Kale & Quinoa Salad Recipe

Prepare kale

Remove kale stems and stack leaves. Thinly slice the leaves into ribbons. Transfer sliced kale to a large bowl; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Massage the kale with your hands for 1–2 minutes until it softens and turns slightly darker.

Prepare quinoa

If you haven't already cooked quinoa: rinse 1/3 cup dry quinoa under cold water, combine with 2/3 cup water in a small pot, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 12–15 minutes until water is absorbed. Fluff and let cool to room temperature. Use 1 cup cooked quinoa in the salad.

Prep other salad components

Julienne the sundried apricots (if packed in oil, blot excess oil). Thinly slice the red onion very finely and soak in cold water for 5 minutes if you want milder onion flavor, then drain. Dice the avocado and toss gently with a small squeeze of lemon to slow browning. Chop the crisp bacon into bite-sized pieces. Toast sliced almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant and lightly golden, 3–4 minutes; transfer to a plate to cool.

Combine salad

To the massaged kale in the large bowl add the cooled cooked quinoa, julienned sundried apricots, sliced onion, chopped bacon, and most of the toasted almonds (reserve a tablespoon for garnish). Gently fold together so ingredients are evenly distributed. Season with remaining kosher salt and black pepper.

Add avocado and dress

Add the diced avocado to the salad and pour the apple cider vinaigrette (prepared in the next section) over the salad. Toss gently to coat everything without mashing the avocado. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or a splash of apple cider vinegar if desired.

Serve

Transfer to a serving platter or individual plates. Sprinkle reserved sliced almonds on top and garnish with a few small apricot strips and a light crack of black pepper. Serve immediately.

Whisk together apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, and optional apple cider in a small bowl. Slowly stream in the extra-virgin olive oil while whisking to emulsify the dressing. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity—add an additional 1/2 teaspoon honey or 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar if needed. The vinaigrette yields about 1/3 cup, enough for the salad; refrigerate any leftover for up to 3 days.