This Cranberry Kale Quinoa Salad with Candied Pecans and Feta is crazy delicious!
Tender massaged kale is topped with broccoli, cranberries, feta, candied pecans, and quinoa are tossed in a super simple lemon dressing for a healthy vegetarian salad that will totally rock your plate.
Sometimes you just need a big green superfood salad in your face.
Especially when the holiday season is about to hit and you have a cute party dress that needs to fit less like a sausage casing and more like a glove. Yes I’m 110% talking from experience here. It’s only October already have several shindigs scheduled this year PLUS our annual USMC Birthday Ball and ohmygosh guys, I need to get my act together!
We’ll still be partaking in our regularly scheduled cheesiness all season long but mama needs some salad in her face too! #balance
Anyways! Back to the salad! It’s super duper healthy but thanks to a kiss of sweetness from the cranberries and pecans, it’s still totally fun and beyond flavorful! My goal is to make salads that people actually want to eat. Love to eat. Need to eat.
I absolutely positively want/love/need this salad.
Ingredients Needed for This Tasty Quinoa Kale Salad
- dried quinoa
- fresh kale
- dried cranberries
- candied pecans (recipe below)
- lemon dressing (recipe below)
For the kale feel free to use curly or lacinato kale. I typically buy curly kale since it’s my favorite!
You can use either white, red, or tri-color quinoa for this recipe. They all work marvelously! This time around I used a mixture of red and white quinoa.
Lemon Dressing Recipe
- juice of 1 and 1/2 lemons
- 3-4 TBSP avocado oil
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 clove fresh garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Simply combine dressing ingredients in a mason jar, secure the lid, and shake. Allow it to sit while you make your salad and shake again before serving.
Feel free to sweeten if desired with honey or maple syrup. Let your tastebuds be your guide! I went the vinaigrette route since I like my dressing lemon-y.
Homemade Candied Pecans
You can use store-bought candied pecans or walnuts for this salad if preferred. They’re so easy to make at home so I usually just whip up my own. Here’s the recipe!
- 1 cup chopped pecans (the smaller the better)
- 1 TBSP unsalted butter
- 2 TBSP brown sugar
- ⅛ tsp salt
To make the candied pecans, heat a small skillet or saucepan to medium heat and butter to melt. Next add in your pecans, brown sugar, and the teeniest bit of salt. Saute for 5-6 minutes and pour over parchment paper, using a spatula to separate the nuts. Otherwise you’ll have yummy pecan brittle that you’ll want to break apart over your salad, which is no big deal either! Yum! Allow to cool for several minutes until the coating hardens and your pecans have officially been candied!
Cranberry Kale Quinoa Salad
We’re all about this cranberry kale salad right now!
Yes you can sub spinach for kale. Or spring mix. Or arugula. Or a combination of all three (YUM!) But it won’t KALE ya to try something new!
The tender massaged kale in this recipe is enough to totally change your mind about this leafy green veggie.
Cranberry Kale Quinoa Salad with Candied Pecans and Feta
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup dry quinoa
- ¾ cup water
- ½ bunch of kale (approx. 2-3 cups chopped kale)
- ⅓-½ cup dried cranberries
LIGHT LEMON DRESSING
- 1.5 lemons , juiced
- 3-4 TBSP avocado oil or light olive oil
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar to taste
- 1 clove garlic , peeled and minced
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
CANDIED PECANS
- 1 cup chopped pecans (the smaller the better)
- 1 TBSP unsalted butter
- 2 TBSP brown sugar
- ⅛ tsp salt
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
- crumbled feta cheese (regular or vegan feta)
- chopped broccoli florets
- crispy roasted chickpeas
- roasted sunflower seeds
- sliced almonds
Instructions
- First rinse and drain your quinoa using a mesh strainer/sieve.
- Bring a medium saucepan to medium heat and lightly toast the quinoa to remove any excess water. Stir as it toasts for just a few minutes. This step is optional but really adds to the nuttiness and fluff factor of the quinoa!
- Next add your water, set burner to high, and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered with the lid slightly ajar, for 12-13 minutes or until quinoa is fluffy and the liquid has been absorbed.
- While the quinoa cooks, prep the remaining ingredients, make your candied pecans, and whisk together your dressing ingredients.
- Remove kale leaves from the stem.
- Wash and dry the leaves, then chop into bite sized pieces.
- Next gently massage the kale with a drizzle of olive oil. This makes the leaves extra tender and silky, and also makes key nutrients even easier to absorb. Woot!
- For the super simple lemon dressing, whisk together avocado or olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Peel and finely mince/press one clove of garlic and whisk into to dressing. Alternatively pile the ingredients in a lidded mason jar and shake to combine. Feel free to sweeten if desired with honey or maple syrup. Let your tastebuds be your guide! I went the vinaigrette route and only needed a kiss of dressing on my salad.
- Snag your now-fluffy quinoa from the pot and give it a little fluff with a fork.
- For a chilled salad, you can pop the quinoa in the fridge for a few minutes prior to adding your veggies or simply let it cool on the countertop for a few minutes for a room temperature quinoa bowl. Totally up to you!
- In a large bowl, toss together, kale, quinoa, dried cranberries, then top with any of the optional extras your heart desires! I love adding crumbled feta and, when I have it handy, chopped broccoli.
- Toss lightly with a drizzle of whisked/shaken dressing just before serving, leaving the rest to be added to taste.
FOR THE CANDIED PECANS:
- Heat a skillet or saucepan to medium heat and butter to melt.
- Next add in your pecans, brown sugar, and the teeniest bit of salt.
- Saute for 5-6 minutes and pour over parchment paper, using a spatula to separate the nuts. Otherwise you’ll have yummy pecan brittle that you’ll want to break apart over your salad, which is no big deal either! Yum! Allow to cool for several minutes until the coating hardens and your pecans have officially been candied! Woot!
