Greek Salad with Kale and Quinoa

This Greek Salad with Kale and Quinoa is packed with fresh veggies, protein and fiber packed quinoa, and Mediterranean flavors, making it perfect for a healthy lunch or dinner that will keep you full all day.

I don’t know about you, but I love a good healthy salad for lunch. But, if I am going to have just a salad as my meal it needs to be balanced and filling enough to keep me full all day. Adding quinoa to a salad is the perfect solution to bulk up your salad to help power you though the day. This Greek Salad with Kale and Quinoa, combines cooked quinoa and healthy kale, for a salad that will fill you up at lunch or dinner.

This recipe also combines some of my favorite Mediterranean flavors and ingredients for a salad that is full of flavor. Toss in some cool cumber, chopped red bell pepper for crunch and color, thinly sliced red onion, chopped Kalamata olives for brininess and chewy texture, and crumbled feta for that salty tang, and this Greek Salad with Kale and Quinoa brings the perfect balance of flavors.

This has become one of my favorite go to salads for summer lunches, and I often toss this Greek Salad (or some variation of it) together for a quick and healthy lunch all summer. Speaking of summer, if I was making this in the summer when my garden was bursting with tomatoes, I would definitely recommend tossing in some chopped cherry tomatoes as a great addition to this salad. I didn’t have any, which is the biggest reason these did not make it into my salad.

What Is Quinoa?

Quinoa, while it looks like a rice or grain, is actually a seed. It is gluten free and packed with protein, fiber, as well as other nutrients, making it ideal to add to salads, soups, or other healthy side dishes. When cooked properly, quinoa is slightly crunchy and chewy with a nutty flavor.

There are many different varieties of quinoa, but the most popular are white, red, and black.

• White Quinoa: This has the most delicate taste and the lightest, fluffiest texture.
• Red Quinoa: This quinoa has a nuttier flavor and richer taste, and a chewier, heartier texture than white quinoa. It also holds its shape better during cooking, making it ideal for cold salads.
• Black Quinoa: This has a more earthy flavor than white and is slightly sweeter.

For this Greek Salad with Kale and Quinoa, I choose red quinoa because I love the chewy texture it adds to salads and how the nutty flavor compliments the kale. If you are new to eating quinoa, you may want to try white quinoa as it is the most neutral. You can also find tri-color blends that are a fun mix of red, white, and black quinoa.

How Do You Cook Quinoa

Cooking quinoa is similar to rice. However, one important step that you don’t want to skip is to rinse the quinoa before cooking. This will help remove a natural pesticide found on the exterior of the kernels, known as saponins, which can give the quinoa a bitter taste. I just put the measured quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and run under water for a few minutes, tossing gently to make sure every grain is rinsed.

To cook, measure one part quinoa to two parts water or broth (broth will give your quinoa more flavor when cooked), bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes. When cooked, you can let it sit for about 5 minutes covered, then fluff with a fork.

What Should I Serve with this Kale & Quinoa Greek Salad?

Thanks to the mix of veggies and quinoa, this Greek Salad with Kale and Quinoa is hearty enough for a meal on it’s own – like I said, it is often a favorite lunch of mine. You can also serve this salad as a healthy side to grilled chicken, salmon, or steak for a complete dinner.

Because the kale and quinoa hold up well, even after being tossed with the dressing, this salad would also be a great healthy make ahead dish for a party, summer BBQ, or potluck. You can make the entire salad in advance, and keep it in the fridge for a couple of hours until ready to eat.

You can even make this Greek Salad with Kale and Quinoa for meal prep lunches or dinners. But if you are planning to keep the salad for more than a day or so after making, you may want to wait to toss the salad with the dressing until just a few hours before eating at the most. Otherwise, the quinoa may absorb too much of the dressing leaving the salad a little dry. If this happens, you can add a little extra olive oil before serving if needed.

I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do! Also, feel free to comment and share some of your favorite healthy lunches in the comments below.