Today’s Rainbow Kale Salad recipe has been a long time coming. I am finally sharing one of my all time favorite recipes! Truthfully I have been making this recipe for years. It was one of the first recipes I created when I went vegan. This is one of those recipes that I make so frequently that I forget to create content for it! Honestly am glad that I waited this long to photograph it, because I think if I would have tried earlier the photos wouldn’t do it justice. As much as I love all my recipes and remake them quite often, I definitely have a couple other recipes like this kale quinoa salad that are weekly staples for me. I just can’t get enough of! Here are some of those recipes:
- Buffalo Cauliflower Salad
- Vegan Lasagna Soup
- Cranberry Orange Bread
- Raw Vegan Pad Thai
- Jackfruit Enchiladas
How to make the best rainbow kale salad:
I may be a bit biased, but I really do believe that this is the best kale salad recipe out there. In order to make this kale quinoa salad perfect, there’s a couple things you need to do. Fist, and this goes for any salad recipe (especially kale) WASH THOSE VEGGIES! I’ll admit I used to be a swishy swish kind of girl. Then one day I decided to give all my vegetables a deep clean, and oh my goodness… Nightmare fuel! To wash my vegetables I just place them all in the sink with warm water, about 1/2 cup vinegar, and a tbsp baking soda. Sit back and watch the magic happen.
The second thing you need to do to make this rainbow kale salad is use the rainbow (duh). Seriously though, look for the most vibrant produce at the grocery store and get to work! It always amazes me; the variety of produce available at the grocery store. There’s so many fruits and vegetables that most of us have never even tried (check out my #weirdfruitwednesday on Instagram). You could use rainbow kale, rainbow carrots, and different colored bell peppers to make this quinoa kale salad recipe!
Is cold pressed oil healthy for you?
If you’re new here, hi I’m Katie and I eat about a 95% oil-free diet. I never cook with oil and I only use cold pressed oils. Why? There’s plenty of reasons, but I’ll stick to the basics. Most oils are highly processed and do not contain health promoting nutrients. Therefore I see no need for them in my diet. Refined oils just add extra saturated fat and calories to your food. There are so many ways to make oil-free recipes that are lower in fat, and higher in protein and fiber now days that I simply don’t find the need for highly processed oils. I still use oil occasionally, but my rule of thumb is to only used cold pressed oils in salad dressings!
Can I meal prep this kale quinoa salad?
Like I said earlier this kale salad was one of the first recipes I ever created. It also happens to be one of my most frequently made recipes. This rainbow kale salad was my go-to healthy salad recipe throughout college. I’ve shared in other posts how I was a huge meal prepper in college, and how I absolutely loved it! Nowadays I have a very flexible schedule, but I understand eating around a fixed schedule. For that reason I will continue to make healthy meal prep recipes just like this kale quinoa salad. Since this rainbow kale salad recipe is kale based, it stores very well in the fridge. The rest of the vegetables featured in this recipe store well in the fridge as well, and the vinegar helps to extend the life of this salad even longer!
Can I make this plant based salad raw vegan?
Yes! This rainbow kale salad can be made raw vegan by making a few simple substitutions. First you need to sub out the quinoa. Since you are getting rid of the bulk of the calories with the quinoa, make sure to replace it with another protein and fiber rich option such as nuts/seeds. You will also probably want to double the rest of the recipe so that it is a little more filling. I think that avocado would work really well in this salad if your goal is to make it raw, because it would add calories and therefore make the salad more filling. Even if you’re not eating this rainbow kale salad as a raw vegan salad, avocado tastes great in the salad!
Ingredients for this Rainbow Kale Salad:
- Quinoa
- Kale
- Carrots
- Bell pepper
- Edamame
- Daikon radish
- Cold pressed flaxseed oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Green onions
- Italian seasoning
Rainbow Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 1 bunch rainbow kale
- 2/3 cup dried quinoa
- 3 carrots
- 1 daikon radish
- 1 bell pepper or 1 cup chopped sweet peppers
- 2 cups edamame
- 2 tbsp cold pressed flax seed oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 3 green onions optional
Instructions
- Begin by cooking your quinoa according to package instructions. While the quinoa is cooking, wash and massage your kale.
- In a large bowl combine the massaged kale, edamame, and shredded carrots and daikon radish. Dice the bell pepper and add to the bowl. Once the quinoa is done allow to cool and then add to the bowl.
- While the quinoa is cooling, slice the green pepper and add the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk together. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss with the quinoa. Serve in your Coconut Bowl and enjoy!
Pingback: Winter Kale Salad - The All Natural Vegan
Pingback: Winter Dinner Salad - The All Natural Vegan - Winter Dinner Salad
Pingback: Roasted Kale Salad - The All Natural Vegan
Pingback: Lemon Avocado Kale Salad - The All Natural Vegan
Pingback: Vegan Kale Caesar Salad - The All Natural Vegan
Pingback: Vegan Lasagna soup - The All Natural Vegan
Pingback: Taco Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing - The All Natural Vegan
Pingback: Arugula Avocado Salad - The All Natural Vegan
Pingback: Peanut Ginger Asian Crunch Salad - The All Natural Vegan
Healthy, protein-packed salad like this are my favorite!
Pingback: Edamame Crunch Salad - The All Natural Vegan
Pingback: Barley Pesto Salad - The All Natural Vegan
This is such a great salad recipe! We make this regularly in our home now.
love the colors combining all good healthy veggies. this kale salad is easy to make. I love to meal prep on weekends and enjoy for the week
We couldn’t get over how flavorful the dressing is! This delicious salad is on regular rotation for meal prep!
Absolutely loving this rainbow kale salad! It doesn’t take long to make at all and is perfect for meal prepped lunches.