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This brightly flavored kale and quinoa salad is a great way to work extra greens into your meal. Serve it cold like a salad or as a warm side dish.
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4.61 from 33 votes

Lemony Kale and Quinoa Salad

This brightly flavored kale and quinoa salad is a great way to work extra greens into your meal. Serve it cold like a salad or as a warm side dish.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Total Cost: $4.97 recipe / $1.24 serving
Servings: 4 1 cup each
Calories: 272.23kcal
Author: Adapted from Food52.com

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil $0.16
  • 2 cloves garlic $0.16
  • 1/2 bunch Dinosaur/Lacinato Kale* $0.49
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth $0.23
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa $2.09
  • 1 fresh lemon $0.69
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts $0.59
  • 1 oz crumbled feta $0.56

Instructions

  • Rinse the quinoa well with cool water to remove the saponins, a natural coating that can taste bitter. Remove the stems of the kale leaves by running a sharp knife along both sides of each stem. Cut each leaf in half lengthwise, then across into 1/2 inch strips. Rinse the kale well in a colander.
  • Mince the garlic and add it to a large pot with the olive oil. Sauté over medium-low heat for one minute, or until the garlic is slightly softened. Add the rinsed kale and sauté for 2-3 minutes more, or just until the kale has wilted and looks dark green and glossy.
  • Add the rinsed quinoa to the pot along with vegetable broth. Stir the contents of the pot, place a lid on top, and turn the heat up to medium-high. Let the pot come to a boil. As soon as it does, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Make sure the pot is simmering the whole time.
  • After 15 minutes, check the quinoa to see if it is done. Each granule should look slightly transparent with a white outer rim. If there is still a considerable amount of broth left in the bottom of the pot, replace the lid and let simmer for a few minutes more. If there is a small amount of liquid, simply remove the lid and sauté for a couple of minutes, or until the excess liquid evaporates.
  • While the pot is simmering, zest half of the lemon. Chop the walnuts and crumble the feta.
  • Once the quinoa is cooked and any excess moisture has evaporated, remove the pot from the heat. Sprinkle the lemon zest over the kale and quinoa. Squeeze the juice from half of the lemon over the pot as well. Finally, sprinkle the chopped nuts and crumbled feta on top and serve.**

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Notes

*My kale bunch was exceptionally large, so you may need more depending on the size. Luckily, the amount for this recipe is very flexible.
**If you want even more flavor, you can toast the walnuts in a dry skillet before adding them to the salad.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cup | Calories: 272.23kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.23g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 12.58g | Sodium: 388.9mg | Fiber: 4.55g