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With Salt and Wit

Laugh Often. Eat Well.

38 February 3, 2015 30 Minute Recipes

Walnut, Grape & Kale Quinoa Salad with White Balsamic Dressing

Walnut, Grape & Kale Quinoa Salad with White Balsamic Dressing is a salad that is perfect to make ahead and is filled with sweet, savory, nutty grains and greens to keep you healthy and full! 

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Walnut, Grape & Kale Quinoa Salad with White Balsamic Dressing is a salad that is perfect to make ahead and is filled with sweet, savory, nutty grains and greens to keep you healthy and full!

This salad and this smoothie is how I coup with 15-degree weather.

I guess there is always margarita’s but this seems much more of a grown up thing.

I hate being grown up sometimes.

Walnut, Grape & Kale Quinoa Salad with White Balsamic Dressing is a salad that is perfect to make ahead and is filled with sweet, savory, nutty grains and greens to keep you healthy and full!

On the other hand, it has quite a few perks. I get to eat ice cream for lunch, if I wish. Stay up past 10 o’clock. (<– Read that as hardly ever.) Wear my pj’s all day with no one nagging at me. Orrrrr have nutritious salads to balance the cocktails that we enjoyed to celebrate the hubs birthday!

In all honesty, the older we get, the less exciting turning another year older becomes. Especially when that next birthday involves the number 3 and ends in 0. Whoa. Someone please tell me the hype is just that. Hype. I like to keep things optimistic and think that the best is yet to come.

Walnut, Grape & Kale Quinoa Salad with White Balsamic Dressing is a salad that is perfect to make ahead and is filled with sweet, savory, nutty grains and greens to keep you healthy and full!

Speaking of the best, this salad is the best to come for your week. The flavors marry perfectly as you can make it ahead of time. Hello perfection! The quinoa absorbs the dressing…which is very similar to my favorite balsamic dressing but I swapped out the regular balsamic vinegar for white balsamic vinegar which is great for salads as it won’t change the color of the salad. Not that balsamic is ugly…but brown food is rather unappealing sometimes. So white balsamic it is!

The grapes add the perfect tart and sweetness to the salad. The pears and pecans are mellow yet provide the crunch we all crave.  I love the chopped kale in the salad, as it brings in some earthiness to make this salad the perfect balance of sweet and savory. No need to precook the kale as the dressing marinates it to soften it up a bit. Which is why I love to prep this salad on a Sunday and munch on it all week long!

Nutritious, sweet and savory. What else do you need in a meal?

Walnut, Grape & Kale Quinoa Salad with White Balsamic Dressing is a salad that is perfect to make ahead and is filled with sweet, savory, nutty grains and greens to keep you healthy and full!

Tools I used to make this recipe:

  • Mixing Bowls
  • Chef’s Knife
  • Wooden Spoons

Walnut, Grape & Kale Quinoa Salad with White Balsamic Dressing

Walnut, Grape & Kale Quinoa Salad with White Balsamic Dressing is a salad that is perfect to make ahead and is filled with sweet, savory, nutty grains and greens to keep you healthy and full!

5 minPrep Time

10 minCook Time

15 minTotal Time

Yields 6

Author:

Megan

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups chopped kale
  • 1 1/2 pears, chopped
  • 1 cup halved grapes
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 1 cup blue cheese crumbles
  • Dressing:
  • 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

  1. Cook the quinoa according to the package.
  2. Once cooked, let cool.
  3. Dressing: Meanwhile, mix the vinegar with the garlic powder, dijon, salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until mixed. Set aside.
  4. Toss with the kale, pears, grapes, pecans and blue cheese crumbles. Toss with the dressing.
  5. Serve immediately or place in a air tight container and let chill in the fridge.
7.8.1.2
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https://withsaltandwit.com/walnut-grape-kale-quinoa-salad-white-balsamic-dressing/

Hungry for more quinoa dishes?

A delicous and flavorful quinoa salad made of caramelized butternut squash, smoked almonds, creamy goat cheese and roasted grapes! Make ahead and store in the fridge until ready to serve!

