Hearty kale and quinoa has an amazing mix of textures and flavors. Earthy quinoa and kale combine with creamy avocado and sweet pomegranate seeds for an epic salad that's a perfect side dish or entree!
Table of Contents
This simple kale quinoa salad has some seriously amazing flavors! The lemony massaged kale pairs up with avocado, pomegranate seeds, and quinoa for a full on party in your mouth. 🎉
This quinoa salad with kale and pomegranate seeds 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.
Quinoa makes a great base for a salad. It's chewy, nutty, and full of protein and fiber. It's simple and satisfying paired with earthy kale, sweet pomegranate seeds, creamy avocado, and a little lemon juice and olive oil.
What I love about this salad is that it's so versatile! Change up the fruits you add to it and serve it warm or cold. Kale and quinoa salad works as a side dish or a main dish, depending on how much you serve yourself.
If you love quinoa salads, also check out my lentil quinoa salad and citrus quinoa salad!
✓ Ingredients and Substitutions
- quinoa - Use regular or tricolor quinoa for this colorful salad.
- water - To cook the quinoa. If you're doing the oil-free variation, you'll use mushroom broth instead of water and use more lemon juice in place of the oil and salt when you massage the kale.
- kale - You can use curly kale or lacinato kale (also called dinosaur kale or Tuscan kale) in this recipe. Just make sure to remove that tough, central rib, either way.
- lemon juice, olive oil, and salt - For massaging the kale. This combination helps break down the kale as you massage, and you're making the lemon vinaigrette all at the same time. You can make this oil-free with some simple swaps, which I outline in the recipe card.
- pomegranate seeds - These sweet, tender, crunchy seeds give this salad an amazing flavor! You can use dried cranberries, dried apricots, orange sections, or other favorite fruit instead, if you prefer.
- avocado - Creamy avocado is a must in this recipe. It's just so delicious!
- red onion - Red onion brings the umami and brings out the flavor of the other ingredients. You can use green onion or yellow onion instead, if needed.
- optional additions - You can top this salad with sliced almonds, vegan feta cheese, pistachios, and/or sliced cherry tomatoes, if you like, as well!
🔪 How to Make Kale and Quinoa Salad
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. You can also use 2 to 2 ¼ cups pre-cooked quinoa, if you have some on hand.
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.
Add the quinoa to the kale mixture along with the pomegranate seeds, avocado, and onion.
Toss well. You can serve immediately or make this salad a day ahead and refrigerate overnight.
💡 Helpful Tips
- If you're starting with a whole pomegranate, slice it into quarters, then place the quarters into a bowl of water while you remove the seeds. You'll end up with a lot less mess!
- It's going to seem like a lot of lemon and oil when you're massaging the kale, but that's because we are making the dressing for the whole salad, not just the kale!
🫙 Storage Directions
Serve this salad warm or chill it for 10 to 15 minutes in the fridge. It's even better after it rests, so the flavors get a chance to meld.
Quinoa kale 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, perfect for meal prep!
More Quinoa Recipes
📖 Recipe
Kale and Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 packed cups kale chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 Haas avocado chopped
- ½ cup minced red onion
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. You can also use 2 to 2 ¼ cups pre-cooked quinoa, if you have some on hand.
- 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.
- Add the quinoa to the kale mixture along with the pomegranate seeds, avocado, and onion. Toss well. You can serve immediately or make this salad a day ahead and refrigerate overnight.
Anna
I think now I know what we´ll have for dinner tomorrow!
Thank you so much for this wonderful inspiration!
Happy Monday,
Anna
Becky Striepe
Enjoy it, Anna, and happy Monday to you, too!
Sarah De la Cruz
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!!!
Becky Striepe
Thank you, Sarah! Happy picnicking!
Cadry
Wow, this is really is a superfood salad! And I love the use of pomegranate seeds for color. I always forget about them!
Becky Striepe
Thank you, Cadry! I rarely use them, and I'm not sure why. That needs to change!
Dianne
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!
Becky Striepe
Thank you, Dianne! Pomegranate seeds are the BEST!
J
how many servings is this?
Becky Striepe
I'd say 6-8 as a side, 4 as a main dish.
Stephanie Harris
Is there a printable version by chance?? This looks delightful!
Becky Striepe
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!
Penelope
Thanks Becky for this great recipe! Quinoa and pomegranate seeds? What a winner! Can't wait to try on my munchkins!