Winter Quinoa Kale Salad

This Winter Quinoa Kale Salad is full of winter produce, hearty quinoa and peppery baby kale! It’s a great alternative to your typical lettuce salad.

I realize it’s a little cliche to share a recipe for a salad in January, but frankly I’m tired of all the heavy food and need something fresh in my life. I know we can all make a basic lettuce salad, but let’s be real, they get boring after about a week of eating them, not to mention they aren’t filling. So let’s spice up our salad game this month and swap out those boring lettuce, carrot and tomato salads with this Winter Quinoa Kale Salad! 

Adding quinoa or any type of whole grain to your salad is a great way to make it more filling and boost the nutrition in it. In the case of quinoa, you’ll be adding protein, fiber and carbs. Instead of lettuce I went with baby kale. If traditional kale isn’t your thing, you might find that you enjoy baby kale. It isn’t as tough and the flavor is more mild. It has a similar flavor to arugula. Still haven’t convinced you? Spinach is a great alternative. 

The “winter” part of this salad comes from the seasonal fruit added in. Orange segments, an apple and beautiful pomegranate seeds. There’s something about adding pomegranate seeds to a salad that really makes it look special. It’s like adding little jewels to it. 

For some crunch I added toasted almonds and because I can’t resist putting cheese into a salad, crumbled goat cheese. I love the tangy, creaminess that it adds to the salad and it tastes delicious with all the sweet fruit.

Just like kale, I hear there are people out there that don’t like goat cheese. I am not one of these people. If you happen to be one of them, feta cheese is a good substitution. 

The Winter Quinoa Kale Salad is tossed in a champagne vinaigrette and can be served cold or at room temperature. It’s perfect for lunch or as a side dish with dinner. 

More Salads without Lettuce

Mediterranean Bulgur Salad with Carrots, Almonds and Feta

Citrus and Wild Rice Salad

Harvest Quinoa Salad

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Winter Quinoa Kale Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

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Ingredients

Salad

• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
• 5 ounces baby kale or spinach
• 1 apple, diced
• 1 orange, peeled, segmented and diced
• 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Champagne Vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Whisk together the ingredients for vinaigrette and set aside.
2. In a large serving bowl combine all of the salad ingredients and toss gently.
3. Add in the vinaigrette and toss together or serve on the side.

Notes

If you plan to eat this salad multiple days, don't add in the vinaigrette to prevent the salad from getting soggy.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 279Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 324mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 7gSugar: 11gProtein: 10g