This Kale and Quinoa Salad is a really tasty salad that just happens to star two super foods – kale and quinoa. Fresh herbs, crushed nuts and feta plus a beautiful lemon dressing makes this Kale Salad so tasty, it’s scrumptious enough to have as meal or as a side dish.
The secret to making raw kale really tasty is to massage it with olive oil and salt. This tenderises the kale, and makes raw kale salads really delicious!
Kale and Quinoa Salad
Just 3 hours ago, I force fed a giant spoonful of this to a kale/quinoa cynic, and watched with glee as the scrunched up face of “I hate kale – AND QUINOA!” turned into a surprised look of “this is seriously tasty!”
Yes. This is a kale salad that even kale haters will enjoy. It’s that good!
The secret to make raw kale tasty – tenderise it by rubbing with olive oil and salt!
10 years ago when I watched Lidia Bastiniach make a kale and bean stew, I had to search wide and far to find kale. 5 years ago, kale become “all the rage”, and I refused to pay the ridiculous prices for it. Australia even had a kale shortage!!!
Nowadays, kale is actually very good value – usually $2 a bunch from Harris Farms which is where I shop for most of my fruit & veg. And it’s a giant bunch. A giant bunch of hardy, tough leaves that aren’t that pleasant to eat without doing “something” to it.
Enter – your new favourite way to prepare kale leaves to eat raw. Tenderise it. Wash it, chop it, scrunch it with oil, salt & pepper (lemon or vinegar is also nice), leave for 30 minutes. It tenderises the leaves, making it tasty enough to even eat plain.
What goes in this Kale Salad
Even when kale has been marinated, it does have a stronger flavour than most leafy greens. So what I like to do is add plenty of other fresh flavours and textures. So here’s what goes in this kale salad:
-
Raw kale – chopped and marinated in olive oil
-
Fresh herbs – dill and coriander/cilantro is my favourite mix. Both are beautifully fragrant, so they add great flavour to temper the otherwise rather dominant flavour of kale.
-
Almonds – or other nuts, for texture and flavour
-
Quinoa – to fill it out, add texture and nutty flavour
-
Red onion – for freshness
-
Feta – salty little pops of creamy feta is always a welcome addition to salads!
-
Lemon dressing – it’s fresh and zesty, and I love that this lemon dressing really tastes of lemon rather than just being sour (the secret is the zest! Lemon zest rocks!)
Toss all this together, and voila! You have an incredible kale salad that even the greatest of kale cynics will enjoy!
This kale salad will keep in the fridge for 3 days – so it’s great for work lunches and as a standby side!
I added quinoa into this, because this is a salad that was born post my recent trips to Japan and New Zealand, after which I was peeved but not surprised to see that my jeans were still as snug as they were pre-trip. Skiing in Japan, trekking and biking in New Zealand – Mr Scales! WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT FROM ME! (OK, holiday feasting and Japanese sake / fabulous NZ wine sampling did not help).
So I filled this salad out with quinoa to make it filling enough to be a meal in itself. Which, incidentally, is a great tip to make a veg + filling fibre rich side for meals.
It seems appropriate to share this Kale and Quinoa Salad post Easter. Detoxing after a long weekend of consistent feasting – especially if the Easter Bunny dropped by your place and left you with a load of irresistibly colourful, shiny foil wrapped eggs calling your name. 😩
Try this Kale and Quinoa Salad as a side for your next dinner (eg. slightly burnt chicken schnitzel, as pictured below – fried food = less guilt with kale on the side). It will pair with anything, from these great quick Baked Chicken Breasts to crispy Garlic Chicken Thighs, to Baked Pork Chops or marinated Pork Chops.
Or have it as a light meal as it is because in all honesty, a bowl of this will keep you satisfied for longer because that’s one of the magic characteristics of quinoa. 🙂 (Quinoa has grown on me so much I’ve made another salad since: Asian-style Quinoa Salad!) Or try tossing through some shredded chicken or sliced perfectly poached chicken, or even a can of tuna (I steal it from Dozer). – Nagi x
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Kale and Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
Marinated Kale:
- 8 cups (packed) kale leaves (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
Quinoa:
- 1 cup quinoa, any colour
- 2 cups water
Dressing:
- Zest of 1 large lemon
- 2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard (or American)
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1 tsp sugar (optional, I add it)
- 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
Salad:
- 1/4 cup dill leaves , roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup coriander/cilantro leaves , roughly chopped
- 1 red onion , quartered and finely sliced (optional)
- 1/3 - 1/2 cup chopped roasted almonds
- 100 g/3.5oz crumbled feta
Instructions
Marinated Kale:
- Scrunch up the kale leaves then slice to about 1cm / 2/5" thickness.
- Transfer to large bowl.
- Drizzle over oil, scatter with salt and pepper. Use your hands to scrunch the kale leaves for 1 minute (see video). It should shrink to about half the size.
- Set aside for 30 minutes. The leaves will soften, making them suitable for eating raw.
Quinoa:
- Place quinoa in a fine mesh colander, then rinse under running water for 30 seconds. Drain excess water well. (Or do this in a big bowl)
- Place in a saucepan with water. Cover with lid, bring to simmer over medium heat then leave for 12 - 15 minutes until all water is absorbed.
- Remove from heat, leave lid on, and rest for 5 - 10 minutes. Fluff with fork then cool (spread on tray and refrigerate to speed up).
