Autumn Kale and Quinoa Salad with Chutney Dressing
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This hearty kale and quinoa salad is filled with crisp veggies, juicy grapes, and cashews, but the chutney dressing is what makes it shine.
This kale and quinoa salad is one of my fall favorites. It’s packed with crisp veggies, grapes, and crunchy roasted cashews, but what really makes it shine is the dressing made with mango chutney and curry powder. It would make literally anything taste good! If you’re in the mood to mix things up, you can easily swap the grapes for diced apples or toss in some dried cherries or cranberries. To make it a bit heartier, consider adding chickpeas. And the best part? Thanks to kale’s sturdiness, this salad is great for making ahead and keeping in the fridge for weekday lunches. Finally, a time-saving tip: you can find cooked quinoa in the freezer aisle of most supermarkets. It’s great to have on hand for tossing into salads for a boost of protein and nutrients.
What You’ll Need: Autumn Kale & Quinoa Salad with Chutney Dressing
To cut down on prep time, you can buy the kale, quinoa, and carrots already prepared. However, note that the kale that comes washed and prepped in a bag still needs to be chopped into smaller pieces, and some thick stems need to be removed.
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the lemon juice, chutney, honey, garlic, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Gradually add the olive oil, whisking to emulsify.
Add the kale, quinoa, carrots, bell pepper, celery, grapes, and cilantro to the dressing.
Toss until the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or until ready to serve (up to 1 day ahead). Right before serving, mix in the cashews.
Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, before serving.
You may also like
- Quinoa Pilaf with Chickpeas, Currants & Almonds
- Kale, Apple, and Pancetta Salad
- Quinoa Pilaf with Shiitake Mushrooms, Carrots, and Pecans
- Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Walnuts, Parmesan & Lemon-Mustard Dressing
Autumn Kale and Quinoa Salad with Chutney Dressing
This hearty kale and quinoa salad is filled with crisp veggies, juicy grapes, and cashews, but the chutney dressing is what makes it shine.
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- 3½ tablespoons lemon juice, from 1 to 2 lemons
- 3 tablespoons store-bought mango chutney
- 1½ tablespoons honey
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1¾ teaspoons curry powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the Salad
- 4 cups chopped kale (thick stems/ribs removed)
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (I buy it frozen; see note)
- 1 cup shredded carrots, from 2 to 3 carrots
- 1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper, from 1 pepper
- 1 cup thinly sliced celery, from 1 to 2 celery stalks
- 1 cup grapes, halved
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
- ⅔ cup roasted salted cashews
Instructions
- For the Dressing: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the lemon juice, chutney, honey, garlic, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Gradually add the olive oil, whisking to emulsify.
- For the Salad: Add the kale, quinoa, carrots, bell pepper, celery, grapes, and cilantro (if using) to the dressing. Toss until the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or until ready to serve (up to 1 day ahead). Right before serving, mix in the cashews. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, before serving.
- Note: If you are cooking the quinoa, you'll need about ⅔ cup raw quinoa. Rinse and cook the quinoa according to package directions.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 545
- Fat: 33 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 58 g
- Sugar: 27 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Sodium: 505 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
Hi Jen! Absolutely LOVE all of your recipes! And, I’m certain I’ll love this one! BUT, wanted to let you know that sadly, Trader Joe’s no longer carries the plain frozen quinoa! Not that that will stop me..still on my menu schedule for this week! Looks super yummy! Once again, thanks for all your fabulous ideas!
Oh no! Thank you for letting me know, Sharon – I will update!
Hey Jenn! Just an update! Found the quinoa in the freezer at Whole Foods (after I made my own..but so not a big deal!)! Hope that saves you a ‘research’ step!
👍
OMG!!!! As are ALL of your recipes..this is amazing!!!! I used dried cherries and cranberries instead of the grapes…and a mix of red and white quinoa (Trader Joe’s) …reminds me of a salad I had a local restaurant this summer! Can’t wait for dinner tonight!
My first time making this salad —delicious, and the dressing, what a surprise. Will be making this again. Thanks for recipe. Bought your book from Amazon.ca, wonderful.
I found plain prepared quinoa in the rice aisle, by “Minute” (like Minute Rice). It’s in two 1-cup containers. Because my supermarket doesn’t have plain frozen quinoa, they’re all mixed with seasonings and veggies. I’m trying the salad tomorrow!
I didn’t like kale until I had a certain side from a popular fast food chain that sells chicken… only a couple of weeks later, this recipe came across my inbox. I thought “okay, I’ll bite” and added the ingredients I didn’t have on hand to my next grocery list. this recipe is *omg* good! like wow tuck this away, along with the rest of the website, in my forever list. the merriment of sweet, salty, acidic and wholesome leaves you wanting more even though this rich salad is more than satisfying as a light dinner. excuse my run on sentence–I loved it!
tldr; yeah, make the salad. (I even added the cashews early because I like them a little chewy, but that’s a preference)
Not a fan of kale BUT this salad has made me a convert – it was really amazing; shared it and got the same reaction to skeptics! Easy to make ahead of time and even though I didn’t have the cashews I can’t imagine it being any better!! Makes a nice size and as Jen said, leftovers will be terrific. Thanks so much for developing that dressing that works perfectly. I never fear trying your recipes. They ALWAYS work and your TWO cookbooks are my #1 go-to sources for every dish.
Hi Jenn, Can bulgar be used instead of quinoa, and would I use the same amount as raw quinoa? Thanks Jenn. Love all your recipes. Sharon
Sure, Sharon, I think you could use bulgur here. I’m not certain exactly how much you’d need — I’d look on the back of the package to see how much uncooked bulgur you need to use to end up with two cooks 2 cups of cooked grain. Please LMK how it turns out with the bulgur!
DELICIOUS! I had to try this yesterday as soon as I saw it in my inbox and it did not disappoint! Amazing combination of flavours . . . . we had it over steamed broccoli in a bowl and there was not a speck left! 😋 Thanks, Jenn, for another outstanding salad recipe.
Hi Jenn:
I have a lot of smoked almonds on hand – will those work instead of cashews?
thanks.
Yep 🙂
I wanted to make this salad for lunch, so I asked my teenage daughter, who is not a particular fan of either curry or quinoa, if she would be up for trying it. With an eye roll and a big smile she said yes. When we sat down to eat it, I asked her what she thought and she responded, “Mom, this is solid.” And, said she would eat it again. High compliments all around:).
The combination of flavors, textures, and colors take this salad to the next level! DELICIOUS!!
I only had Trader Joe’s mango ginger chutney, but figured the ginger would go well with the other flavors. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly as written.
Thank you, Jenn for another great recipe.
Glad to hear the mango-ginger chutney worked! That’s all I have on hand and I just prepped this to bring to a work potluck tomorrow.
What other spice could you use in place of the curry?
Thanks,
PS – making your apple cake for dinner tonight. It’s a favorite with my family
Hi Kathy, I think garam masala would be wonderful.
Hi Jenn,
This looks delicious. How long do you think it would last in the fridge if I’m meal prepping/planning?
Thank you!
Kristen Berry
Hi Kristin, I would make this one day ahead for best results, but it will keep well for several days. Just add the cashews right before serving so they don’t get soggy. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Can’t wait to try this! Can you recommend another type of greens instead of kale to use in this salad? Many thanks and love all your recipes!
Hi Doreen, Romaine or a combo of romaine and mixed greens would work nicely, but the salad would need to be served immediately, as these greens will start to wilt once dressed.
What do you think about adding shrimp to the salad? It sounds like a fantastic taste.
Hi Janie, I think shrimp would make a delicious addition. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Hi Jenn!
I would love to make this and I wanted to know if there is any other green vegetable that I could use instead of kale? A type of lettuce perhaps? Thanks!
Hi Sarah, You could use romaine or any other mixed green but you’d need to eat it right after tossing it with the dressing so the lettuce doesn’t wilt. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it with a different green!