Loaded up with lots of crunchy veggies and hearty grains, this Quinoa & Celery Crunch Salad is my twist on the Costco favorite. It packs in crunchy celery and almonds, chewy dried cranberries, and hearty grains and chickpeas bringing a boost of fiber and protein. Tossed in a sweet and tangy simple Maple Apple Cider Vinaigrette, this salad hits all the flavor marks – making it perfect for lunch or meal prep.

In this recipe, you'll learn:

Why You’ll Love This Quinoa & Celery Salad

My inspiration for this salad is Costco’s Celery and Grain Salad, a customer favorite loaded up with hearty grains, crunchy celery, sweet cranberries, and shredded carrots and kale – all tossed in a sweet and tangy dressing. But with this copycat recipe, it is easy to make the salad without even having to leave your home. Plus, the recipe makes a really big batch, so it is perfect for serving the whole family or cooking on the weekend to enjoy all week long.

This salad is hearty and filling, loaded with lots of fresh flavors, crunch, and plant based goodness. It is:

Perfect for Make Ahead or Meal Prep: If you are looking for a make-ahead salad that will hold up when sitting in the fridge, this salad is the perfect choice. The kale, grains, and crunchy celery all hold up even after tossed in the dressing, so you can make it a couple of days in advance and enjoy all week for an easy lunch or dinner.
Easily Customizable: This salad is easy to customize. You can easily substitute or swap out ingredients to customize this Quinoa & Celery Crunch Salad to your tastes. See more about recipe variations for this grain salad below.
Packed with Flavor: The best part of this salad is the combination of flavors and textures it brings. Crunchy celery is the star of the show, paired with chewy grains, hearty chickpeas, and lots of thinly shredded kale. Dried cranberries add a hint of sweetness and slivered almonds add extra crunch and nuttiness. The simple apple cider and maple vinaigrette ties everything together.

How to Make This Salad

To make this Quinoa & Celery Crunch Salad, you just need a handful of wholesome ingredients. These include:

Cooked Quinoa: I like to cook my quinoa in bone broth instead of water for an extra boost of protein and flavor. If you have already cooked quinoa or grains, you can use this and skip the steps for cooking the quinoa in the recipe instructions.
Celery: Lots of celery adds crunch to this hearty salad. I dice it pretty finely to ensure the perfect bite every time.
Shredded Kale: Slicing or shredding the kale very finely is key here, as we want all of the ingredients to blend together and fit on each delicious forkful.
Chickpeas: A can of drained and rinsed chickpeas adds extra fiber and protein to this hearty salad.
Dried Cranberries: I love dried cranberries to add a little sweetness and chewy bites. You can also substitute other dried fruit like chopped cherries, apricots, or even blueberries.
Red Onion: A little red onion adds some bite – just be sure to dice it finely to avoid any large pieces that can overpower the other flavors.
Slivered (or Sliced) Almonds: Some toasted almonds finish off the salad, adding extra crunch and nuttiness. I like to use slivered or sliced almonds for the perfect crunch that gets mixed throughout.
Maple Apple Cider Vinaigrette: This dressing really ties everything together, with the perfect balance of sweetness, tang, and flavor.

This salad is perfect to make ahead – great for busy weekday lunches – and can be made up to 3 – 4 days in advance. You can toss everything together in a large bowl, add the dressing to the salad, and then just refrigerate until ready to eat. Quick tip, I prefer to keep the almonds separate until serving when possible, as this helps keep them extra crunchy.

Recipe Variations

This Quinoa & Celery Crunch Salad is easy to customize depending on your preferences and what you have available.

Here are just a few recipe variations you can try:

Add Different Grains: Feel free to add in different ancient or whole grains such as farro, bulgur, or amaranth for a different taste and texture.
Swap the Nuts or Seeds: If you want to make this nut free or just don’t like almonds, you can swap out the almonds for your favorite nuts or seeds. Pecans, pistachios, walnuts, sunflower seeds, or pepitas all make great options.
Add More Veggies: Want to up the fiber and nutrients? You can even add in extra veggies such as grated carrots (found in the Costco version) or thinly sliced radishes.
Mix Up the Dressing: You can also substitute different oils or vinegars to change up the flavor. For a more nutty flavor, use walnut or pistachio oil instead of olive oil. Or for a lighter flavor, substitute avocado oil. For the vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or even a champagne vinegar.

Looking for More Hearty Meal Prep Salad Recipes?

It is no secret that I love a good salad for lunch, dinner, or even breakfast. Here are some more of my favorite salad recipes that are easy to make ahead and sure to leave you satisfied like this hearty grain and celery salad.

If you make this Quinoa & Celery Crunch Salad recipe or any of my other favorite recipes, don’t forget to comment and rate the recipe below to let me know what you think! You can also share your photos and tag me @NamasteHomeCooking on Facebook or @NamasteHomeCooking on Instagram.

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Quinoa & Celery Crunch Salad

Prep Time8

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: lunch, Meal Prep, Salad, Salad Dressing

Cuisine: American, Healthy, High Protein

Keyword: celery, kale, quinoa, salad, salad dressing

Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa (or about 3 1/2 - 4 cups cooked)
1 1/2 cups chicken bone broth (can substitute water or vegetable stock)
4 stalks celery (about 2 cups diced)
4 cups kale (finely shredded)
1 15.5 oz can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 medium red onion (about 3/4 cup minced)
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds (toasted)

Maple Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp real maple syrup
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

In a fine mesh strainer, rinse quinoa under running water for at least 30 seconds. This step removes any bitterness on the outside of the quinoa (caused by naturally occurring saponins).
Add rinsed quinoa and bone broth (or water) to a medium saucepan, and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer about 15 - 20 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed all of the water.
Remove the pot from heat, cover, and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork and allow to cool to room temperature.
While quinoa cooks and cools, finely chop celery, shred kale, and mince red onion. Add to a large bowl with drained and rinsed chickpeas, dried cranberries, and toasted almonds.
In a small bowl or jar, add all dressing ingredients, whisk with a fork or cover and shake vigorously until combined.
Add cooled quinoa to other salad ingredients and pour dressing over, tossing to combine and coat everything evenly.
Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

If you have already cooked quinoa or other grains on hand, you can skip the step to rinse and cook these in the recipe instructions. You will use about 3 1/2 to 4 cups of cooked grains. Just skip ahead to step 5, then toss your cooked and cooled grains with the other ingredients as instructed in step 7.

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