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:
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Raw kale – chopped and marinated in olive oil
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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.
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Almonds – or other nuts, for texture and flavour
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Quinoa – to fill it out, add texture and nutty flavour
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Red onion – for freshness
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Feta – salty little pops of creamy feta is always a welcome addition to salads!
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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
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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:
Made this tonight. Used roasted broccoli and goats cheese as did not have kale or fetta Did not use the herbs but some fresh chilli and toasted cashews. It was awesome and will be a favourite in our house.
Thanks Nagi
That’s terrific to hear Jackie! Glad you enjoyed this! N x
Hi Nagi,
I’ve been making this salad ever since you first posted it and have neglected to comment on it which is very remiss of me. It has become a real favourite, even for cynical anti-kale friends. First of all it tastes and looks fabulous and secondly it keeps so well. It makes it so easy to have some on stand-by whenever it is needed. I often add even more herbs, shaved broccolini and a soft poached egg. It works for me for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Basically I’m OBSESSED by this salad!
I LOVE HEARING THAT!!!! N xx
Hi Nagi how are you😊 luv luv luv all your recipes ii am wondering in place of the kale could fresh spinach leaves be used ? give Dozer a big hug and kiss he is adorable 🐾😊😀
Hi Jennifer! Absolutely! I would slice then so they mix in better with the quinoa. YUM! PS Hugs passed on and happily received! 🙂 N x
We went off kale a couple of years ago – too damn hard to eat, although sooo good for you. (Probably hiding it in brownies wasn’t a great move of mine… anyhoo…)
Saw this and thought had to give this now rabbit-and-chook-only food another try. Marinating it is fabulous! Everything in it is fabulous! I ate the lot I had marinating for dinner for lunch – no time to cook quinoa so chucked on semi-dried tom, feta, an already cooked mushy and sunflower kernels. Yum!
Marinated more for dinner; followed your recipe then. Had with drumsticks.
My 14yo daughter (who hated the kale brownies btw, and detested the kale chips) loved it. She’s great to feed because she’ll give most things a go (wasabi at 8 months!) and is pretty much into healthy food. She does a lot of dance classes, so wants “good fuel” – hence I’m always looking for good, tasty stuff.
So once again Nagi, you are a generous legend: thank you!
(Dozer looks better with the “pool floatie”). 😊
Hi Nagi
Searched online for a beetroot & nut salad. Yours looks delicious and will be my lunch. Read your ‘about’ page. Then added your blog to ‘Feedly’ so I can follow along. Scanning recent entries was very amused to see a recipe for Kale AND Quinoa (it does look/sound delicious) but maybe your ‘about’ page needs an edit :-))
Robyn, Waiheke Island, NZ
BA HA HA!!!! YES IT DOES!!! 😂
Made this for dinner tonight with your lemon fish. It was so good! We didn’t have feta, but children wanted to add craisins. So healthy!
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed this Keiko, thanks for letting me know! N x
Another over-the-fence home run! Made this for our friends last night and everyone went back for seconds and a few thirds (which meant less leftovers.. boo!). If you ever make it to Seattle, I owe you a dinner or at least happy hour somewhere, for your fantastic recipes that make me appear to be a good cook.. (I’m a work in progress). This one gets another five stars from my hubby as well. 😃💕
Hi Nagi! Outstanding recipe! I cooked the quinoa the night before and refrigerated and then made the rest the next day! That’s a tip for anyone who found it took to long in one shot! Also I loved your tip for deleafing (new word!) the kale. Question – why do you say it’s only good for 3 days? My family is notorious for stretching food out for 1 week – 1.5 weeks 😝 So long as it passes the look, smell and taste (LST) test it goes down the hatch. Anyways I was hollering at my husband to eat it in the 3 days and we failed. I really wanted it on the 4th day and did my LST test and it was still fantastico! Heck I’m gonna eat it tomorrow too – 5th day! Livin’ on the edge 😂
OH. MY. GOD. The marinated kale!!!!
Honestly it’s life changing, I never knew raw kale could taste so good. I didn’t add the fresh herbs or almonds to my salad, and when I went to make the salad I found I didn’t quite have enough quinoa. And it was still amazing! I did add a tin of chickpeas in for extra fibre and protein, and to make up for the lack of quinoa. Another great recipe and definitely my go-to salad from now on.
Not sure if you know this, but you can cook quinoa in a rice cooker. I personally like to use veggie stock instead of water to cook my quinoa as well. Btw, the total time for the recipe seems to be wrong, it should be 1 hour? Unless you’re not including the kale marinating time I guess.
