Crispy Quinoa Kale Salad loaded with tender very finely chopped greens, crunchy toasty quinoa and peanuts, all drenched in a very punchy, tangy, sweet and savory dressing. This one is so full of delicious flavors and textures!
![A white bowl full of crispy quinoa kale salad, with wooden salad servers tucked in the side and a green napkin.](https://avirtualvegan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Crispy-Quinoa-Kale-Salad-A-Virtual-Vegan-6.jpg)
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Ooooo this Crispy Quinoa Kale Salad is a tasty one! It's full of very punchy flavors and lovely textures.
With very finely shredded kale and cabbage, diced red bell pepper, golden quinoa crispies, and crunchy roasted peanuts, all tossed in a spicy, tangy dressing, it's like a party in your mouth. Crisping up that quinoa takes it to a whole other level!
I love this salad with some pan-fried vegan chicken, grilled food of pretty much any kind, crispy chick'n tenders, or baked tofu, and it's also plenty satisfying enough to enjoy on its own as a light meal.
Mr AVV has been loving it in his packed lunch for work and it would definitely be a hit at get-togethers and potlucks.
Mel x
Ingredients
Here is what you need at a glance, along with some important ingredient notes & substitution ideas:
![bowls of kale, extra virgin olive oil. sambal oelek, rice vinegar, quinoa, cabbage, lime juice, red onion, red bell pepper, peanuts, salt, brown sugar, lime zest, soy sauce, cilantro and a knob of ginger and a clove of garlic.](https://avirtualvegan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Crispy-QUinoa-Kale-Salad-2.jpg)
- Cabbage - I used green cabbage (white in the UK), but Napa cabbage or red cabbage would work well too.
- Bell pepper - I chose red for its sweet flavor and the contrast in color but yellow would work well too.
- Peanuts - I like to use roasted and salted peanuts. Cashews would make a great alternative.
- Cilantro - I've made this with and without the cilantro and it's good both ways so if you don't have any don't let it stop you from making it.
- Brown sugar - You could use coconut sugar instead. This is for rich flavor and balance.
- Sambal oelek - I really like the flavor and heat of this but sriracha or gochujang would work well too.
- Soy sauce - Use gluten-free soy sauce or Tamari if necessary.
I recommend using a food processor to pulse the kale and cabbage into super tiny pieces for this recipe. The kale will get a bit damp-looking, smell very kale-y, and reduce in volume a lot while you're pulsing (like mine in the ingredients pic) so don't be alarmed. Doing it this way allows the dressing to really drench and soak into the greens, making the salad super flavorful, soft, and almost juicy (you'll understand what I mean when you eat it).
If you don't have a food processor just chop it as finely as you can.
Let's Make Crispy Quinoa Kale Salad!
Can't wait to make it? Here's a quick visual rundown of how it's done. See the recipe card for the full and detailed version, or check out my recipe video to watch me make them:
1 - Cook the quinoa, allow it to cool, then spread out on a baking tray.
![quinoa spread out on a baking tray](https://avirtualvegan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Crispy-Quinoa-Kale-Salad-A-Virtual-Vegan-2.jpg)
2 - Toss the quinoa with oil and salt and bake or air fry until golden and crispy. I recommend not lining the pan for optimum crispiness. Look at those quinoa crispies! 👀
![crispy golden quinoa on a baking tray](https://avirtualvegan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Crispy-Quinoa-Kale-Salad-A-Virtual-Vegan-3.jpg)
3 - Blend the dressing.
![thick, creamy brown dressing in a blender jar](https://avirtualvegan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Crispy-Quinoa-Kale-Salad-A-Virtual-Vegan-1-2.jpg)
3 - Add everything to a large bowl, reserving some crispy quinoa and peanuts for the top.
![a bowl of untossed crispy quinoa kale salad](https://avirtualvegan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Crispy-Quinoa-Kale-Salad-A-Virtual-Vegan-4.jpg)
4 - Toss it all together, garnish it with crispy quinoa and peanuts, then serve!
![Crispy quinoa kale salad in a white bowl with wooden salad servers.](https://avirtualvegan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Crispy-Quinoa-Kale-Salad-A-Virtual-Vegan-1-4.jpg)
![a close up of wooden salad servers picking up some kale quinoa salad](https://avirtualvegan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Crispy-Quinoa-Kale-Salad-A-Virtual-Vegan-7.jpg)
Recipe
![a bowl of crispy quinoa kale salad with wooden salad servers](https://avirtualvegan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Crispy-Quinoa-Kale-Salad-A-Virtual-Vegan-5-150x150.jpg)
Crispy Quinoa Kale Salad
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
For the quinoa
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa , (or 1½ cups already cooked quinoa)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
For the dressing
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 lime , juice and zest
- 2 tablespoons Sambal oelek , or sriracha or Gochujang
- 1 clove garlic
- 1- inch piece fresh ginger , or a generous spoonful of ginger paste
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar , or coconut sugar
For the salad
- 1 bunch (6 large leaves) kale
- ½ a head medium green cabbage
- 1 red bell pepper deseeded and diced small
- ¼ red onion diced very finely
- 1 bunch cilantro , omit if you don’t care for cilantro
- ¾ cup (113 grams) salted roasted peanuts , or cashews
INSTRUCTIONS
For the quinoa
- Cook the quinoa (skip this step if using already cooked quinoa) - Add it to a saucepan along with 1 cup (240ml) water. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes turn off the heat and leave covered for another 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely. You can hurry the cooling up by spreading it out thinly on a plate or small baking tray.
- Crisp the quinoa - Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Toss the quinoa with olive oil and salt, spread out in a thin layer on an unlined baking tray and bake for 15 minutes. Toss, then bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until golden and crispy. Leave to cool completely on the tray. Or spread thinly on an air fryer-sized piece of parchment paper and gently place in your air fryer. Cook at 350 for 13 to 15 minutes, tossing carefully halfway.
- Make the dressing - Blend the dressing ingredients together until smooth. If you don’t have a blender use a microplane to grate the ginger and garlic and then whisk everything together.
- Prep the veggies - Chop/shred the kale and cabbage into very small pieces. I pulse it in my food processor until it's super tiny. Don't worry if it starts smelling really kale-y and gets a bit damp. It will be fine once everything is combined. Finely dice the red onion and bell pepper. Chop the cilantro.
- Assemble - To a large serving bowl add the the kale, cabbage, bell pepper, onion, and cilantro. Pour over some dressing and toss together. You might not need all of the dressing. Sprinkle over the crispy quinoa and roasted peanuts. You can toss it all together or leave them on top to keep them crispier longer.
NOTES
Making Ahead
- Blend the dressing. This can be kept in a jar in the fridge for a week.
- Chop the kale, cabbage, red onion, and bell peppers. These will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Make the crispy quinoa - This should stay crispy for up to a week if you let it cool completely on the tray then transfer to an airtight container.
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