Kale Quinoa and Chickpea Salad

This Kale, Quinoa and Chickpea salad makes a perfect light yet filling lunch or could be used as a side.  It’s high in vegetarian protein, healthy fats, antioxidants and vitamins. The dressing is a light but creamy vinaigrette full of so much flavor.

Ingredient Notes and Health Benefits:

Kale: An extremely nutrient-dense cruciferous vegetable that’s high in several vitamins including A, K, C, B6, as well as manganese, calcium, potassium.. The list goes on! It’s also high in antioxidants and has cancer fighting properties. For this recipe, I buy a pre-chopped kale from Trader Joe’s.  You can also buy regular Kale and chop it yourself.  I just love to save a little time!

Red bell peppers: High in vitamin C, B6 and folate.  They add so much color to this recipe and have a fresh but slightly sweet flavor… they’re one of my favorite veggies. 

Quinoa: A complete vegetarian protein that’s also high in fiber, several minerals and antioxidants.  It also adds great texture to this recipe.  I love the tricolor quinoa from Trader Joe’s.

How to Make Kale, Quinoa and Chickpea Salad

This salad is very simple to make and comes together in under 20 minutes. To begin, cook the quinoa according to package directions.  While the quinoa is cooking, chop kale (I buy pre-chopped) and place in a large bowl. Diced the bell peppers, cucumber and red onion and add to the bowl.  Slice the cherry tomatoes and add those, too. Add the dressing ingredients to a medium sized bowl and whisk. When the quinoa is done, add it to the large bowl.  Drizzle dressing onto the salad and stir to coat, then top with feta cheese. 

Storage of Salad

If you are prepping this salad in advance (it’s perfect for meal prep and easy to take on-the-go!) store the salad in the fridge in an airtight container, leaving the dressing off and tossing immediately before eating.

Kale Quinoa and Chickpea Salad

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Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.5/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

2 cans of chickpeas, drained
6 handfuls of kale, chopped finely
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 english cucumber, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup feta cheese

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Sea salt
Ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions
2. Using a strainer, drain chickpeas and set aside
3. Dice bell peppers, cucumber and red onion
4. Slice cherry tomatoes
5. Place chickpeas, bell peppers, cucumber, red onion and tomatoes in a large bowl
6. Add quinoa when it is cooked and stir to mix ingredients
7. In a medium sized bowl, add dressing ingredients and whisk together, pour over salad and mix to coat
8. Top with feta cheese and enjoy!