This Quinoa & Kale Salad with Citrus Dressing recipe will change the way you make salads forever! With some simple hacks and flavour bomb tips I’m sure you are going to love this healthy, nutritious and satisfying salad recipe.

Using wholefood ingredients this recipe is naturally gluten free, dairy free and contains no addd sugars. This is the perfect, nutritionally balanced vegetarian salad and vegan friendly.

The best salad dressing:

A dressing is what makes a salad! It needs to have the right balance of acidity and oils and in my opinion be the star of the salad dish. My two favourite ingredients for making a salad dressing that I use as a base are fresh lemon or lime juice + extra virgin olive oil. From here you can add your flavours and bring a salad dish to life with zest and flavour.

This citrus dressing recipe is one of my favourites! The combination of lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil not only helps to tenderise the kale leaves but provides the perfect balance of acidity and healthy fats. To bring this dressing to life I blend the lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil with fresh orange segments, herbs and spring onions. There is so much flavour in this dressing with little fuss. You can also make this dressing recipe in advance and keep sealed in your fridge for a quick addition to salads. You can also use the citrus dressing as a marinade.

To make this recipe:

Simply blitz all of the salad dressing ingredients in a high powered blender. I use the a Vitamix Blender and for this recipe I make the dressing so quickly and easily in the new  Vitamix Blending Cups. You can make a salad dressing (or marinade) in seconds and easily pour or store without mess.

Pour the flavourful dressing over your salad ingredients for a healthy and flavourful lunch or light dinner.

My kale hack:

Kale has a bit of a reputation for being tough and chewy but this nutritious vegetable can actually be a delightful addition to your recipes. The key is to MASSAGE YOUR KALE.  For tender kale, remove the leaves from the stem, chop and massage the leaves with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice (or another acid such as lime juice or apple cider vinegar) and a pinch of sea salt. This combination plus the massage will make even the kale haters like kale. I promise it will change the way you eat kale forever. Watch the video below to see my kale hack in action and how I remove the kale leaves from the stem in seconds without fuss.

Recipe nutrition facts:

Not only is this recipe delicious and packs a powerful nutriton punch too. Kale is a nutrient dense vegetable rich in vitamins A, C and K and antioxidant rich.

Quinoa is a great plant based source of protein. Being gluten free friendly it is a versatile grain to provide B vitamins, amino acids and minerals to your diet.

The healthy fats such as avocado, almonds and extra virgin olive oil in this recipe will help to keep you fuller for longer and provide your body with necessary good fats for a healthy body.

How to serve:

You can enjoy the Kale & Quinoa Salad with Citrus Dressing on it’s own for a delicious and plant based lunch or dinner idea or serve as a side. You can also add your favourite cooked protein such as chicken, fish or even prawns.

Watch the recipe:

Print Pin

Quinoa & Kale Salad with Citrus Dressing

Protein rich quinoa, tender kale, creamy avocado and crunchy almonds finished with a flavourful citrus dressing.

Course Dinner, lunch, Salad

Keyword Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Low FODMAP, No Added Sugar, Preservative Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

Quinoa, Kale, Avocado & Almond Salad

• 1/2 bunch kale
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 avocado diced
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds (or flaked)
• 1 orange cut into segments

Citrus Dressing

• 1 orange cut into segments
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 2 Spring Onion chopped into pieces
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Pinch sea salt

Instructions

• First prepare the dressing by adding all dressing ingredients into the your blender. Blitz to combine. Set aside.
• Remove the leaves from the kale stems and finely chop. Add kale leaves to your large serving bowl.
• Pour over the half of the citrus dressing and massage into the kale leaves for a few minutes to tenderise the leaves.
• Add cooked and cooled quinoa, avocado and almonds to kale and gently toss to combine.
• Top with orange segments and drizzle over additional dressing to liking.

Notes

You can swap almonds for any of your favourite nuts such as walnuts, toasted macadamias, dry roast almonds or for a nut free option use toasted pepitas or sunflower seeds. 

This citrus dressing also works perfectly over our Colourful Quinoa Salad.

Share this recipe:

If you love this recipe please share on social media with your friends and family. Hit the Facebook or Pinterest button at the top of this page. We love having your support to inspire healthy and happy kitchens around the world.

Make sure you don’t miss a recipe by signing up to our free newsletter. You can download your free recipe e-book and I’ll send you our latest recipes straight to your inbox.

This recipe, video and imagery is copyright by Live Love Nourish. If you wish to share on your website please get in touch. We love collaborating with like-minded business’ but we kindly ask permission is requested.

This recipe was custom created by nutritionist and recipe developer Casey-Lee Lyons for Vitamix.