Greek Kale and Quinoa Salad

This kale salad recipe is a powerhouse salad full of nutrition and fiber! Perfect for any lunch or dinner! Add chicken and you have yourself a meal packed full of protein! This Greek Salad is addictively delicious, super healthy, and quick to make!

Jump to:

• Kale Benefits
• Quinoa Nutrition Facts
• Ingredients You'll Need
• Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
• Expert Tips and FAQs
• More Salad Recipes
• Greek Kale and Quinoa Salad

I remember a time when restaurants would always garnish the entree plates with a piece of fresh kale. My parents would say, "Make sure you don't eat that! It is only for decoration!" So I never ate the kale. I thought it was fake. Nothing but a simple garnish on my plate.

Never would I have fathomed that I would grow up and want to eat that fabulous little kale garnish. Much less write a recipe using it. But here I am...writing about that garnish I was told never to eat. And this kale salad recipe is one of my absolute favorites.

Do you guys remember Paradise Bakery? Panera Bread acquired them, but right before they closed their doors, I walked in for lunch one day and ordered a Kale with Quinoa salad. It was FANTASTIC! After I finished lunch, I immediately came home and started figuring out the ingredients and flavors so I could make this kale salad at home. And I nailed it on the 3rd try. And now, I'm sharing it with you.

Kale Benefits

Before we get to the recipe, let's talk about some of the ingredients in this quinoa Greek salad and their nutritional value. Kale has the reputation of being one of the world's "healthiest foods". It's a part of the cruciferous vegetable family and is FULL of vitamins A, C, and K.

It also contains minerals such as copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. 1 cup of raw kale has 3 grams of protein. It's also very high in iron and an excellent source of fiber. There is 2.6 grams of fiber in 1 cup of kale. It's a POWERHOUSE food and heart healthy.

Quinoa Nutrition Facts

Quinoa, also known as "the mother of all grains", is another key ingredient in this Greek salad. Contrary to popular belief, quinoa is not a grain. It's a relative of spinach, beets, and chard. It's naturally gluten free and is considered a complete protein.

1 cup of cooked quinoa contains 8 grams of protein. It's also considered one of the world's "healthiest foods". It's full of fiber, iron, copper, and vitamin B6. It’s also a great source of magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese.

I like using tri-color quinoa in this salad recipe because of the texture and flavor difference it brings. A bag of tri-color quinoa usually contains a mix of red, black, and white quinoa. To learn more about the different types of quinoa, check more about it here: What’s the Difference between White, Black, and Red Quinoa? (and other colors too) 

Ingredients You'll Need

For this recipe, we'll separate out the ingredients for the kale salad and the Greek salad dressing.

Let's start with the salad. Using only simple and fresh ingredients, kale is the only lettuce used in this salad. While any type of kale can be used with this salad, I recommend using baby kale. It's more tender and easier to chew. It also has a milder flavor.

I also add cooked quinoa to provide more natural protein and fiber. The kalamata olives, feta cheese, and red onion really bring out the Greek flavors. While regular crumbled feta cheese works well, try using a flavor infused feta cheese, like tomato and basil. Just like a traditional Greek salad, I love adding fresh chopped cucumber and tomatoes.

The Greek dressing is made of simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. The Dijon mustard is a key ingredient and helps provide a tangy and sharp flavor. The apple cider vinegar provides the acidic level needed to help balance the flavors and also helps pull the calcium out of the kale.

Extra-virgin olive oil, minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, and a bit of dried oregano, salt, and pepper makes a delicious Greek vinaigrette that compliments this kale quinoa salad like nothing I've ever tasted before!

Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

First, start by cooking the quinoa according to the package instructions. Simply mix the quinoa and water in a small pot until it comes to a rolling boil. From there, cover and reduce the heat to low. It only takes about about 15 to 20 minutes to cook. Expert Tip: I typically cook ½ cup raw quinoa to 1 cup water so I have extra to store in the refrigerator for other recipes like these Peanut Butter Protein Balls.

Once the quinoa is done, remove the pot from the heat. Fluff it with a fork and set it aside to cool.

Next, we'll go ahead and make the Greek dressing. Mince 2 cloves of garlic and place in a small mixing bowl. Add the remaining Greek salad dressing ingredients into the mixing bowl with the garlic and whisk until well combined. From there, place a lid on the mixing bowl and shake the mixture together vigorously until well combined.

To make the kale quinoa salad, add all the salad ingredients into a large bowl. Slowly pour on the dressing and using salad tongs, mix well to combine.

You can also serve the salad evenly into individual bowls. To do so evenly distribute the kale into four bowls and add the cucumber, red onions, and Kalamata olive to each bowl. Add ¼ cup of cooked quinoa to each salad bowl and then sprinkle on the crumbled feta cheese. Add 2-3 Tablespoons of the Greek dressing to each salad bowl and mix well.

Want to add some protein? Add 4 ounces of chicken to each bowl. My Greek Marinated Grilled Chicken recipe tastes amazing on top of this Greek quinoa salad. It's a perfect pair!

Expert Tips and FAQs

• If you're going to make the Greek Marinated Chicken, make sure you let the chicken marinate for at least 12-24 hours. And while this chicken recipe can be baked in the oven, I recommend grilling the chicken for the best results.
• Try adding a sliced hard boiled egg to this salad! It adds extra protein and flavor. And with these these simple steps, hard boiled eggs are easy to peel!
• This Greek salad with quinoa lasts for about 2-3 days in the refrigerator and is perfect for lunch, dinner, even a late afternoon snack! I love pairing this salad recipe with my Homemade Vegetable Soup or my Kale and Leek Soup. You can never have too much kale!
• While the tomato is optional, and I don't love raw tomatoes anyway, the tomato helps POP the Greek flavors in this salad!
• Store any leftover dressing in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks. 

More Salad Recipes

If you're anything like me, I can't get enough salads. I eat some sort of salad every single day. One of my other absolute favorite salads is my Apple and Berry Chopped Kale Salad with Citrus Basil Vinaigrette. The combination of fresh strawberries, blueberries, and Granny Smith apples mixed with fresh chopped kale, broccoli florets, cilantro, and mint is beyond refreshing, especially when it's topped with my homemade citrus basil vinaigrette dressing.

I also enjoy this Roasted Broccoli Salad with Pine Nuts and Feta because it has a subtle Greek flare. It provides a unique taste with the subtleness of the oregano and feta cheese, and I also use kale in this nutritious salad.

Update Notes: This post was originally published on August 2015, but was republished with an updated step-by-step instructions, pictures and tips in January 2021.