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    Home » Simple Vegan Recipes

    Superfood Vegan Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate Seeds

    Last Modified: Jul 12, 2019 by Becky Striepe

    Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Recipe Print

    Vegan quinoa salad with tart, tangy pomegranate seeds, lemony massaged kale, and creamy avocado will have everyone reaching for seconds.

    kale and quinoa salad stacked white bowls on a slate table

    This Superfood Vegan Quinoa Salad recipe comes from my first cookbook, Bowls! If you love this recipe, I hope you'll pick up a print or e-book copy of Bowls! The book walks you through whole bowl meals, like this one, plus gives you a roadmap to creating easy vegan bowl meals of your own.

    Vegan Quinoa Salad Packed with Superfood Goodness

    Over at Care2, I spent a couple of months on a mini-series about superfoods. It culminated in a roundup of the six superfoods I had covered:

    1. quinoa
    2. pomegranate
    3. blueberries
    4. kale
    5. chia seeds
    6. avocado

    As I read through that list, it occurred to me that you could probably create a pretty amazing vegan quinoa salad recipe that used the majority of these as ingredients.

    quinoa salad ingredients

    It turns out that you can, and the results are super delicious!

    serving bowl of the salad with yellow tea towels and lemon wedges on the table

    The stars in this superfood recipe are:

    • quinoa
    • kale
    • avocado
    • pomegranate seeds

    Quinoa makes a great base for a salad. It's chewy, nutty, and full of protein and fiber. Toss in some veggies, fruits, and a little lemon juice and olive oil, and you've got a simple salad that's packed with nutrients

    overhead photo of vegan quinoa salad with kale, avocado, red onion, and pomegranate seed

    Making the Salad

    The great thing about this recipe is that most of the prep work happens while the quinoa cooks and cools. Definitely get that quinoa cooking first, using your quinoa-cooking method of choice.

    If you are using oil to make this recipe, just cook the quinoa in water.

    For the oil-free version, use mushroom broth instead. The mushroom broth gives back the richness that you lose when you omit the oil.

    While the quinoa is cooking, massage your kale and prep the rest of the ingredients:

    • Mince some onion.
    • Chop an avocado.
    • Seed that pomegranate. (if needed)

    You can sometimes find packaged, fresh pomegranate seeds. I prefer this to seeding the whole fruit, because why do more work (and cover your kitchen in bright red, stainy pomegranate juice) when you don't have to?

    If you can't find the seeds, though, seeding a pomegranate doesn't have to be a time-consuming kitchen bloodbath. To prevent pomegranate juice from getting all over your clothes and countertop, just do your seeding in a bowl of water.

    Whichever method you use, you add the seeds to your cooled quinoa along with the massaged kale, avocado, and onion. From there, you just toss and serve,

    You can serve this salad immediately, but I prefer to let it chill for 10 to 15 minutes in the fridge. It's even better after it rests, so the flavors get a chance to meld.

    This salad will keep for three to four days in the fridge, so you can prepare it the night before, if you prefer. It also works great as a grab-and- go lunch!

    Ready to get cooking? Let's do this.

    a bowl filled with superfood quinoa salad with kale, red onion, avocado, and pomegranate seeds.

    Superfood Vegan Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate Seeds

    Vegan quinoa salad with tart, tangy pomegranate seeds, lemony massaged kale, and creamy avocado will have everyone reaching for seconds.
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Keyword: superfood salad, vegan quinoa salad
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 402kcal
    Author: Becky Striepe

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup quinoa
    • 1 ½ cups water*
    • 2 packed cups kale - chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces
    • ¼ cup lemon juice* - You'll need 2 lemons
    • ¼ cup olive oil*
    • ½ teaspoon salt*
    • 1 cup pomegranate seeds
    • 1 Haas avocado - chopped
    • ½ cup red onion - minced

    Instructions

    • Cook the quinoa in the water. I made mine in my Instant Pot, but you can also do it on the stove or in a rice cooker, too. I have instructions for all three quinoa cooking methods here.
    • In a large bowl, combine the kale, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Get in there with your hands and massage the kale, so it's well coated, and set it aside.
    • When the quinoa has cooled, add it to the kale mixture along with the pomegranate seeds, avocado, and toss well. You can serve immediately or make this salad a day ahead and refrigerate overnight.

    Notes

    • Oil-Free Variation: To make this salad oil-free, cook the quinoa in mushroom broth instead of water, omit the oil and salt, and add an extra 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the kale when you massage it

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Superfood Vegan Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate Seeds
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    402
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    24
    g
    37
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    3
    g
    15
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    4
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    16
    g
    Sodium
     
    303
    mg
    13
    %
    Potassium
     
    627
    mg
    18
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    42
    g
    14
    %
    Fiber
     
    8
    g
    32
    %
    Sugar
     
    7
    g
    8
    %
    Protein
     
    8
    g
    16
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    131
    IU
    3
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    17
    mg
    21
    %
    Calcium
     
    40
    mg
    4
    %
    Iron
     
    2
    mg
    11
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    About Becky Striepe

    Headshot of Becky Striepe in front of a teal wall

    Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.

    Learn more about me >>>

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Anna

      May 27, 2019 at 8:45 am

      I think now I know what we´ll have for dinner tomorrow!
      Thank you so much for this wonderful inspiration!

      Happy Monday,
      Anna

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        May 27, 2019 at 9:39 am

        Enjoy it, Anna, and happy Monday to you, too!

        Reply
    2. Sarah De la Cruz

      May 24, 2019 at 5:05 pm

      This looks so yummy! I want to make this over the summer so I can have some in picnic lunches! Kale and quinoa hold up so well together!!!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        May 26, 2019 at 9:52 am

        Thank you, Sarah! Happy picnicking!

        Reply
    3. Cadry

      May 23, 2019 at 11:48 am

      Wow, this is really is a superfood salad! And I love the use of pomegranate seeds for color. I always forget about them!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        May 23, 2019 at 4:49 pm

        Thank you, Cadry! I rarely use them, and I'm not sure why. That needs to change!

        Reply
    4. Dianne

      May 20, 2019 at 3:26 pm

      5 stars
      Quinoa salad is one of my favorites, and I love this one because you've added so many wonderful foods, like avocado and pomegranate! Yum!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        May 22, 2019 at 1:27 pm

        Thank you, Dianne! Pomegranate seeds are the BEST!

        Reply
    5. J

      January 28, 2017 at 1:49 pm

      how many servings is this?

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        January 28, 2017 at 2:15 pm

        I'd say 6-8 as a side, 4 as a main dish.

        Reply
    6. Stephanie Harris

      September 23, 2012 at 6:31 pm

      Is there a printable version by chance?? This looks delightful!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        September 24, 2012 at 2:04 pm

        There's not, but you can copy the recipe into a text file to print, if you'd like! :) I know printing images wastes so much ink!

        Reply
    7. Penelope

      September 18, 2012 at 11:07 pm

      Thanks Becky for this great recipe! Quinoa and pomegranate seeds? What a winner! Can't wait to try on my munchkins!

      Reply

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    About Me

    Glue and Glitter
    Hi! My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”). I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here. → READ MORE

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