I'm a huge lover of all things kale. I used to hate kale salads so much but as time passed it's become one of my favorites - especially in the Fall! This kale quinoa salad is topped with a flavorful orange ginger dressing to take it to the next level and is the perfect thing to meal prep - just add chicken breast or salmon! Even if you don't like kale, the dressing will make you love it.
In the past I would always buy salad dressing, but honestly there's nothing better than a homemade dressing! It tastes a lot less oily and packs a lot more flavor than the ones from the store. It's also way easier to control the amount of fat inside! This orange ginger dressing has fresh orange juice squeezed from an orange, mixed with minced ginger, garlic and other dressing essentials like olive oil and vinegar. The orange juice really pumps up the freshness!
For those who always find kale salads way too crunchy? The secret is massaging the kale. YES, massaging! Add some olive oil (a touch will do) and use your hands to massage the kale. It'll turn soft right in your hands!
A great part of the salad game is adding nuts and seeds, or even dried fruit! To this kale quinoa salad I added some roasted seeds. I have been making lots of butternut squash and have an abundance of seeds leftover, so decided to roast them at 425ºF for ~10-minutes with just salt and pepper and top my salad with a crunch! Another good option would be pumpkin seeds (either roasted at home or purchased).
WANT TO CHANGE THIS Kale Quinoa Salad with Orange Ginger Dressing UP?
You can try this salad changed up a few ways:
- Add candied ginger or orange wedges.
- Add dried cranberries or raisins.
- Use a different type of greens - my fave is arugula!
📖 Recipe
Kale Quinoa Salad with Orange Ginger Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Uncooked Quinoa
- 2 Cups Water or Broth
- 2 Cups Kale washed thoroughly
- 2 TBSP Pumpkin Seeds
Orange Ginger Dressing
- 1 Orange zested and juiced
- 1 inch Ginger minced
- 2 Cloves Garlic minced
- 2 TBSP Coconut Aminos
- 1 TBSP Sesame Oil
- 1 TBSP Olive Oil Extra Virgin
- 1 TBSP Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 TBSP Honey
- ¼ TSP Salt
- ¼ TSP Black Pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa and then cook in vegetable broth (for more flavor) or water. I do 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water or broth (1:2, just like rice) and add a pinch of salt. Bring to boil and then simmer for 20-minutes. Turn off heat.
- Peel the ginger using a spoon by flicking the skin off. Mince the ginger and garlic. Zest the orange into a mason jar and juice the orange.
- Massage the kale with 1 TSP of EVOO until it becomes soft.
- Add all of the orange ginger dressing ingredients together into a mason jar and lightly sprinkle salt and pepper. Shake the jar (lid on!) until ingredients are mixed together.
- If you're eating the salad right away, mix all of the salad ingredients together and pour the dressing on top. If you are meal prepping, mix the salad ingredients together and separate into the proper containers. Make sure to keep the dressing to the side until ready to eat.