Kale Quinoa Salad with Lemon Honey Dressing
Kale Quinoa Salad with Red Grapes, Walnuts and Lemon Honey Dressing is a delicious way to enjoy these popular superfoods! This healthy salad keeps for several days in the refrigerator so it's perfect for meal prep and lunches for a busy week.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa rinsed
- 1 bunch kale stems removed and thinly sliced
- 1 bunch red grapes approximately 3/4 pound, halved
- 1/2 small red onion finely chopped (approximately 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts toasted if desired plus a few more to sprinkle over salad
Dressing
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice plus more as needed
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more as needed
- 1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey or to taste
- 4 small cloves garlic or 2 large, minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Salad
- Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste.
- Add the uncooked quinoa and bring it back to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered until the "germ" begins to appear and much of the water has been absorbed or cooked out, approximately 12-13 minutes. Cover and remove from the heat. Let stand for 10-15 minutes. Fluff and cool.
- Combine kale, remaining olive oil and a pinch of salt and black pepper in a large bowl. Gently massage the kale to soften and wilt it slightly.
- Add cooled quinoa, grapes, red onion and walnuts and toss to combine.
Dressing
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over salad and mix well. Adjust acidity and balance with additional lemon juice if desired.
- To serve: Place in a serving bowl and sprinkle with additional coarsely chopped walnuts.
Notes
SUBSTITUTIONS:
- Can use baby kale in place of mature kale.
- If you’re not a walnut fan, use pecans or almonds. Use chickpeas, sunflower seeds or pepitas in the event of a nut allergy.
- Quinoa is cooked when the germ has been fully released and it’s fluffy and tender. Cooked quinoa can be found in the freezer section near the vegetables of many grocery stores.
- To cool quinoa quickly, place a rimmed sheet pan in your freezer for 30 minutes or so to get it nice and cold. When the quinoa is fully cooked and fluffy, pour it onto the chilled sheet pan and spread it out.
- This kale quinoa salad will keep for several days in the refrigerator.
- Make sure the grapes you're using are super fresh.
Nutrition
Serving: 6 | Calories: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 332mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1641IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2mg