Hearty green kale mixed with fluffy quinoa, brussel sprouts, crisp apples, tart pomegranate seeds, shaved red onion, and walnuts all tossed in a tangy, slightly sweet dijon mustard vinaigrette dressing. Vegan, gluten-free, and a perfect make-ahead salad for lunch or dinner!

Since fall is upon us and we all need to eat more kale, it seemed necessary to bring you all a new Autumn Chopped Kale Salad with Quinoa. This salad recipe is fast and easy to make and packs all of those wonderful fall flavors into one healthy, incredibly tasty salad!

Since my easy kale salad with lemon dressing has been such a hit, I felt that you needed more simple but amazing salad recipes. This chopped kale salad has a perfect combination of fall produce and can be made ahead for work lunches or dinners.

My family already tried this one out at our weekly Sunday Suppers and they devoured it. In fact, they all wanted more, so next time I will be making a double batch!

What to expect from this salad

Quick and easy to make!
Combines the perfect pairing of fall produce – kale, apples, pomegranate seeds, and Brussel sprouts
Fantastic salad for entertaining a crowd – Everyone will want more!
Stores great and is an ideal recipe for meal prepping.
Super healthy and nutritious!
Has a tasty mustard vinaigrette dressing that is out of this world!

How do you prepare kale?

Preparing kale is easy and almost effortless but necessary. I have a method I follow from the time I get home from the grocery store to the time I am ready to use my kale.

Here is my method:

When I get home from the grocery store I chop, thoroughly rinse, and salad spin my kale. Then I wrap it up in paper towels and store it in a ziplock bag. This way it is ready all week long whenever I need it. A higher probability that I will use it if it is all ready to go in my fridge.
When I am ready to make a salad with my kale – my favorite way to enjoy it! I add it to a large bowl, drizzle on some olive oil or lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt, and massage it with my hands for 1-2 minutes. This makes all the difference in the world and turns the kale into this softer, brighter, easier to digest bed of green goodness that is everything.

What ingredients do you need to make Chopped kale salad?

Dark leafy kale
Brussel sprouts
Purple cabbage
Apples
Red onion
Pomegranate seeds
Walnuts
Quinoa
Apple cider vinegar
Dijon mustard
Maple syrup
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

That’s it! Simple ingredients that you can really get almost all year round.

How to make this chopped kale salad

Add all of the salad ingredients to a large bowl and lightly toss them to combine.

Add all of the dressing ingredients to a mason jar and shake it up to emulsify into a creamy, tangy, slightly sweet dressing.

Pour the dressing on the salad, toss it all up and your salad is done and ready to eat!

Crunchy, tangy, sweet and satisfying all at the same time. What more could you want in a salad? A great salad to serve for the holidays too!

Autumn Chopped Kale Salad With Quinoa

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 6 people 1x
Category: Salad
Cuisine: Mediterranean

Scale

Ingredients

1 bunch of dark leafy kale (about 4 cups chopped)
1 cup thinly sliced brussel sprouts
1 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup sliced apple (I cut mine into matchstick shapes)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

For the dressing

2 tbsps dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbsps apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

Place all of the salad ingredients into a large bowl and lightly toss.
Make the dressing: Add all dressing ingredients to a mason jar and shake well to fully emulsify. Pour the dressing onto the salad and toss. Serve cold and enjoy!
Pour the dressing onto the salad and toss. Serve cold and enjoy!

Notes

To store this salad, make the salad and dressing seperatley. Store the salad in an airtight container and the dressing can be sored in a mason jar, put both in the fridge. When ready to eat, pour the dressing onto the salad and toss.
You can use dark lacinato kale or curly kale for this salad.
For extra protein, add some chickpeas.