This restaurant-style Mediterranean Kale Salad is fast and full of flavor! It features a medley of kale, quinoa, tomato, bell pepper, cucumber, feta, with the most delicious Greek lemon dressing.
I had a salad like this ages ago at a restaurant and I’ve been thinking about it nonstop lately.
It’s crazy easy to make and relatively speedy too!
The cook time for quinoa is a mere 12-13 minutes which gives you plenty of time to chop up the remaining ingredients and whisk together the most delicious greek lemon dressing.
Flavor and texture-wise it’s pretty much a masterpiece. I love the combination of fluffy quinoa with tender kale, crisp cucumber and bell pepper, juicy tomatoes, creamy feta, and crunchy sliced almonds.
I chop everything up as small as I can so I can load a little bit of everything into every forkful and, honestly, sometimes I eat it so fast I just grab a spoon for easy shoveling. Haha!
Kale Salad Ingredients
- kale
- quinoa
- bell pepper
- cucumber
- sliced almonds
- tomatoes
- feta
For the kale in this colorful kale salad, feel free to use curly kale or lacinato kale — both work great! Be sure to remove the leaves from the stem and chop it up nice and small so you can fit a little bit of every ingredient in each bite.
When it comes to quinoa, you can use white quinoa, red quinoa, or tri-colored quinoa. I went with white quinoa this time around.
Greek Lemon Dressing
- 3-4 TBSP olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 TBSP red wine vinegar
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/8-1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
Looking to add some extras to your salad? Go for it! Here are some ideas to get you started:
Awesome Extras
- olives
- banana peppers
- roasted red peppers
- pepperoncini
- red onion
- fresh herbs
Mediterranean Kale Salad
This gorgeous Greek style salad is a must make and I’m so excited for you to try it!
It’s vegetarian and gloriously gluten-free.
If you’re meal prepping lunches for the week, here’s how to make this scrumptious salad in advance:
Make-Ahead Instructions
Make the salad and dressing via the recipe card below and divide it between 2 lidded containers. You’ll add all the ingredients except the optional sliced almonds. Put those separate in a little container and add them just before serving so they maintain their crunch. Enjoy!
Mediterranean Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups kale (approx. 2 oz)
- ½ cup quinoa
- ¾ cup water
- 1 orange bell pepper
- ½ large English cucumber
- 1 cup sliced or diced tomatoes
- ½ cup crumbled feta
- 2-3 TBSP sliced almonds , finely chopped (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
GREEK LEMON DRESSING
- 3-4 TBSP olive oil
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 TBSP red wine vinegar
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/8-1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
Instructions
- Prepping your veggies and dressing while the quinoa cooks will have this tasty salad ready in 20 minutes or less!
- First rinse and drain your quinoa using a mesh strainer or sieve. Bring a small pot to medium heat and lightly toast the quinoa to remove any excess water, stirring often. 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.
- Once your quinoa is ready, fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a plate and spread it out to allow to cool.
- While the quinoa cooks, wash and dry your chopped kale (I use my trusty salad spinner) and massage with a teeny drizzle of olive oil for tender kale that tastes GREAT! Finely chop.
- Finely chop your cucumber and bell pepper – the smaller the better. Slice or dice tomato. If adding sliced almonds, finely chop for a little almond goodness in every bite.
- To make the dressing, peel, smash, and finely mince garlic. Add to a small bowl with remaining dressing ingredients and whisk well. If you like the tartness of the lemon juice (I love it!) keep it as is or feel free to add a little extra oil or sweeten a tad if preferred (sugar, honey, or maple syrup are common dressing sweeteners).
- Combine cooled quinoa with kale and veggies.
- Pour dressing over salad and mix well. Top with crumbled feta and optional sliced almonds and enjoy!
Notes
- olives
- banana peppers
- roasted red peppers
- pepperoncini
- red onion
- fresh herbs
Nutrition
More Mediterranean Favorites
- Greek Quinoa Salad
- Mediterranean White Bean Soup
- Marinated Greek Salad Recipe
- Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with Feta
- Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad
If you get a chance to try this tasty vegetarian mediterranean kale salad recipe, let me know!
Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
This kale salad was calling my name. It had everything I love, was easy to make, and so tasty. I will be making this often!
So happy to hear it! xo
Mediterranean flavors are one of my favorite things. This salad does not disappoint! It’s always a hit.
Yay! Thanks Katie!