- Try not to eat them all before they hit the salad. I’m oh so guilty of this! They can also be made in advance if you have a bit more self control than I do.
Notes
Nutrition
This is the kind of salad you can load up with all your seasonal favorites! Since I’m serving this up as cold weather fare, I highly suggest beelining for anything from beets to apples to orange segments as tasty additions to this healthy salad.
kale yeah! awesome kale recipes to try next:
For this cranberry kale quinoa salad recipe, I decided to use a half bunch of kale. To feed a crowd, feel free to use the whole bunch and double the recipe. (You can even triple it if needed for holiday hosting)
If you’e using just half the kale like I did, here are some ideas for what to make for your remaining kale:
- Roasted Garlic Kale Pesto and Veggie Pasta – LOVE this!
- Sarcastic Cooking’s Kale Sweet Potato and Brie Salad looks amazing!
- Tropical Mango Kale Smoothie – a P&C reader favorite
- Pesto Penne with Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale – perfect for Fall/Winter!
I’m pretty sure my remaining kale is destined for a crispy plate of kale chips. Homemade kale chips are amazing! Especially when you use my trick to get them super duper light and crispy (no dehydrator needed!)
If you get a chance to try this tasty Cranberry Kale Quinoa Salad, let me know!
You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
Questions & Reviews
So yummy! Just wish it was filling enough to eat as a main dish. I’m just wondering if the nutritional values include the add ons (feta, pecans, chickpeas)?
Hi Christine! The nutrition facts include the salad, dressing, and candied pecans. The “optional extras” I left off the nutrition card so everyone can calculate which ones they add. Chickpeas will add filling protein and fiber so feel free to add them to the salad. I often add them lately and it’s such a delicious extra!
Delicious! A little labor intensive if you don’t have the kale already chopped. The combination of the pecans, feta and cranberry were perfectly balanced.
Hi! I used to make this recipe often, I recall the sauce had orange juice and lime juice, any reason you have changed it now?
Hi Maria! Let me see if I can pull the original for you, I still have the original somewhere so I’ll dig it up! Sorry for the delay btw, I manually approve my comments because I get a lot of spam that sneaks through.
Update: Below is the original from 2016 before my reshoots and edits:
1/2 cup dried quinoa
3/4 cup water
1/2 bunch of kale
1/2 cup chopped broccoli (optional)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup light or extra virgin olive oil
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice (or try lime juice!)
1-2 tsp white wine vinegar, to taste
1/8-1/4 tsp salt
1/8-1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup pecans
1 TBSP unsalted butter
2 TBSP brown sugar
the teeniest pinch of salt
There is also a super similar one I have that uses orange juice and if that was the one you wanted you can click the title here and it will take you to it: Cranberry Quinoa Salad with Candied Walnuts and Orange Lime Dressing Link LMK if you need any help! xo
I can’t stop eating this!!!! I turned a 16yr old veggie hater into a kale lover with this recipe.
Ahhhhh yay! I’m so glad you guys are loving it! Thanks Jackie 😃
This salad is so light and delicious. I used a toasted quinoa, subbed in chopped baby kale & sliced Brussel sprouts, subbed Braggs apple cider vinegar, added 1/2 tsp of fresh lemon zest, sliced toasted almonds and I added 1/2 tsp of raw agave for a touch of sweetness to the vinaigrette. This is definitely a keeper.
Awesome! Thank you Deb!
So yummy! Big hit with the family. Used apple cider vinegar instead of white wine vinegar and bought prepared candied pecans. Didn’t need the honey, the cranberries about just enough sweetness. Will definitely make again…..and again.
This salad was the hit! I added honey to the dressing because it was too tart for me. And I added the feta cheese. So many awesome flavors mixed together for a great tasting and beautiful salad!
This came out really good. Thanks!
I can’t cook. I made her Tuscan tortellini soup and it was amazeballs. Figured I’d try this, holy crap guys. So good. Did I make my own candied pecans? Ha no. I have a 15 month old. I’m just counting vegetables as a win at this point. Didn’t matter. It’s amazing.
Rocking this salad with a 15 month old underfoot is for sure a win! So stoked you enjoyed it!
This was so good. I used blue cheese and added a little broccoli and pumpkin seeds. Thank you!! Highly recommend!
I want to eat this salad everyday, every meal!
What a great salad! It is as pretty as it is delicious. My only tweaks were that I made the vinaigrette dressing first, and used some to massage the kale instead of plain olive oil. I also added some lemon zest and honey to the dressing. My husband had 2 helpings… of salad! That’s his highest rating! I will definitely be making this again. And again.
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I’ve really enjoyed browsing your blog posts. I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again very soon!
We LOVED this salad! Such great flavors and textures and that lemon dressing on top was just perfect. Definitely making again!
Yay! Thanks Taylor!
I love these types of salads and so excited to have one to make at home!
So excited for you to try it, Erin!
Delicious and healthy Salad !!
Great salad recipe, i’d been doing this kale salad for more than a year and every time i prepared it, my guests liked it a lot.
Thank you !
I’ll check your other recipes
I’m so glad it’s been a hit for you Hanna – thank you so much!
Trying this tonight!!! It sounds yummy…
when do i use the unsalted butter?? and what are my dressing ingredients???
You’ll add the butter in step 1 under “CANDIED PECANS” and for the dressing, I’ll edit the recipe to make the ingredients more prominent, good call!
For the dressing:
juice of 1 and 1/2 lemons
3-4 TBSP avocado oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 clove fresh garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
You can also add your favorite sweetener, to taste, for a less tart dressing.
Yum-oh! Looks so delicious and healthy. I love putting cranberries on my salads, adds so much flavor.