Crispy Quinoa Kale and Apple Salad with Chili Oil
Superfood city! With a combination of fresh kale, crispy roasted quinoa, crunchy pepitas and apples this powerhouse salad is a side salad you’ll love repeating. It’s served with chili oil that elevates the flavors and a balsamic glaze and lemon vinegarette to top it all off.
This kale salad recipe is delicious on its own as a side dish to your main course but also great topped with Honey Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs or cast iron flank steak for added protein to make this more of a main dish. If you want to keep it vegetarian a great addition would be tofu (the marinated teriyaki flavor is my favorite) or chickpeas for a protein boost.
Whether you’re having this fun delicious simple salad for lunch throughout the week or making it for the holidays, this flavorful salad is one that won’t disappoint.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Nutrient powerhouse!
- Crispy quinoa adds to much to the salad.
- Protein from quinoa, pepitas and feta!
Ingredients and Substitutions:
These are the main ingredients and substitutions for this quinoa kale salad. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and instructions:
- Quinoa: To streamline, use frozen, microwaveable quinoa for a quick and easy option.
- Chili Oil: adds a beautiful color and elevated flavor to the quinoa. Try using a chili oil made from Aleppo chili peppers – it is lightly spicy, with a smokey and citrusy flavor profile. If you are sensitive to chili, use olive oil instead of chili oil.
- Kale: be sure to taste the kale to make sure it is well-roasted and no longer chewy before taking it out of the oven. Use whatever variety you like, curly kale, dinosaur kale, tuscan kale, lacinato kale or baby kale.
- Shallot: thinly sliced red onion works here too.
- Apple: any kind of preferred apple works!
- Cranberries: or raisins.
- Pepitas (pumpkin seeds): use roasted not raw for the best crunch and flavor.
- Feta Cheese: low fat or full fat, whichever you prefer. Goat cheese is also great in this.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: use a good quality olive oil for the best flavor.
- Balsamic Glaze: this is a type of balsamic vinegar that has been reduced to a sticky glaze-like consistency. If balsamic glaze is unavailable, substitute for 2:1 honey or maple syrup to balsamic vinegar.
Variations
- Pears and roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash make a great fall version.
- Add cubed cooked chicken breast for added protein.
- Use sunflower seeds, candied walnuts, fresh herbs or even add fresh fruit.
- Add dijon mustard to the dressing.
Dietary Modifications
- This salad is gluten-free, as is.
- For dairy-free, omit the feta cheese or use a non-dairy alternative.
Let’s make this kale quinoa salad recipe (visual guide):
Step 1: roast the quinoa
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread the quinoa on the first baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons chili oil, salt, and ground cinnamon (image 1). Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Stir and shake the pan a little bit, then return to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes, until golden brown (image 2). Set aside to cool.
Step 2: roast the kale
Toss the kale leaves with olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Transfer to the second baking sheet and arrange in a single layer (image 1). Add to the oven when the quinoa is nearly done and roast for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once, until softened and crisped.
Step 2: prepare the dressing & assemble
Prepare the salad dressing by whisking all the ingredients together until emulsified in a small bowl (image 5). Compose the salad by transferring the kale to a large bowl (image 6) and topping it with avocado, shallot, apple, cranberries, pepitas, and feta (image 6). Drizzle the dressing over the salad and top with the crispy cooked quinoa (image 7). Serve immediately.
Expert Tip!
Make a double batch of the crispy quinoa and keep it in an airtight container for the best way to level up your salads all week!
Recipe FAQs
To store it is best to store without the dressing so it doesn’t get soggy. This is a great salad to enjoy right away.
To save time, you can prepare this salad in advance by baking the kale and quinoa and whipping up the dressing. Store everything in sealed containers in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days. Prep the dressing and store in a mason jar. When you’re ready to serve, just toss everything together the next day! Store the crispy quinoa in a container for up to 2 weeks!
To streamline this recipe, use frozen, microwaveable quinoa for a quick and easy option.
Balsamic glaze is a type of balsamic vinegar that has been reduced to a sticky glaze-like consistency. It is a great ingredient to have on hand to add both acid and sweetness to salad dressings, pan sauces, and even soups and stews. If balsamic glaze is unavailable, substitute for 2:1 honey to balsamic vinegar.
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Crispy Quinoa Kale Salad
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Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked and cooled quinoa
- 2 Tbsp. chili oil *
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 8 cups roughly chopped kale ribs removed
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1 avocado peeled and sliced thin
- 1 small shallot thily sliced
- 1 small apple thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup pepitas pumpkin seeds
- 3 Tbsp. feta cheese, crumbled
Dressing
- 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. balsamic glaze **
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Spread the quinoa on the first baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons chili oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Stir and shake the pan, then return to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- Toss the kale leaves with 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Transfer to the second baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Add to the oven when the quinoa is nearly done and roast for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once, until softened and crisped.***
- Prepare the salad dressing by whisking all the ingredients together until emulsified.
- Assemble the salad by transferring the kale to a large serving bowl and topping it with avocado, shallot, apple, cranberries, pepitas, and feta. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and top with the crispy quinoa. Mix and serve immediately.
Notes
- The nutritional information listed is for approx. 1 cup of salad as a nice hearty side to a protein. You can of course serve more or less according to what works for you! All nutritional information is an estimate and will change with any substitutions.
- * Chili oil adds a beautiful color and elevated flavor to the quinoa. Try using a chili oil made from Aleppo chili peppers – it is lightly spicy, with a smokey and citrusy flavor profile. If you are sensitive to chili, use olive oil instead of chili oil.
- ** Balsamic glaze is a type of balsamic vinegar that has been reduced to a sticky glaze-like consistency. It is a great ingredient to have on hand to add both acid and sweetness to salad dressings, pan sauces, and even soups and stews. If balsamic glaze is unavailable, substitute for 2:1 honey to balsamic vinegar.
- *** Be sure to taste the kale to make sure it is well-roasted and no longer chewy before taking it out of the oven.
