Super Food Kale Quinoa Salad

To say I love this kale and quinoa salad is an understatement.  My kids like it, and it is perfect for Christmas, Thanksgiving and other  gatherings–hearty enough for health nuts like me to have a big plate for the main dish but delicious enough for everyone to have it on the side. One of my son’s friends even had it at our house and went home and told his mom about how good it was.

It tastes great the next day and is packed with super foods.  It takes a little more prep than my Thanksgiving Salad but it’s very easily made ahead.  I love how festive it looks with the bright green kale and bright pomegranate arils. Truthfully I only measure for this recipe when I’m trying to share the recipe, feel free to adjust to taste!While kale starts out with a bitter taste and tough leaves (I make this with a fresh bunch from the store, not the bagged variety). Massaging it with lemon juice and a splash of olive oil transforms it into a delicious combination.

I first tried a salad similar to this at the Cheesecake Factory–if you haven’t tried kale with this preparation method, you haven’t tried kale! I believe the best salads have a great combo of sweet, salty and crunch alongside the greenest greens

The maple-glazed walnuts add the sweet, salty crunch in every bite and the pomegranates add a deliciously sweet burst of flavor and color.

I always have to tell my kids “no digging for gold” as they love to get all the walnuts they can.

Print Recipe

Super Food Kale Quinoa Salad

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 1 bunch red or green leafy kale
• 1 lemon juiced
• 2 TBSP honey or maple syrup
• 2 tsp olive oil
• sprinkle salt
• 2-4 cups cooked quinoa depending on your preferred kale/quinoa ratio
• 1-2 cups Fruit of choice: 1 pomegranate seeded, OR grapes, sliced, OR diced apples, OR mangos or other sweet, crisp fruit
• 3/4 cup walnuts chopped pea size or smaller
• 2 TBSP maple syrup
• 1/8 tsp sea salt

Servings servings Ingredients 1 bunch red or green leafy kale 1 lemon juiced 2 TBSP honey or maple syrup 2 tsp olive oil sprinkle salt 2-4 cups cooked quinoa depending on your preferred kale/quinoa ratio 1-2 cups Fruit of choice: 1 pomegranate seeded, OR grapes, sliced, OR diced apples, OR mangos or other sweet, crisp fruit 3/4 cup walnuts chopped pea size or smaller 2 TBSP maple syrup 1/8 tsp sea salt

Instructions

Cook Your Quinoa

1. If needed cook your quinoa according to package directions.
2. After quinoa finishes cooking, empty into a bowl or on a cookie sheet to allow to cool. If you are not making this in advance, speed up the cooling by placing it in the refrigerator. Room temperature quinoa works great.

Prepare Your Kale

1. Immerse kale bunch in a large bowl of water to clean. I find it easiest to run my serrated knife down the stem of the kale at this point to remove the leaves and discard the stems. Strain and rinse the kale leaves and allow to dry while you prepare fruit and nuts.

Maple Glazed Walnuts

1. Add chopped walnuts to a dry skillet over medium heat. Shake occasionally until walnuts are lightly toasted.
2. Add maple syrup and stir to coat evenly. Sprinkle evenly with salt. Taste and adjust if necessary. Spoon nuts to plate or parchment paper and allow to cool.

Put it All Together

1. Shred the kale into bite-size pieces with a serrated knife and place in a large clean bowl. Sprinkle lemon juice over kale and drizzle evenly with oil, honey and salt. Most massaged kale recipes I’ve seen say to mix the dressing first, but I have found it works great to drizzle the dressing ingredients over the kale and then mix as I massage, thus saving some time and dishes. Massage the dressing into the kale until kale wilts and turns a darker green color.
2. Stir in quinoa and fruit and mix well. Top with nuts just before serving. If you plan to have leftovers, you may wish to keep some nuts and salad separate as the nuts will soften after storage.