Kale Quinoa Salad
This Kale Quinoa Salad with orange miso ginger dressing is crazy delicious and so easy to make. An amazing nutrition powerhouse salad of kale, quinoa, mandarin oranges, and so much more!
This kale quinoa salad is so good because it combines nutrient-dense kale with protein-packed quinoa, creating a delicious and satisfying dish that’s perfect for any meal. The fresh, vibrant ingredients and tangy orange miso ginger dressing make it a flavorful and healthy choice.
We have other amazing kale recipes on this website like my massaged vegan kale salad, this PCRM Mexican Kale Salad, and our easy oil-free braised kale.
Reasons I love this kale salad recipe
- Nutrient-Packed: This veggie-loaded kale quinoa salad is bursting with vitamins, minerals, and protein from a variety of fresh vegetables and quinoa, making it a powerhouse of nutrition.
- Flavorful and Fresh: With a mix of crisp vegetables and a tangy dressing, this salad offers a refreshing and satisfying taste that’s perfect for any meal.
- Easy to Prepare: Simple to assemble with minimal cooking required, this salad is a convenient and quick option for healthy eating.
Ingredients needed
- Kale- Fresh crispy mild kale is loaded with protein and massaging makes it soft and delicious.
- Quinoa- Other grains can be substituted such as brown rice, bulgur wheat, or others.
- Broccoli slaw- Precut and bagged broccoli slaw is delicious and perfect for this recipe.
- Carrots- Shredded carrots are sweet and have the perfect texture for this crunchy salad.
- Cabbage- Purple cabbage makes this salad even more colorful and beautiful, and other options include green cabbage or Asian napa cabbage.
- Edamame beans- These are young green soybeans that are delicious to snack on or add to salads like this one. We even make edamame hummus as a veggie dip and sandwich spread.
- Mandarin oranges- For a zesty sweet flavor.
- Dried fruit- Raisins and dried cranberries are my favorite combination because of the sweetness of raisins paired with the tangy flavor of cranberries.
- Seeds- The recipe calls for sunflower seeds, and other options include pumpkin seeds, crushed peanuts, or another nut or seed.
- Dressing- The orange miso ginger oil-free dressing is the perfect complement to this salad.
How to make kale quinoa salad
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
STEP #1: Cook quinoa according to package directions. This usually takes about 15 minutes. While it is cooking go ahead and make the dressing and prep the kale.
STEP #2: Make the dressing by placing all of the dressing ingredients into a small mixing bowl and whisking them together. Set the dressing to the side. See notes below.
- I like to use the jar of minced garlic in this recipe because it is milder. Fresh works well too.
- This is probably more dressing than you will want to pour over this kale salad, so don’t add it all at one time. You only want enough to coat your salad well. Save any leftovers to use as a salad dressing for garden salads.
STEP #3: Kale has been called the angry lettuce, because is it much more fibrous and less delicate than other greens such as baby spinach, and romaine. The good news is that you can eat kale raw in a salad with one easy trick.
STEP #3.5: You will need to de-stem it by holding the stalk at the end and running your hand up removing the leaves. There is even a kitchen tool called Loose Leaf Kale Stripper to make it very simple.
One thing I’ve noticed with the pre-cut kale in bags is that the leaves are sliced horizontally which causes the stems to be included in them. The stems are so fibrous that it’s best to take them out for most recipes.
Those bags of kale are great for things like smoothies, but not so much for raw kale massaged salad. I always buy the whole leaf kale and de-stem it, because it only takes a few minutes to prep.
STEP #4: Tear the kale into bite-sized pieces and place it in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup orange juice and 1/2 tsp salt to the bowl with kale and begin to massage for 2-3 minutes. This makes it much more tender and flavorful. And who can blame it? We all could use a little massage to soften our attitude every now and then! It only takes about 2-3 minutes of massaging for it to become tender.
STEP #5: Once the kale is tender, add other salad ingredients and dressing to the large bowl and stir thoroughly, making sure the dressing is mixed throughout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quinoa cooks on the stovetop just like rice in about 15 minutes, but I prefer to make it my rice steamer. The rice steamer simplifies everything. I just add the quinoa and water, press the button, and walk away. No need to worry about overcooking or sticking. It just does its thing and then clicks over to Stay Warm until we’re ready to eat.
No. Other grains can be substituted such as brown rice, bulgur wheat, or others.
Yes. Kale is very fibrous and massaging is required to make it tender for eating raw. It only takes a few minutes, so do not skip this part.
Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. It will not freeze well, so don’t even try it.
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
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Kale Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
Kale Quinoa Salad
- 3/4 cup dry quinoa
- 1 bunch fresh kale leaves (or 5 cups chopped kale, slightly packed)
- 1.5 cups shredded broccoli slaw
- 1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup edamame beans optional
- 1/2 cup mandarin oranges packed in juice not syrup
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon crushed walnuts optional
- 1/2 cup orange juice for massaging kale
- 1/2 teaspoon salt for massaging kale
Orange Miso Dressing Ingredients
- 1/4 cup orange juice juice from 2 oranges
- 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoon yellow or white miso
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated, minced, or dry ground
- 2 teaspoons black seasame seeds
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. This usually takes about 15 minutes.
- Make the orange miso dressing by whisking all of the ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. Set it to the side. NOTE: This is probably more dressing than you will need. Only add enough to coat the salad well. Use any leftovers as salad dressing.
- While the quinoa is cooking, wash and strip kale. Then tear into bite-sized pieces and place in a very large bowl.
- Add the 1/2 cup orange juice and 1/2 tsp salt to the bowl with kale and begin to massage for 2-3 minutes.
- Once the kale is tender, add other salad ingredients and finished dressing to the large bowl and stir thoroughly, making sure the dressing is mixed throughout. Serve.
Orange Miso Dressing Instructions
- Place all dressing ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together well. NOTES: I really like to use the jar minced garlic in this recipe because it is milder. Fresh works well too. This is probably more dressing than you will want to pour over this kale salad, so don't add it all at one time. You only want enough to coat your salad well. Save any leftovers to use as salad dressing for garden salads.
Video
Notes
- Quinoa Substitutions: Other grains can be substituted such as brown rice, bulgur wheat, or others.
- Massaging Kale: Kale is very fibrous and massaging is required to make it tender for eating raw. It only takes a few minutes, so do not skip this part.
- Storage: Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. It will not freeze well, so don't even try it.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
This kale salad is one of my very favorites from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. It’s easy to make and was always well-received in the Food for Life classes.
WOW!!! LOVE this salad. Have made it 2x’s in 10 days. So EASY, yummy and filling. I did not add the miso to the dressing as I did not have it. I did not feeling that anything was missing. THANKS for the FABULOUS recipe!!!
Oh, how I love hearing such positive feedback! So glad you love the recipe, and thanks so much for letting me know.