken for lunch. YUMMY! I was really happy to have packed that rather than spend $15 on a mediocre chicken sandwich 😉
So there we have it. Fresh Kale and Quinoa Salad. Enjoy!
This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and free from added sugars. It makes an excellent option for any diet.
Fresh Kale & Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- For the salad:
- 1 bunch lacinato kale, roughly chopped
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups red grapes, halved
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
- Lemon dijon vinaigrette (see below)
- For the vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Prepare the quinoa according to package directions. While the quinoa is going on the stovetop, prepare the rest of your salad: chop the kale, onions, and walnuts (or, if you're like me, buy the walnuts chopped!) and cut your grapes in half.
In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for your dressing. Feel free to taste and add more of whichever as you see fit.
In a large bowl, toss everything together. Top with additional walnuts (or even goat cheese - yum!) if you want. Serve alongside the rest of your meal or top with a protein for a quick lunch.
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