Dressing:
- Place ingredients in a jar, screw lid on and shake well. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Salad:
- Add the quinoa into the bowl with the kale. Add all the dill and coriander/cilantro, half the nuts, feta, and 2/3 of dressing.
- Toss well.
- Transfer into serving platter or bowls. Drizzle with remaining dressing, garnish with remaining feta and nuts.
- See Note 3 for serving suggestions - I've been having this as a meal, just plain.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Kale and Quinoa Salad tastiness EVIDENCE:
Hi Nagi. I love this salad and make it frequently, but I almost always mess up the quinoa. I suddenly realized it’s because of the wording. You say to “leave” it 10-15 minutes and I always turn off the heat. Then, I realize that you meant “cook” it and I have to start over. LOL
My all time favourite salad! My daughter found this salad and it is a hit whenever we make it or take it to pot lucks. . I have given this recipe out more times than I can count. Thank you Nagi!
I made this tonight and it was delicious. Was a little short on Feta but had a nice piece of ricotta salata and it subbed well.
That sounds delicious Richard!! N x
Delicious and so versatile! I usually throw in any other veggies in the fridge or add other fresh herbs.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it Kari! N x
Delicious!
I used the kale and quinoa as a base for Greek turkey bowls. Just topped it with seasoned ground turkey, roasted chick peas, chopped tomatoes and a little goat cheese (didn’t have any tzatziki or feta).
Loved it! I’ll be making it again. … after I finish eating this batch for lunches!!
Thanks for another great recipe.
Like your friend, I’m not a fan of kale (too bitter), but I trust you and thought I’d try it. Very good and healthy too. This is the second time I’ve made it and it’s in the frig from yesterday’s lunch. Looking at your recipe just now, I realized that I forgot to add the feta cheese, and it was still good.
Could anyone tell me how many weight watchers points this is? I love this salad!
Hi, can i sub couscous for quinoa? thank you
I absolutely love this recipe! Thank you for sharing your efforts and time for healthy eating habits! You make it fun too!
Hi Nagi, thank you for all your lovely recipes, I visit your site nearly everyday to get inspiration. I made you kale & quinoa salad for my husband’s birthday which included your pork fillets with creamy mustard sauce and cauliflower purée which he gave me a 9/10!
I am constantly referring my friends and family to your site, as they ask where I get my recipes from.
I am growing lots of kale at the moment in my veggie patch in Perth and never really knew how to use it. With this recipe and your rice with kale and garlic, they are both my new faves.
Also with your photos of Dozer it reminds me often of my previous Goldie’s and now we have a new grand dog Goldie ‘Cooper’ at 8 months, Dozer’s antics are even more special. Thank you again for your beautiful and delicious recipes, cheers Sam
Found this recipe a week ago and have made it twice already. I live alone, so it’s a LOT of leftovers, but it’s just that good….
I absolutely abhor the evil that is cilantro so of course didn’t use that ingredient, but the dill is enough – gives it a lovely lift, and I included the optional red onion, just 1/2 the onion is enough, IMO.
Misread the recipe and used in 3 tbls olive oil on the kale, but decided that I liked it exactly that way and wouldn’t want to use less so I did it the same way the second time.
The only other thing I did differently the second time is I cooked the quinoa more like pasta instead of following the recipe instructions (which for me resulted in clumps of mushy quinoa.)
1 cup of quinoa added to 4 cups boiling water, cook 12-15 mins, test for texture – after about 13 mins and it was the perfect texture, not mushy and retaining that nice little pop/crunch. Drain and then rinse cooked quinoa in cold water and drain well. This allows for it to cooled off very quickly as well..
I just made this for a Sunday brunch buffet…everyone loved it! Only change I made was to add a handful of dried cranberries and it was perfect 🤩 thanks!
Sounds like a fabulous addition Ashley! N x
Excellent. I had a hard time just eating one portion.
Sorry, forgot to add my stars.
I made this salad a few times and it’s great and everyone has loved it. I just tweaked it a bit – I use only 4 cups of Kale, 1/3 of a cup olive oil when making the dressing (it was too dry for my tastes before). I also prepare crunchy quinoa like this: 1:1.5 cups quinoa to boiling water, + 1 tbsp of oil, Boil, mix, then simmer on low heat for 12 min. Switch off then let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool. If it still comes out porridgy then you can spread on baking sheets and bake in the oven on 180 degrees till a bit crunchier.
Made this for Sunday dinner with steak and roasted carrots from recipetineats also. The first thing everyone said we don’t eat kale but it looks good. Well, delicious, and I couldn’t finish my steak 🤣. It was more flavorful the next day. Thank you
I’ve always struggled with kale. Recently tried a stir fry (not a recipetin recipe) and stupidly included the stalks. 😒 I thought I’d give this a try with the remains of the bunch. I’m a convert! It’s delicious. Your advice about the oil and salt was invaluable.
Loved it!! Never thought I could kale in a salad that is made at home. Added some cherry tomatoes and skipped the dill. But still yummy!
I am happy that you liked it Anu! N x
love love love this salad. i add shredded chicken and carrots. Delicious!! love all your wonderful recipes. ur awesome!
Hi Nagi,
What’s a good quinoa substitute? I realised I don’t have any! Bulgar wheat or couscous?
Either would be great Tash!!! N x
I didn’t have nuts, feta or kale and substituted kale with half rocket and half spinach, red onion with young green onion and it turned out absolutely delicious too!!! Thank you Nagi 😍, you are the best!!!
Sounds fabulous Tania! N x