Kale and Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

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Not one, but two superfoods in an easy prep salad!

Need a quick, healthy, and energizing summer lunch? This Skinny Ms. superfood salad is here to come to the rescue! Why do we call this a superfood salad, you ask? The Skinny Ms. Easy Kale and Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette packs an invigorating punch with not one, but TWO highly respected superfoods, kale and quinoa. Now you don’t have to choose between your superfoods. As we often like to do, we’ve combined these two nutritional powerhouses in an easy kale salad with quinoa recipe that includes a light and zesty lemon vinaigrette to boot.

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Kale and Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

This salad is full of superfood ingredients that will keep your energy up for the rest day.
Yield 4 people
Serving Size 2 cups
Course Dinner, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Universal
Author SkinnyMs.

Ingredients

Kale & Quinoa Salad

  • 1 cup dry quinoa rinsed well
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups kale chopped, loosely packed (curly kale was used in this recipe)
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
  • 1/2 cup walnuts diced (optional)

Lemon Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. While cooking the quinoa, add walnuts pieces to a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Allow to cool and set aside.
  • Salad: Add quinoa and water to a medium pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a medium-simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until quinoa has soaked up most of the liquid. Turn off the burner and add kale and cranberries. Leave covered pot on the burner until kale is wilted, approximately 5-10 minutes.
  • Lemon Vinaigrette: Add all ingredients to a glass container and whisk until combined. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving. Whisk again before serving.
  • Salad can be served warm or cold. Add walnuts and desired amount of vinaigrette over salad, toss to combine.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 121mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g |
SmartPoints (Freestyle): 12
Keywords Vegetarian

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SkinnyMs.

The SkinnyMs. team believes that all people, regardless of age, size, and fitness level, have the power to transform their lives — they just need the resources to do so. The SkinnyMs. method promotes healthy living through a combination of clean eating and regular exercise. We offer everything you need to be successful.

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7 Comments

  1. Hi! Just to make sure:
    After adding kale and cranberries to the pot, leave the covered pot on the *turned off* burner until kale is wilted?

  2. Why do you have to put the Quinoa in the over? Then cook it on top of the stove ? Just abit confused. Couldn’t you just cook it on top of the stove?

    1. Hi Pat, cooking the quinoa in the oven will give it a nutty flavor and gives the salad a nice balance of flavors. If you would rather cook the quinoa only on the stove top, that will work fine.

  3. I’ve made this a few times, but never toasted the quinoa. It actually doesn’t say to toast it, it says toast the walnuts “while the quinoa is cooking”. At least that’s how I’ve always interpreted these instructions. I love this recipe, just took it to a pot luck yesterday.

  4. This was pretty good and I love the ingredients. I personally will find a dressing that has a tad of sweetness to it next time. Roasting walnuts brings out the flavor of the nut and it was a great combo with cranberries.

    Thank you,

    Sharan

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