The Hungry Waitress

Eating Well on a Budget

  • HOME
  • About
  • RECIPES

30 Minute Meal Dinner Meal Prep Quick and Easy Vegetarian

Kale and Quinoa Salad

Skip to Recipe|Print Recipe

Overhead shot of this Kale and Quinoa Salad

(Note: This post contains affiliate links. I use all of the products recommended, and commissions go towards making more great content! )

I’m gonna be super basic, and post this Kale and Quinoa Salad. This is what I actually eat during the week, and it’s delicious! All of the different textures and flavors make this Kale and Quinoa Salad something special. I originally had this salad at a local restaurant called The Juice Bar, and I fell in love! I never knew I could like something so healthy! It’s hearty and refreshing, and it doesn’t feel like you are eating a boring salad.

BONUS: It keeps for days, and actually tastes better the longer it sits. It’s prefect for meal prepping. I take this salad for lunch almost everyday during the week. It keeps me full and satisfied without feeling bogged down. (P.S. I love these Bento Box meal prep containers, and they are SOO affordable!)

Meal Prep this Kale and Quinoa Salad

So I recently got engaged (a little over a month ago), and I am of course trying to lose some weight before the big day. I really just need to shed a few pounds in general, but the wedding is good motivation. For this reason you will be seeing a lot more healthy recipe posts. These recipes will be approachable and realistic for any beginner, and I am exciting to share about my weight loss journey, and the recipes behind it!

Close up of a Kale and Quinoa Salad


Print

Kale and Quinoa Salad

Kale and Quinoa Salad

This Kale and Quinoa Salad is perfect for meal prepping for lunches during the week!

  • Author: The Hungry Waitress
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 20 min
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
Scale

Ingredients

Quinoa

  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Lemon Dressing

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
  • 1 Tablespoon honey (sub | maple syrup or sugar)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Salad

  • 8 cups fresh kale
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Optional Additions

  • Nuts or seeds (sunflower, cashews, toasted almonds)
  • Chopped Parsley
  • Chopped peppers
  • Feta Cheese
  • Goat Cheese

Instructions

Quinoa

  1. Pour 1 cup of broth, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small pot over high heat.
  2. Once the liquid comes to a boil add 1/2 cup of quinoa, stir twice, cover with a lid, and turn the heat to low.
  3. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Salad

  1. Whisk together the dressing ingredients (1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon, 1 Tablespoon honey, and 1/4 teaspoon salt)
  2. Pour 1/3 cup of the dressing into a separate bowl, and set aside for later use.
  3. Dump all of the kale into a huge bowl, and pour the remaining dressing (not the 1/3 cup reserved) in with the kale and massage it down using your hands for about 3-4 minutes (that’s right! Literally massage the dressing into the kale to break down the fibrous texture!).
  4. Add the black beans, cooked quinoa, tomatoes, dried cranberries, reserved 1/3 cup of dressing, and any addition ingredients to the bowl of massaged kale, and toss everything together.
  5. Serve right away, or divide into meal prep containers for later!

Notes

This salad is very durable, and gets better the longer it sits. It will last up to 4 days.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

Need more healthy meal prep ideas? Check out these recipes:

Healthy Greek Chicken Bowl drizzled with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

Healthy Greek Chicken Bowls

Vegan Sweet Potato and Black Bean Bowl is an easy meal prep recipe. This vegan recipe is great for lunch or dinner!

Vegan Sweet Potato and Black Bean Bowls

Close up of this Healthy Taco Bowl is Paleo and Whole30 approved

Healthy Taco Bowls


Leave a Comment

« Glazed Ham
Cooked Salmon Poke Bowl »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Leanna Myers

Get Some Cooking Inspiration!

Leanna here, and I love simple, straight forward recipes using practical everyday ingredients! Take a look around for some inspiration.

Want to work together? Shoot me an email at hungrywaitress@gmail.com

Want more recipes?

Subcribe to stay updated on the latest tips, tricks, and recipes!

  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Divine theme by Restored 316

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.