• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Email Series!

5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

Free email series of my best tips!

Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Free Email Series!

    5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

    Free email series of my best tips!

  • Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes

Rachel Cooks®

Easy Healthy-ish Recipes

  • Recipe Index
  • Popular
    • Instant Pot Pinto Beans
    • Green Beans with Bacon
    • Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
    • Roasted Sugar Snap Peas
    • Beef Stew Seasoning
    • Chili Seasoning Recipe
    • Thousand Island Dressing
    • Poppy Seed Dressing
    • Copycat Panera Squash Soup
    • Chocolate Chip Blondies
    • Instant Pot Pork Loin Roast
    • Frosé
    • Best Chocolate Cake
    • Dill Vegetable Dip
    • Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
    • Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
  • Learn to Cook
    • All The Basics
    • Crostini
    • Delicata Squash
    • Butternut Squash
    • Kabocha Squash
    • Spaghetti Squash
    • Guacamole
    • Croutons
    • Snap Peas
    • Baked Potatoes
    • Baked Bacon
    • Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
    • Simple Syrup
    • Pickled Red Onions Recipe
    • Toasted Pine Nuts
    • Roasted bone-in Chicken Breasts
    • Poached Chicken
    • Roasted Whole Chicken
    • Easy Cheese Sauce

Dinner Made Easy:

Slow Cooker

5 Ingredients

Grilling

Make Ahead

Sheet Pan

Tacos

Pizza

Home Recipes by Type Salads
30 30 Minutes or Less VG Vegetarian

Kale Quinoa Salad with Walnuts, Cranberries, and Feta

4.50
/5
15 mins
8 Comments
Jump to Recipe
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 01/16/2017Updated: 06/14/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This kale quinoa salad is a healthy and hearty salad that stores well in the fridge, making it perfect for meal prep days. You'll love the crunchy walnuts and sweet, chewy cranberries! Get the salad recipe on RachelCooks.com!

This kale quinoa salad is a healthy and hearty salad that stores well in the fridge, making it perfect for meal prep days. You’ll love the crunchy walnuts and sweet, chewy cranberries!

This kale quinoa salad is a healthy and hearty salad that stores well in the fridge, making it perfect for meal prep days. You'll love the crunchy walnuts and sweet, chewy cranberries! Get the salad recipe on RachelCooks.com!

I’m partnering with California Walnuts to bring you a year of nutty and delicious walnut recipes. This post is sponsored by California Walnuts, but all opinions are my own.

Anyone else feeling kind of over winter? It’s so cold and grey and icy and windy and ICK. I can’t walk on our street without shuffling my feet because it’s one solid sheet of slippery ice. I’m such a huge klutz that it’s a complete miracle I haven’t fallen and broken something.

But I’ve always lived in Michigan and probably always will, and this is what we do. We shuffle along through winter until we get a glimpse of spring. It will come…eventually.

This kale quinoa salad is a healthy and hearty salad that stores well in the fridge, making it perfect for meal prep days. You'll love the crunchy walnuts and sweet, chewy cranberries! Get the salad recipe on RachelCooks.com!

I’ll be here in my nice warm house eating salads and waiting for spring’s arrival. I know it’s been a whole week since I shared a kale salad…’tis the season right? Kale salads and football food. It’s all about balance. For me, I love for a salad to be a meal, and this one definitely is. Another thing that makes a salad sky-rocket to the top of my favorites list is its ability to stay fresh in the fridge for a few days. This one definitely fits the bill, in fact, as many kale salads do, this one gets better with time. To a reasonable extent of course. It’s not going to be good three weeks later, obviously.

About this Salad:

This salad packs tons of great crunch thanks to the kale and Brussels sprouts and it has nice chewy dried cranberries for textural variety. There are three things that make this kale quinoa salad satisfying and completely suitable for a meal: Quinoa, walnuts, and feta. All three are great sources of protein and nutrients and together they make this a power-packed salad.

This kale quinoa salad is a healthy and hearty salad that stores well in the fridge, making it perfect for meal prep days. You'll love the crunchy walnuts and sweet, chewy cranberries! Get the salad recipe on RachelCooks.com!

I used my homemade creamy poppy seed dressing for dressing this kale quinoa salad but you could use a store-bought poppy seed dressing. I’ve also used a vidalia onion dressing on it and that was mighty tasty as well. It would also be great with this sweet and tangy honey mustard dressing. I’d be willing to bet that you probably have all the ingredients you need for a homemade dressing and they are so easy to whip up.

However you decide to dress this salad, though, it’s going to be a favorite! Because it stores well, it would make a great salad to bring to a picnic or potluck.

Enjoy!

More Make Ahead Salad recipes you may enjoy:

  • Mango Salad (one of my favorites, try it on taco night!)
  • Southwestern Chopped Salad in a mason jar
  • Lentil Salad Recipe with Feta, Lemon, and Parsley
  • Creamy Southwestern Orzo Salad (everyone loves this salad!)
  • Make Ahead Eight Layer Salad from Wishes and Dishes
  • 7 Layer Salad by Real Housemoms 

 

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

This kale quinoa salad is a healthy and hearty salad that stores well in the fridge, making it perfect for meal prep days. You'll love the crunchy walnuts and sweet, chewy cranberries! Get the salad recipe on RachelCooks.com!
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Kale Quinoa Salad with Walnuts, Cranberries, and Feta

4.50 from 2 votes
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
6 servings
Print Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
This kale quinoa salad is a healthy and hearty salad that stores well in the fridge, making it perfect for meal prep days. You’ll love the crunchy walnuts and sweet, chewy cranberries!

