Kale and quinoa salad, made even better by warming it up! Cooked quinoa is tossed with kale, carrots, and bell peppers in a hot skillet to make this warm kale and quinoa salad! Drizzle it all with homemade lemon tahini dressing that will absolutely blow you away!
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If you want to know the best way to make salads more accessible during the colder months, just warm up some kale and quinoa into a warm kale salad!
I’m not a huge salad lover, but who are you going to trust to serve you a salad – someone who loves salads or someone who would rather take the soup option? This might just be my favorite salad ever and here’s why.
Warming all these cruciferous veggies makes them just tender enough to chew without being exhausting. The quinoa offers tons of protein, and that lemon tahini dressing?
O. M. G.
That dressing completely makes this salad. It’s so savory and tangy, getting into every nook and cranny and keeping things warm and cozy.
I’m seriously considering making this vegan quinoa salad for Thanksgiving which is kind of crazy because I usually have a staunch no salad on Thanksgiving policy. It just embodies the season right now and makes me feel amazing!
Warm kale and quinoa salad ingredients
- Kale
- Quinoa
- Carrots
- Red bell pepper
- Radish
- Sunflower seeds
- Pepitas
- Cilantro
- Salt
- Olive oil
How to make warm kale salad
- Sprinkle kale with salt and drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Using your hands, massage until dark.
- Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the kale, quinoa, carrot, red bell pepper, and sunflower seeds. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until the kale is slightly wilted. Remove from the heat and add the pepitas, radishes, and cilantro. Stir to combine.
- Toss salad with half the dressing and serve drizzled with additional dressing, a sprinkling of freshly cracked black pepper, avocado slices, and crushed red pepper flakes if desired.
Lemon tahini dressing ingredients
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Tahini
- Maple syrup
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Salt
- Pepper
- Red pepper flakes
How to make lemon tahini dressing
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together dressing ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Top tips and questions
How to make long carrot strands
I use a julienne peeler (affiliate link) to make long carrot strands. You could also use a regular vegetable peeler to make carrot ribbons, or a spiralizer to get long, thin pieces.
Can I use leftover quinoa?
This salad is a great way to use up leftover quinoa. Even if you don’t have the full 2 cups on hand you’ll be fine, and you can use any color of quinoa here. Be sure to visit this post on how to cook perfect quinoa.
Which kale is best for salads?
Usually I would recommend baby kale (because I’m a baby) or dinosaur kale for salads. This is one salad where curly kale gets to shine. The curly kale will soften when massaging it, and even more when cooking for just the right texture.
Tips for customizing your kale quinoa salad
- Meat eaters can top with cooked shrimp, chicken, or salmon
- Add a handful of crumbled feta cheese
- Top with roasted chickpeas for additional vegan protein
- After cooking, top with thinly sliced apples
- Sprinkle with hemp hearts for even more plant based protein
More salad recipes
- Vegan Quinoa Salad
- Vegan Orzo Pasta Salad
- High Protein Vegan Salad
- Healthy Green Salad with Sriracha Peanut Dressing
- Mediterranean Couscous Salad
- Israeli Couscous Salad
- Vegan Potluck Barley Salad
- Summer Salad with Fruit
- Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad
Warm Kale and Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
Kale and Quinoa Salad
- 1 bunch kale, ribs removed, chopped⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Coarse kosher salt⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- 1 teaspoon olive oil⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- 2 cup cooked quinoa⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- 3 carrots, julienned⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- 1 red bell pepper, julienned⠀
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup pepitas
- 4 radish, julienned⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped⠀
- 1 avocado, sliced (optional)
Lemon Tahini Dressing
- ⅓ cup olive oil⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- ⅓ cup lemon juice⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- 2 tablespoons tahini⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic, pressed⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes⠀
Instructions
Make the dressing
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk together dressing ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Make the salad
- Sprinkle kale with salt and drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Using your hands, massage until dark.⠀
- Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the kale, quinoa, carrot, red bell pepper, and sunflower seeds. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until the kale is slightly wilted. Remove from the heat and add the pepitas, radishes, and cilantro. Stir to combine.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Toss salad with half the dressing and serve drizzled with additional dressing, sliced avocado, a sprinkling of freshly cracked black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if desired.
Notes
Tips for customizing your kale quinoa salad
- Meat eaters can top with cooked shrimp, chicken, or salmon
- Add a handful of crumbled feta cheese
- Top with roasted chickpeas for additional vegan protein
- After cooking, top with thinly sliced apples
- Sprinkle with hemp hearts for even more plant based protein
Jen says
This salad features some of my favorite ingredients, so no surprise that when combined, they make for pure salad-lovin bliss. I serve this for dinner every week or two but I would probably enjoy it every day. My husband prefers adding grilled chicken or salmon, but we agree that the meat isn’t even necessary.
Lindsay Moe says
I’m so glad you enjoy it! I want to eat it every day too! There is something magical about the combination.
Cari says
This was delicious! I added roasted, shredded brussels and dried cherries and omitted the cilantro and radish. Question… why might my dressing have separated in such a congealed way. I made it and let it sit for a bit while I prepared everything else and then went back to it, re-stirred it and it turned into what looked like scrambled eggs (it still tasted perfectly delicious but wouldn’t have been a nice presentation for company). Thanks!
Ruth says
Salad had really good flavor and lots of good textures, but I think I’d like it better cold.
I will definitely make it again.