YEEEEEESSS!!! I LOVE HEARING THAT!!!! PS Thanks for the quinoa tip, I will try it! N xx
I loved this recipe!! My kids and husband asked for seconds (husband even asked to take the left overs for lunch 😊). I’ve shared the recipe with friends. Thank you fir such a yummy, flavorful, healthy recipe!
I LOVE HEARING THAT!!!
So full disclosure:
1. I’m not much of a salad eater
2. If I do have salad, I want it as a side
3. I don’t even know if I have ever eaten kale and if I have, if I liked it or not
4. Although I’ve had quinoa , I’m not sure I understand it and I must be the only person on the planet who has never cooked it.
So with all that said…your video made this salad look so good I had to try it. And I knew if anyone was going to make a delicious salad it was you.
I admit at the 40 min mark I was getting annoyed at spending 40 min for just a stinking salad! All the individual pieces just tasted weird to me. But once put all together…YUM! I had this as an entire meal! The medley of flavors! and everything tasted so fresh and light and airy and yet filling at the same time! And…my husband loved it! He eats even less salad than I do.
You do continue to amaze me Nagi. There are still so many recipes on this site I have to try that I’m thinking of doing something like and “Julie and Julia” movie and cook only your recipes until I’ve don’t them all!
Looks this blog to death and I rave about it to everyone I know.
YES YES YES!!!! Best validation ever ….. for a KALE SALAD!!! N xx
I stir-fry Kale with garlic, add on some medlar seeds, and sprinkle a dash of pepper and salt. Tastes good!
Yuuuum!!! N xx
Hi Nagi,
I always trust your recipes for trying something new on my family of boys who don’t like leafy stuff in their plate. And guess what…. it worked.
They caught me preparing the kale and started pulling faces. I said don’t worry it’s a Nagi recipe. And it worked. They all ate it with some stir fry chicken with Charlie, another big hit.
Thank you
BIGGEST COMPLIMENT EVER FOR A KALE SALAD!!!!!! 😇 N x
Another winner! Made this yesterday for lunch & husband (who reckons he’s not a fan of kale) asked for seconds!
Seriously grateful to have found this website- love your recipes 🙂
YES YES YES!!!!! I am so thrilled he enjoyed this!! N xx
Please help me out. looks great but I am dieting. How much is one serving? I need to cut out roughly 150 calories.
Hi Mary! One serving is a generous bowl, about 3 cups. So if you make this recipe serve 4, you’ll reduce the calories per serving by 190 calories! N x
This looks sort of like a kale salad that we like that you can buy in the grocery store. It seems to be so popular that it is now hard to find. The salad is called “Kale Yeah”. It has a spicy citrus dressing with sunflower seeds and dried cranberries. Delicious! I can’t wait to try your version of kale salad. It looks delicious!
I’m surprised that Dozer doesn’t like kale. I have a friend back in AZ that has 2 German Shepherds. Those dogs LOVE kale! Just hand them each a stalk of kale and they gobble it right up and want more. I guess I thought all dogs loved kale after seeing how much those German Shepherd loved it.
Hi Nagi. Dozer is changing into a ” No Off Button for Food ” Labrador Retriever!
Another trick with kale I learnt in New York is to eat BABY kale. The leaves are more fragile and less strongly flavoured. At present I ham growing my own but I bet Harris Farm would start to source it if people requested the product. I remember trying to purchase blood oranges after our honeymoon 40 ( eek!) . It was some decades later. I learnt Harris Farm were so keen they bought entire orchards of blood oranges and at one stage were the only retail source. Well done Harris Farm!
Baby kale! I don’t think I’ve come across that before. I’m going to my local markets tomorrow, I will keep an eye out! PS Dozer has never had an Off button when it comes to food! 😂
Bet those German Shepherds have beautiful, shiny coats…..😂
The picture shows how alluring this salad is. It would be great to have this with dinner or lunch. I love this kind of recipes. Specially when somebody comes to my place i make this kind of recipes.
I literally just had this for dinner again yesterday…. and about to make another big batch today to keep on hand for the rest of the week! N xx
Well, this version of super-‘fashionable’ will go on top of the kitchen recipe pile! I would happily eat this as a main meal . . . Have never put dill or almonds into my versions and do like the dressing! Hmm: wonder what led Dozer to lip-smacking – somehow do believe that a protein was the ‘culprit’ in question 🙂 !!!
😂 You know him too well!!! Might have had some schnitzel on the side, just out of the frame….
Something I was waiting for.Thank you very much!
So glad you hear that Elena! Hope you give it a go 🙂 N x
Awwwww….did you share some with him? It looks like he’s just dyin’ for a taste! 🙂
Great salad! I love how well it keeps so you can take it to work for a week!
I did…. and he rejected it. 🙄