This Kale and Quinoa Salad is healthy and filling! It’s packed with nutritious ingredients that you’ll feel good about eating. Eat this salad on its own or top it with grilled chicken or tofu for added protein.
Travis and I tried a new (to us) restaurant called The Misfit in Santa Monica recently. We had been there before for drinks, but never for dinner, and after hearing rave reviews about the food from friends we finally decided to tough out the hour-long wait and try it.
Most of the menu items are meant to be shared, which is my favorite way to eat! Travis and I decided to order four shared plates and we loved everything we tried. If we had to pick, we thought the real winner of the night was their Shredded Kale and Quinoa Salad. We spent a good 15 minutes (nope, not exaggerating) trying to detect every ingredient in the salad so that we could try to recreate it at home.
And that’s precisely what we did. I always love trying to replicate restaurant recipes at home, and Travis and I both thought that this Kale and Quinoa Salad recipe is one of my best recreations.
I like to soak my chopped kale in a bowl of salt water for a few hours before using it. Since kale is such a tough green, it can be difficult for your body to break it down, so soaking kale can really aid with digestion.
One of my favorite things about making kale salads is that you can dress the salad the night before and it won’t be soggy the next day because of how tough and dense the kale leaves are. For that reason, this salad is great for potlucks and dinner parties because prepare and dress it in advance.
The original Kale and Quinoa Salad that we tried at The Misfit contained shredded parmesan. I’ve made this salad with and without it, and I love both versions equally. I noted the parmesan cheese as optional in the recipe below in case you are vegan or dairy-free.
We’re hooked on this Kale and Quinoa Salad recipe, and I have a feeling you’re going to really love it, too. Travis likes to eat this with grilled chicken tossed in, but it’s perfectly delicious on its own.
This Kale and Quinoa Salad is healthy and filling! It's packed with nutritious ingredients, and you can add grilled chicken or tofu for extra protein.
- 3 large bunches kale, soaked in salt water for a few hours and drained, then chopped or shredded
- 1/3 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/4 cup toasted almonds, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 cup red grapes, sliced in half
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon shallot, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon
- 1/2 teaspoon agave or honey
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
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Mix all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with some of the lemon vinaigrette (directions below), to taste.
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To make the Lemon Vinaigrette: whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, shallot, dijon, and agave. Whisk in the olive oil and emulsify. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Sam
OMG this sounds amazing! I love grapes, but for some reason never thought to put them in a salad. I’ll definitely have to try this with some vegan parmesan. 😀
Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)
I LOOOVE grapes in my salad! Definitely try!
Julianne Weight
Other than the cookies, this salad is why I go to Misfits whenever I’m in Santa Monica. My daughter and I made your recipe last night and you did an excellent job! I’ll be having more of this!
Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)
Julianne, that makes me so happy to hear! I am so glad you liked this recreation! We still go to Misfit allll the time.
Karyn
Is is correct that the kale is to be cooked for a few hours? I will try a few minutes as I have had great success with kale and quinoa salads where just the hot grain on top cooked the kale enough for me. This sounds so good & I will be making it this afternoon.
Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)
Hi Karyn, it doesn’t need to be cooked for a few hours, but I prefer to soak the kale for a few hours before eating it because it helps to break it down a bit. This is totally optional, though, especially if kale doesn’t generally bother your stomach. I hope you like the salad!