This kale quinoa white bean salad is easy to make, extra hearty, and loaded with nutrients. Although it tastes best after being freshly dressed, it’s still a great one to make for batch lunches. Kale keeps so well and doesn’t get soggy unless you really overload it with dressing.
TIP: You can either save a little dressing to refresh the leftovers or just squeeze a bit of fresh lemon & drizzle of maple syrup over each serving as you go. The latter is what I do.
Although great year round, it’s a great salad for the cooler months when salads can be unappealing. Kale is a green our bodies naturally gravitate towards more in the Fall and Winter.
A tip with salads when it’s cold out: Let your salad sit out a bit if you are getting it straight from the fridge. Generally, it’s more appetizing for our bodies. The flavors also come out more in a room temperature salad versus a super cold one.
Nutrient Dense Ingredients
Kale – A dark leafy green rich in omega 3’s, vitamins A, C, K, B-complex, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper, and more.
Pumpkin Seeds – A great source of zinc, magnesium, omega 3’s, vitamin E, B-complex, and more.
Hemp Hearts – A great source of Omega 3’s and 6’s, and also high in plant protein.
Kale Quinoa White Bean Salad Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 10 cups kale, stems removed and chopped (if using bagged organic kale, still remove the large stems)
- 1 1/2 cups prepared quinoa
- 15.5 oz BPA-free can great northern or cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 cup hemp hearts
- Dressing: juice of 2 lemons, 1/3 cup + 1 TBSP tahini, 3 TBSP water, 2 TBSP maple syrup or 1-2 medjool dates (need a small blender if using medjool dates), 2 tsp mustard powder, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp sea salt (more to taste) Note: Any tahini based dressing works great with this if you already have a go-to.
Method
- Add the kale to an extra large mixing bowl and massage well with your hands. Breaking down the kale makes it easier to digest and more desirable to eat.
- Whisk together your dressing in a small mixing bowl. Taste and adjust to your preferences.
- Add 3/4 of the dressing to the kale and tong together until the kale is well coated.
- Add in the quinoa, white beans, pumpkin seeds, and hemp seeds and toss together well.
- ENJOY! If serving all at once, toss in the remaining 1/4 of dressing, otherwise you may want to save it to refresh the leftovers. You can also refresh this salad by adding a squeeze of lemon and smidge of maple syrup to each serving.
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Kale Quinoa White Bean Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 cups kale stems removed and chopped (if using bagged organic kale, still remove the large stems)
- 1 1/2 cups prepared quinoa
- 15.5 oz BPA-free can great northern or cannellini beans drained & rinsed
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 cup hemp hearts
- Dressing: juice of 2 lemons 1/3 cup + 1 TBSP tahini, 3 TBSP water, 2 TBSP maple syrup, 2 tsp mustard powder, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp sea salt (more to taste) Note: Any tahini based dressing works great with this if you already have a go-to.
Instructions
- Add the kale to an extra large mixing bowl and massage well with your hands. Breaking down the kale makes it easier to digest and more desirable to eat.
- Whisk together your dressing in a small mixing bowl. Taste and adjust to your preferences.
- Add 3/4 of the dressing to the kale and tong together until the kale is well coated.
- Add in the quinoa, white beans, pumpkin seeds, and hemp seeds and toss together well.
- ENJOY! If serving all at once, toss in the remaining 1/4 of dressing, otherwise you may want to save it to refresh the leftovers. You can also refresh this salad by adding a squeeze of lemon and smidge of maple syrup to each serving.
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