A simple kale and quinoa sprout salad with creamy avocado, pine nuts, fresh herbs and a tangy lemon dressing. It’s fantastically wholesome, nutritious and ready in 10 minutes, (excluding sprouting time).
I use fresh quinoa sprouts in this recipe, which are easily swapped with cooked quinoa if preferred.
For my raw food loving friends 🙂, if you're aiming to balance out your fruit-based meals with leafy greens, kale is awesome!
Kale is filled with nutrients including vitamin K, A and C as well as containing potassium and calcium. If you love to read about the health benefits of plant-based foods like I do, here’s an article on 10 proven benefits of kale.
Have fun discovering more about how you can grow your own sprouts at home including: how to sprout quinoa, broccoli sprouts, mung bean sprouts, sunflower sprouts, sunflower microgreens, buckwheat sprouts and adzuki bean sprouts.
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Homemade dressings can help to brighten up slightly bitter tasting leafy greens like kale, as well as adding in more flavour to our meal times. And that's what we're after, right?
Meals that are fast, fresh, flavourful and nutritious!
If you’re sprouting quinoa at home, you can add this one to your quick, no-cook, raw vegan recipes.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Kale is a hardy and reasonably filling leafy green that's fantastic in colder weather when you're looking for something more satiating in a salad.
- It's gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar free.
- Easy to assemble.
- Great for meal prep.
Ingredients
This kale and quinoa sprout salad is filled with wholesome ingredients shown below. For more details, including the amounts, please visit the recipe card.
- Kale is the star in this kale and quinoa salad. If you struggle to find whole kale in the UK, simply opt for pre-chopped kale instead. That’s what I used here. Other ingredients are:
- Fresh quinoa sprouts
- Ripe avocado
- Pine nuts
- Basil (fresh)
- Capers
For the quick and easy dressing:
- Lemon
- Dijon mustard
- Maple syrup or date paste
- extra virgin olive oil
Step-by-step instructions with images
To make this simple kale and quinoa salad follow the step-by-step instructions below with images, or visit the recipe card for the full instructions.
Step 1. Add the dressing ingredients to a jar, secure the lid and shake until combined.
Step 2. Add kale salad ingredients to a large bowl.
Step 3 - Toss the salad together.
Step 4. Drizzle with your dressing before serving.
Substitutions
This dish is pretty versatile and a lot of the ingredients can be swapped for easy alternatives, depending on your personal preference.
- Quinoa - use cooked quinoa instead of freshly sprouted quinoa.
- Leafy greens - rainbow chard works great here.
- Capers - use sliced sundried tomatoes for a sweeter twist.
- Nuts - use any nut you have on hand. For a nut-free option use sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds instead.
- Fresh herbs - add your favourite fresh herbs like dill, coriander or parsley.
- Try it with this delicious creamy tahini miso dressing instead.
Variations
Here are some suggestions to bump this kale and quinoa sprout salad up to a more substantial main dish:
- Add a handful of sprouted chickpeas (or cooked) for added protein.
- Add a little lightly steamed long stem broccoli or green beans.
- For a sweet addition add diced red bell pepper and orange segments.
Storing and leftovers
For use in your weekly meal prep, you can make the salad in advance and store the dressing separately until ready to serve. It'll stay fresh for up to three days.
To store the dressing, keep it in a lidded jar in the fridge for up to five days.
Top tip
- Always thoroughly wash, rinse and drain your kale before using.
- Massage well. To make the kale softer, sprinkle it with a little salt and extra virgin olive oil then massage the leaves with your fingers for 1-2 minutes.
I’d love to know what you think if you make this recipe. If you have any questions, please let me know. Leave a comment below, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.
Related
Looking for other sprouted quinoa salad related recipes? Try these:
Pairing
These are some of my favourite dishes to use with kale and quinoa sprout salad:
📖 Recipe
Kale and quinoa sprout salad
Equipment
- Chopping board.
- chefs knife
- small jar with a lid.
- serving bowl and spoons
- Lemon zester
Ingredients
- 5 cups (100g) chopped kale , washed, drained, stems removed
- 1 cup (136g) fresh quinoa sprouts, (or use cooked quinoa instead, if preferred)
- 1 ripe avocado, slice in half, remove the pit then dice.
- 3 tablespoon pine nuts, heaped
- ½ small red onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoon fresh basil, finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon capers, in vinegar
lemon vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice, plus zest from 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup.
- 1 small garlic clove.
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- a good pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Prepare dressing: Add the dressing ingredients plus lemon zest to a jar, secure the lid and shake well until the ingredients form a silky smooth vinaigrette.
- Add salad ingredients: To a large salad bowl add the chopped kale, quinoa sprouts, pine nuts, red onion, and diced avocado. Pour over half the dressing and toss everything together. Sprinkle over the capers and fresh basil.
- Dress the salad. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad to serve.
Notes
Food safety
The UK Food Standards Agency recommends people in vulnerable groups always cook any sprouts until steaming hot all the way through before eating them.
This is because sprouts sometimes contain bacteria, which some people may be susceptible to. Vulnerable groups include the elderly, young children, those with a weakened immune system, and pregnant women.
Never eat sprouts or microgreens that look or smell bad or weird. If you're unsure, then throw them out and start again.
Not all seeds or beans are suitable for sprouting or eating raw. Please be sure to check first.
Check the FSA website for more details.
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