Quinoa, chickpeas and pistachios add protein and healthy fat to this seasonal kale salad, making it a favorite side dish or healthy vegetarian main meal.
Even though I knew better, I still asked.
“Should we do something with kale, or swiss chard, or spinach, with the quinoa?”
“I’m not a good one to ask about that sort of thing,” he replied. “How about you do something with sausage, butter and cream?”
Typical. Oh…so…typical.
Didn’t he hear the bleating of the noise makers? Didn’t he see the ball drop? Doesn’t he know there’s been the annual calendar flip that puts us all into dietary shock following the previous two month’s full-steam-ahead intake of gluttonous anything and everything?
Lucky for him (ahem) he has me and this protein-packed quinoa and kale salad to remind him.
Ch-Ch-Ch-Chaaangeeesss
Resolutions. Revolutions. Re-solutions. ‘Tis the time of year that makes us all want to eat better. More healthy. More wholesome.
It’s silly really. Why do we need the new year to remind us we should be eating healthy, whole foods? To eat seasonal? To eat and live right?
Hey, I’m standing right in line with my man when he craves sausage, butter and cream, but I’m an even bigger fan of hitting everything in moderation.
And that’s where this protein-packed quinoa salad comes into play because it’s not one of those salads that leaves you craving more bite, more chew or more flavor. It delivers it all in each fresh bite.
About the Recipe
This quinoa and kale salad packs a lot thanks to simple ingredients that when combined, offer a crunchy play of sweet and savory with a slight Med-inspired flavor twist.
Quinoa and chickpeas provide valuable protein, making this light salad a favorite meatless or vegetarian option to serve alone, or alongside fish, chicken or any other protein source. I added pistachios not only for their crunch, but also because of their heart-healthy fats that have been shown to lower cholesterol. They’re also lower in fat content than other nuts and offer more potassium and vitamin K.
Kale’s health benefits are well documented, scientifically proven, and long. High in fiber, iron, calcium, and all sorts of vitamins, not to mention low in calories and zero fat, this leafy green has become a favorite of even the most mainstream eater. I like to chop it up and keep a gallon freezer bag of it in my fridge to add to every salad I make, plus smoothies, scrambled eggs and soups. It’s that easy way to give everything a healthy boost.
Seasonal clementine oranges (I used Cuties) are at their juicy ripeness in the winter months, and given their small stature, they’re perfect to slice for salad portions. And of course, a valuable source of everyone’s favorite antioxidant, vitamin C. Keep those colds away!
The salad dressing for this quinoa salad is one I took from a favorite of mine, this Fattoush Salad. Pomegranate molasses is the sweetener and compounds the pomegranate layers with the addition of pom’s jeweled seeds. You can find the sumac and pomegranate molasses at Mediterranean markets. Don’t skip the dried mint in the dressing, it adds a pungency you won’t get by using only fresh mint—that I add to the salad as a bright garnish as well.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Quinoa and Kale Protein Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 cups chopped kale , ribs removed
- 1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans , drained
- 5-6 clementine oranges , peeled and sliced
- ⅓ cup chopped pistachios
- ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1 garlic clove , pressed or minced
- 2 teaspoons sumac , divided
- 1 teaspoon dried mint , crushed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
Instructions
- In a salad bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, chopped kale, garbanzo beans, orange slices, pistachios and pomegranate seeds.
- In a small bowl or jar, combine the olive oil, pomegranate molasses, garlic, 1 teaspoon of sumac, dried mint and kosher salt and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper.
- Dress the salad with the vinaigrette and toss so everything is evenly coated. Dust with the remaining 1 teaspoon of sumac and freshly chopped mint. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Salad can be served immediately or saved for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
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Beautiful!! it is a wonderful recipe. I will try it at my home. Thank you so much for share your very healthy recipe.
It was perfect the first time. I learn so much from you as well! Keep it up great post.
Hi Heidi! I cannnnotttt wait to try this! Will be making for lunches this week. I have a question though. If I premake a batch of this for week, will it hold for a few days? Or do you recommend just putting all together the night before?
Excellent blog and great tutorial. A lot of information share this post and more than learn this blog. Thanks for share this blog.
recipe is good loved it..will try someday
Honestly up until last month I hadn’t had either Kale or Garbanzo beans but this recipe looked very interesting and leftover pizza doesn’t do the waist line justice. AMAZING! I have shared this recipe with a couple of friends and will make again next week for lunches. The mint was the key. I skipped #2 and used a citrus vinaigrette which made it much easier to make more often.
Good content. I love cooking as well. Whenever I’m in the kitchen, I make sure that I cook healthy meal for my family. People are also getting food results with this recipe.. http://bit.ly/2t5r7lg
Made some substitutions based on what I had on hand. Used pepitas instead of pistachios and dried cranberries instead of pomegranate seeds. Also sectioned oranges instead of slicing and omitted orange juice. Made a dressing with olive oil and cider vinegar and sweetened with agave. Omitted fresh mint and sumac. Very, very good.
Yes! I get it re: sausage, etc., but what a wonderful alternative and healthier protein source(s), so thank you for this recipe, New Years resolutions or not, this was grouped in one of your recent salads as meals posts, thank you for all of those too!
Highlighting your salad on our page this Friday! Looks great!
Thank you Lorrie!
Love the colors. I am going to make it and add beets! Thanks for sharing!
I took this salad as inspiration and made something a little simpler for my husband and I. I used green leaf lettuce instead of kale. I’m sure kale would be good too but I’m more likely to use the rest of a head of leaf lettuce. I used pecans instead of pistachios which is totally different but pistachios are so expensive. The pecans added a great yummy crunch. The citrus fruits were not well labeled at the store but I’m pretty sure what I ended up with tangelos. They were delicious! And I had fun learning how to cut them, haha. Also sadly they had zero pomegranates even though I’d planned to include arils. Probably the biggest change I made was using store bought pomegranate vinaigrette by Marzetti, their “Simply Dressed” line. I’m sure the flavor of this is different from the recipe but it is sweet and delicious! I did not garnish with mint. I did load it up with quinoa and garbanzo beans and it was delicious! My husband insists on meat every meal (such a dude) so I roasted some salmon filets to serve it with. So in summary… what I made was really just inspired by this recipe but I really appreciate the inspiration! I don’t make salads often and this one was great. Thank you!
Christina, you cook just like I do — adding a bit of this and a little of that and changing things up to make it work with what I have in the kitchen and to what I’m craving now. Thank you so much for sharing your version, and I bet yours will inspire others as well!
Thanks for the reply Heidi! It has been really fun as I get more confident in the kitchen to find myself tweaking things on the fly and it’s especially fun when that turns out well. Haha! Having a good recipe to jump off from is always helpful. Thanks again!
Look yummy to me. I must try this recipe today for my children. I can bate they must love it.