Caramelized Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad with Goat Cheese and Roasted Grapes

A healthy and filling, One Pot Thai Quinoa Bowl filled with crunchy veggies and drizzled with a spicy and addicting peanut sauce!

One Pot Thai Quinoa Bowl with Chicken and Spicy Peanut Sauce

Chicken Fingers made over by encrusting in ranch seasoned quinoa for major crunch! And served with a two ingredient sauce of BBQ and mustard make for one delicious dinner!

Ranch Quinoa Encrusted Chicken Fingers with BBQ Mustard

 If you make this recipe, make sure to snap a photo and hashtag it #WITHSALTANDWIT. I’d love to see what you are cooking up in your kitchen!

38

Categories: 30 Minute Recipes Tags: balsamic, blue cheese, gluten free, grapes, healthy, kale, make ahead, quinoa, salad, walnuts

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom says

    February 3, 2015 at 6:47 am

    Girl, this is calling my name. I love everything about it! White balsamic is so under utilized! Pinned.
    Reply
    • Meg says

      February 3, 2015 at 7:21 am

      I am with ya! Its my new love!
      Reply
  2. Sarah@Whole and Heavenly Oven says

    February 3, 2015 at 7:34 am

    I am in love with every single thing about this salad! So fresh-looking and filled with so much cheer that these looong Feb days really need. :)
    Reply
    • Meg says

      February 3, 2015 at 8:24 am

      I love the way you described it! Perfect for sure! Thanks so much Sarah :)
      Reply
  3. Amy @ A Healthy Life For Me says

    February 3, 2015 at 7:35 am

    Oh lordy does this salad look amazing. I can not wait to try it! Sharing now.
    Reply
    • Meg says

      February 3, 2015 at 8:23 am

      Why thank you Amy! I hope you enjoy it!
      Reply
  4. heather @french press says

    February 3, 2015 at 10:04 am

    I'd eat healthy all the time if it was always this pretty!
    Reply
    • Meg says

      February 3, 2015 at 9:16 pm

      It does make it easier, huh?!
      Reply
  5. Becky | The Cookie Rookie says

    February 3, 2015 at 4:12 pm

    Beautiful photos!!! Can't wait to try this :)
    Reply
    • Meg says

      February 3, 2015 at 9:16 pm

      Thanks love! Hope you enjoy it ;)
      Reply
  6. Rina I Thee Cook says

    February 4, 2015 at 10:16 am

    This looks so healthy and delicious!
    Reply
    • Meg says

      February 4, 2015 at 3:32 pm

      Oh why thank you Rina! It definitely is both of those!
      Reply
  7. mira says

    February 5, 2015 at 6:12 pm

    I love quinoa! Nice salad, great flavors!
    Reply
    • Meg says

      February 5, 2015 at 8:41 pm

      Thanks so much Mira!
      Reply
  8. Ronda says

    February 9, 2015 at 10:47 am

    Thank you for stopping in and linking up with us this week on #TheWeekendSocial. We love your ideas and hope to see you again this weekend on KitchenDreaming.com. We have pinned, stumbled & added your link into yummly.
    Reply
    • Meg says

      February 9, 2015 at 12:33 pm

      Thank you so much Ronda! Great party and see you next time!
      Reply
  9. Allison says

    March 31, 2016 at 9:48 am

    Do you have any suggestions for substitutions for someone who is allergic to pears and apples? He's also allergic to nuts, but I thought I'd just leave those out. Thanks!
    Reply
    • Meg says

      April 2, 2016 at 2:04 pm

      Hi Allison, off the top of my head, I would say grapes? You could always sub in sunflower seeds if they are allergic to nuts. Enjoy!
      Reply

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Hi There!

I'm Megan! A wife, mama and have a serious love of nutritious, time-saving meals with a knack for meal prep hacks. I crave simple, wholesome and balanced meals with a bit of humor on the side! Welcome to my kitchen. Read More…

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