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Must Make Chopped Kale Salad With Quinoa

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This amazing Chopped Kale Salad is mixed with fluffy quinoa, brussel sprouts, crisp apples, tart cranberries, 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!

Round glass bowl on a marble surface filled with chopped kale salad, quinoa, onion and apple mixed in a yellow dressing.

This simple and tasty Chopped Kale Salad recipe is fast and easy to make and packs all of those wonderful fall flavors into one healthy, incredibly delicious 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 NEW chopped kale salad has a perfect combination of vibrant veggies, plant-based protein and the most amazingly flavorful dressing ever.

It is probably one the best kale salad recipes I have made that I just want to make all the time. It’s that good! All of those beautiful colors are so vibrant which let’s you know this is going to be healthy and so delicious. Plus it is totally gluten free, vegan and vegetarian.

Large bowl filled with simple kale salad with quinoa, Brussel sprouts, sliced purple onion, pomegranate seeds, cranberries, chopped apple and walnuts

What is the best way to massage kale for a salad?

Preparing kale for salad is pretty easy but does require a bit of effort. It is pretty minimal though and something you can have your little chefs help you with in the kitchen (aka…the kids).

Once your kale is rinsed and ready to go, you want to place it into the bowl you will be serving the chopped kale salad in and massage it for a bit with your hands to break it down. This will make it much easier to eat and digest. TRUST!

You can check out MORE TIPS for prepping kale in this How To Store Kale post.

Ingredients you will need

Bunch of kale, sliced pomegranate, bowls of walnuts, dried cranberries, quinoa, sliced Brussel sprouts. vinegar and olive oil around it with a whole apple and bowl of pumpkin seeds and sliced red onion in front of it.
  • Kale – You can use any type of kale, just make sure it is fresh. I used dark, flat leaf kale.
  • Brussel sprouts – fresh, shaved Brussel Sprouts or cabbage
  • Quinoa – any type of quinoa that has been cooked and cooled.
  • Pomegranate seeds – to give this salad some tang and extra color.
  • Walnuts – chopped walnuts for added crunch and nutrition.
  • Dried cranberries – I used sugar free dried cranberries but any dried cranberries or currants will work great!
  • Purple onion – thin sliced purple onion or shallots
  • Apple – any type of apples will work, I use gala apples, you can also use pears.
  • Pumpkin seeds – dry roasted pumpkin seeds or slivered almonds for crunch and texture.
  • Dijon Mustard – for a nice zippy flavor in the incredible dijon dressing
  • Maple syrup – real maple syrup or honey
  • Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil
  • Vinegar – red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • Lemon – fresh lemon juice
  • Salt & pepper – kosher salt and black pepper are used to enhance the flavors of the other ingredients.

That’s it! Simple ingredients that you can get almost all year round. Get the complete list of recipe ingredients, instructions and nutrition in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

How to make the BEST chopped kale salad

  1. Add all of the dressing ingredients to a mason jar and shake it up to emulsify into a creamy, tangy, slightly sweet dressing.
  2. Arrange all of the kale salad ingredients in a large bowl.
Glass mason jar filled with yellow dressing with a spoon in it on a marble surface
Round mixing bowl with quinoa, onion, apple, kale, nuts and Brussel sprouts separated in the bowl

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

Pouring yellow dressing over a kale and quinoa salad with pomegranate seeds and sliced red onion on it.
Chopped kale salad with chopped apple, red onion, quinoa, dried cranberries, seeds in a bowl with yellow dressing poured over it

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 kale salad with apple, sliced red onion, quinoa, nuts and seeds in a glass salad bowl with white and gold spoons in it on a marble countertop with a jar of dressing next to it.

Recipe Tips and Variations

  • You can use any type of kale in this salad. Just make sure to rinse and massage the kale first.
  • Do not skip massaging your kale, it makes all the difference and takes 1-2 minutes. Here is more detailed information on how to prepare kale in advance.
  • For extra protein add some chickpeas or grilled chicken.
  • Add some sliced pears to contrast with the sliced apple.

Storage

To store this chopped kale salad, make the salad and dressing separately. Store the salad in an airtight container and the dressing can be stored in a mason jar, put both in the fridge. When ready to eat, pour the dressing onto the salad and toss.

More kale salad recipes

You may also love this popular Jennifer Aniston Salad! Or check out all of my quick and easy salad recipes on PMG.

Round white plate with chopped kale, apple, onion pumpkin seeds and Brussel sprouts on it drizzled with mustard dressing with a silver fork on the plate.

Did you make this chopped kale salad recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. You can also tag me on Instagram @pinchmegoodfood so I can see your creation.

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Pouring yellow dressing over a kale and quinoa salad with pomegranate seeds and sliced red onion on it.

Must Make Chopped Kale Salad With Quinoa

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5 from 1 review

  • Author: Amy Estes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

Delicious chopped kale salad made with fluffy quinoa, Brussel sprouts, apples, cranberries, red onion, walnuts and pomegranate seeds all tossed with an amazing vinaigrette. Vegan, gluten free and the best colorful make-ahead salad everyone will love!

Ingredients

Scale

For the salad

  • 1 bunch of dark leafy kale (about 4 cups chopped)
  • 1 cup thinly sliced brussel sprouts
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa – cooled
  • 1 cup sliced apple
  • ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
  • ¼ cup chopped walnuts
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds – optional
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds

For the dressing

  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ cup olive oil

Instructions

  1. Prep the kale by rinsing it well then run it thought the salad spinner to remove any excess moisture.  You can also place it in a clean kitchen towel and shake it over a bowl. Then roll it up in long bunches and slice through it so you get nice thin, long strands of kale. This makes it easier to eat and digest.  Plus it is so pretty sliced thin. Place the kale into a large bowl, sprinkle it with lemon juice and a pinch of salt and massage it with your hands for 30-60 seconds to break it down. 
  2. Make the dressing: Add all dressing ingredients to a mason jar and shake well to fully emulsify. 
  3. Add the rest of the  salad ingredients to the large bowl with the kale. 
  4. Pour the dressing onto the salad and toss. Serve cold and enjoy!

Notes

  1. 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.
  2. You can use any type of kale in this salad.  Just make sure to prep your kale first (see post on how to prep kale)
  3. For extra protein add some chickpeas or grilled chicken.
  4. Add some sliced pears along with the apple
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Quick and Easy Salads
  • Method: Assembled
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jennifer

    Love, love, love this salad! I made It as part of meal prep for the week and it only lasted until Tuesday because my husband and 5 year old helped themselves. The flavor and texture combination is super yummy. This is in my regular rotation now!

    Reply

  2. Emma

    This recipe sounds amazing!!! One question- the nutritional facts say “one muffin” for the serving size. What is the correct serving?

    Reply

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