My vegan kale quinoa salad recipe features tender kale leaves tossed in an orange paprika dressing with fluffy quinoa, sweet potato, pomegranate, and avocado. It’s shamelessly simple and packed with nutrients!
If you’re hungry for more easy salad recipes, try my detox salad, watermelon feta salad, and asparagus salad next!
Making a kale salad that actually tastes good isn’t as easy as you might think. I’ve found the trick is to lightly sauté it to reduce the bitterness and make it less tough. Oh, and an addictive dressing never hurts either!
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- Tender kale that’s NOT bitter. A few seconds in a hot pan does wonders for kale. Now, it’s my family’s favorite salad green!
- Nutritional powerhouse. Kale and quinoa are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, making this salad a nutrient-dense choice.
- Customizable. My kale salad recipe allows you to get creative with add-ins like roasted vegetables, nuts, or seeds. You can even swap the dressing for one of your favorites.
- Easy to make in advance. Once everything is cooked, I’ll store them in individual airtight containers, then assemble the salad right before serving.
Key ingredients
- Quinoa. Our protein-rich and hearty base for the salad. I used white quinoa, but any color works.
- Vegetable stock. I used a veggie stock cube to infuse more flavor into the quinoa.
- Sweet potato. For sweetness and to add texture to the salad.
- Olive oil. To cook the kale and sweet potato.
- Garlic. For aroma and flavor. Fresh is best, but I’ll often use bottled garlic.
- Kale. The greens in the salad. I used curly kale, but you could use lacinato kale (AKA Tuscan kale or dinosaur kale) if you prefer.
- Sea salt and pepper. To taste.
- Red onion. Thinly sliced red onion adds a mild, tangy flavor and a pop of color to the salad. Avoid other types of onion, as they can be overpowering.
- Tomatoes. For texture and flavor. I used Roma tomatoes.
- Pomegranate seeds. For a burst of sweetness and color.
- Avocado. For creaminess and healthy fats.
- Smoked paprika, orange juice, maple syrup. For the dressing.
How to make kale quinoa salad
For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2- Cook quinoa. Add the quinoa, water, and stock to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook until the quinoa fluffs with a fork and the liquid is absorbed.
Step 3- Roast sweet potatoes. Toss the potatoes with oil, salt, and pepper, then spread them on the baking sheet and roast until tender.
Step 4- Sauté kale. Massage the kale with garlic and oil, add it to a warm pot, and cook until the kale is slightly wilted. Remove from the heat.
Step 5- Assemble. Add all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together the salad dressing ingredients and pour over the salad mixture.
Tips to make the best recipe
- De-stem the kale before cooking. If you notice some kale leaves have thick ribs, cut the leaves off and discard the stems since they’re woody and tough to chew.
- Let the salad sit before serving. You want the salad to sit for a few minutes before serving so the flavors can mesh together.
- Only cook the kale for a few minutes. We don’t want the salad to be fully cooked, only wilted. Once the kale turns a vibrant green, you can remove it from the heat.
- Make the salad in advance. Prepare the individual components of the salad up to 1-2 days ahead of time and store them separately in the refrigerator. Then, assemble the salad and dressing right before serving.
Variations
- Nuts. Add toasted almonds, hazelnuts, or pine nuts for crunch.
- Swap the orange juice. Try lemon juice or lime juice instead.
- Vegan cheese. Add vegan feta cheese or parmesan.
- Dried fruit. Dried cranberries, golden raisins, or dried blueberries.
- Dressing. Try my ginger salad dressing, cumin sumac dressing, or balsamic vinaigrette with Dijon mustard.
Storage instructions
To store: Transfer any leftovers into an airtight container and store the salad in the refrigerator. It can be kept for up to 2-3 days. If you plan to store the salad for an extended period, consider keeping the dressing separate until serving.
To reheat. If you prefer to serve the salad warm, gently reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop. You can add a splash of water or vegetable stock if needed to freshen up the flavors.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can use other types of quinoa like red quinoa or black quinoa instead of white quinoa. The cooking time and texture may vary slightly, but the overall result will still be delicious.
Yes, if you’d rather not use quinoa, you can use couscous, bulgur, farro, or swap them for legumes like lentils instead.
More healthy side dish recipes
Kale Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups white quinoa uncooked
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 stock cube vegetable
- 1 medium sweet potato diced
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 3 cups kale chopped
- 1/4 large red onion diced finely
- 1 large Roma tomato diced finely
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 large avocado peeled and diced
For Dressing:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
- 1/4 cup Orange Juice
- 1 teaspoon salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven 356°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with non-stick parchment. Set aside.
- To prepare quinoa, place dried quinoa, water and vegetable stock cube (or liquid stock equivalent) into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and let cook on lowest heat for 15 minutes. Let this rest with the lid on while you prepare the other ingredients. All the liquid should be absorbed.
- Combine sweet potato with 1 tsp Olive Oil, salt and pepper, then place on prepared baking sheet and roast in oven for 20 minutes or until tender whilst quinoa is cooking.
- In a large pan, combine 1 tsp olive oil with 1 tsp minced garlic on low heat. Immediately add kale into the pan and cook till kale has slightly wilted and is no longer tough. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, prepared kale, roasted sweet potato, red onion, tomato, pomegranate Seeds and avocado. Toss to combine.
- To prepare dressing, whisk all listed ingredients. Pour dressing over quinoa and toss to combine. Check for seasoning and serve warm.
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