Ingredients

  • 4 cups loosely packed shredded kale
  • 2 cups shredded brussels sprout leaves (about 1/2 pound of Brussels sprouts, shredded)
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 cup California Walnuts
  • 1/2 cup poppy seed dressing

Instructions

  • 1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine and coat all ingredients with dressing.
  • 2. Add more dressing as needed.

Notes

  • As written, this salad is quite lightly dressed. Adjust to taste and preferences by adding more dressing.
  • This salad also tastes great with a store-bought vidalia onion or poppy seed dressing.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1of 6, Calories: 450kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 415mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 28g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
Did You Make This?Be sure to upload a photo & tag me at @RachelCooksBlog. I love seeing what you made!
Share A Photo! Tag on Insta Rate It
Verdict: I love this kale quinoa salad. It’s filling, flavorful, and so dang tasty.
Husband’s take: No complaints from him about this crunchy salad.
Changes I would make: None are necessary! It would be mighty tasty with some chopped apples added, though.
Difficulty: Easy!

This Kale Quinoa Salad is sponsored by the California Walnut Board. All opinions are always my own. Thank you for supporting Rachel Cooks by reading about products and food I use and love in my own home.

Holiday Quick-Start Guide

Get my Holiday

Quick-Start Guide!

Free email series of my best tips!

FREE BONUS!

You May Also Like...

  • This sweet kale salad is a copycat of the popular bagged salad you find in grocery stores -- but as always, homemade is way better!
    Sweet Kale Salad with Dried Cranberries and Poppy Seed Dressing
  • Filling and flavorful, this kale sweet potato salad is filled with southwestern flavors and nutritious ingredients! It's great for meal prepping and healthy eating all week long. Get the recipe on RachelCooks.com!
    Kale Sweet Potato Salad with Quinoa and Creamy Chili Lime Dressing
  • Quinoa and Wheat Berry Salad - colorful, flavorful, and healthy. It's the perfect lunch! Get the recipe on RachelCooks.com.
    Quinoa and Wheat Berry Salad
  • This sweet kale salad is a copycat of the popular bagged salad you find in grocery stores -- but as always, homemade is way better!
    Sweet Kale Salad with Dried Cranberries and Poppy Seed Dressing
Front view of small glass jar containing poppy seed dressing and yellow spoon.
Previous Post
Poppy Seed Dressing (Creamy and Healthy!)
Quinoa chili in white bowl garnished with sour cream and green onions.
Next Post
Turkey Quinoa Chili (under 200 calories!)

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




The maximum upload file size: 1 MB. You can upload: image. Drop files here

  1. Jessica Gavin says

    January 22, 2017 at 11:37 pm

    Wow this salad looks so healthy and full of flavor! Thank you for sharing :)

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      January 23, 2017 at 7:07 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  2. Megan @ MegUnprocessed says

    January 20, 2017 at 4:10 am

    A lot of flavors in this salad!

    Reply
  3. Ashlyn @ Belle of the Kitchen says

    January 18, 2017 at 10:30 pm

    I love everything about this salad, especially the addition of the quinoa. I’m always looking for new ways to use it. Looks fabulous!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      January 19, 2017 at 10:45 am

      Thanks! Check back Monday for another quinoa idea. :)

      Reply
  4. marla says

    January 18, 2017 at 1:51 pm

    LOVE this salad! Pinned!

    Reply
  5. Liz says

    January 17, 2017 at 4:58 pm

    What a fabulous salad! As the hubby steers clear of quinoa and kale, I’d be happy to have a stash in my fridge for my lunches.

    Reply
  6. Denise says

    January 17, 2017 at 12:50 am

    looks tasty

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Rachel! Life can be complicated, cooking shouldn't be! I believe that you can put a delicious meal on the table without stressing. It's possible, and I'm here to help. Have a seat at my table...let's chat, eat, and have fun! Read more...

Air Fryer Instant Pot 30 Minutes One Pan Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Slow Cooker Vegetarian 5 Ingredients

Trending

Cooked salmon fillet on a grey-toned plate with cooked asparagus spears. The salmon is being flaked with a fork.

Air Fryer Salmon – easy and delicious!

Pizza pasta being scooped from a pan with a wooden spoon.

Pizza Pasta – 1 pan, 20 minutes

Image of a giant bowl of spaghetti with turkey meatballs.

Baked Turkey Meatballs

Asparagus Panzanella Salad

Seasonal

Beef and vegetable stir fry in a black wok.

Beef Stir Fry With Vegetables

Hot honey chicken sheet pan dinner with honey being drizzled on.

Hot Honey Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

Sweet and sour shrimp lettuce wrap garnished with green onion.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

BBQ Chicken burrito bowl with avocado and sour cream.

BBQ Chicken Bowl

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window
Free Bonus!

5 Cooking Secrets to Save Time & Stress

Free email series of my best tips and recipes!

Featured On:

Back to Top
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Work with Me
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility
© 2023 Rachel Cooks®
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled