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.
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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.
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We have a cashew allergy in the house – which nut would you suggest to substitute it with for this recipe? Thanks so much. We are a HUGE fan of your recipes.
So glad you like the recipes! You really can use any nut that you like in place of the cashews. Walnuts, almonds, or pecans would all be delicious!
Absolutely yummy! hearty enough that is coudl be used as a meal. But was a perfect side for dinner party served with cornish game hens. It was perfect and guests asked for recipe.
Delish! Used maple syrup instead of the honey to accommodate my vegan friend. Used homemade Apple Chutney (sweet/spicy) because it was already in my frig, and the finished product was fantastic. Easy and quick to make. This will definitely become a new “go-to” recipe. Can make ahead and/or would be a good potluck choice. Yum!
Wonderful assortment of flavors! Very different from the “usual salad” and a big hit. Will make this often!
SUCH A FANTASTIC SALAD!!! BURSTING WITH FRESH FLAVORS AND OH SO COLORFUL. Definitely give it a try. It is a keeper!
Absolutely fantastic! I used lacinato kale and skipped the celery and coriander. It was perfect, that dressing is out of this world! Thank you for this recipe and all your others 😊
Could I use salted nuts or pepitas instead of cashews. Also don’t have grapes and am considering clementines or apples. Thoughts?
Hi Mary, Yes, any nut or the pepitas will work here. And I’d go with diced apples. Hope you enjoy!
Great recipe and I plan to serve it at our family Thanksgiving dinner. I also like another of your quinoa dishes and was wondering if I could substitute couscous, Israeli couscous, or a grain like bulgur for the quinoa in this recipe to have some variety?
Sure, you can definitely swap it out with other grains (and glad you like it)!
This is favourite of the family especially at this time of the year. It was made at Christmas and I got rave reviews.
I love your recipes and comments . Everything that I have tried has been great.
This recipe is delicious(my 15 year old liked it) and easy. Easy to make your own quinoa and freeze the extra for the next salad. I see comments about not liking kale or not being able to chew kale. Being a vegetarian/vegan I have learned a few things about kale to optimize and enjoy it. Fresh from the supermarket is best. Don’t let it sit in the fridge for a few days and then make the recipe. I will develop a bitter taste. Also chop kale into tiny shreds. It is easy and you can find how to do this on the internet. The kale is the healthiest of the spinach and mixed greens mentioned as substitutes and kale adds backbone to the dish. I’d imagine that the other greens would stick together and the volume of the salad would be less.