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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This salad is another “keeper” from the vault of my favorite blogger! I’m a big fan of Indian food so you had me at mango chutney and curry! Every crunch brings out a different flavor. And it has staying power because kale is so sturdy so it’s a meal that keeps on giving. And being a vegetarian, I’m getting my protein via the quinoa. A win!
And congrats on the new cookbook. Lots of faves in it but some great new ones to make.
Hi Kitty,
I too love all the recipes I have tried from Jenn. I will try this one today. Since you said you love Indian I wanted to share my favorite Indian chef’s website: myheartbeets.com
Her recipes are delicious and I highly recommend making her onion masala and freezing it because it goes into many of her recipes and will cut the time making those dishes.
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ve already bookmarked the website and will make sure to try the onion masala.
Kitty
I made this salad for our Canadian Thanksgiving yesterday and it was a great hit. Loved the various items for the salad and the dressing made it come together.
We just celebrated our Canadian Thanksgiving and this was a hit! I made the dressing w/o the honey and found it was perfect without
Hi Jenn
How long will this salad keep in the fridge?
Can’t wait to try it
I think it’s best for the first day or two, but it will last a few days longer in the fridge. Hope you enjoy it!
Just wow!!! What an incredible blend of flavors and textures in this salad. It all works so well together. We all keep going back for one more bite. Thanks for the outstanding recipe
This salad is gorgeous! Although there is a fair amount of slicing, this salad is worth it: absolutely delicious. I received rave reviews from 7 guests, first time around. I shall be making this salad again and again.
I made this to last for a couple days’ worth of working-at-home lunches and it’s SO delicious! Forgot to grab a red bell pepper at the store, but didn’t miss it. The combo of the curry/chutney flavor with the sweet/juicy grapes and crunch of the quinoa and nuts couldn’t be better. Thanks, Jen, for another winner! (It was a double Once Upon a Chef day yesterday – this for lunch and your Thai Red Curry Chicken for dinner.)
I have read all the reviews and questions related to this recipe. You have recommended using romaine or mixed greens in case a person wants to substitute kale for other greens. My question is: do romaine lettuce or mixed greens wilt quickly as compared to kale?
Yes, they are not as sturdy as kale, so if you use mixed greens, I’d serve the salad right away so the lettuce doesn’t wilt. Hope that clarifies!
This recipe looks awesome but am having trouble finding Mango Chutney. Is that in jelly aisle (couldn’t find there)? Was it at a particular store? Thanks for all your wonderful recipes. I’m making this with your butternut squash soup and pumpkin cornbread muffins as a dinner for a neighbor who very recently lost her husband. Good food = love!!!
Yes, good food does equal love, and what you’re preparing sounds like a delicious fall meal! Mango chutney can typically be found in the international aisle along with Indian foods. Hope that helps!
Thank you! I also couldn’t find chutney at the store. I used peach-mango preserves instead and it was still delicious! Can’t wait to try it with the chutney.
Good to know – that does sound like a good alternative – thanks for sharing it! 🙂
Just made this today. Like pretty much everything else from Jenn it was amazing. In case this is helpful – I finally found the chutney near the condiments and BBQ sauces at my local Safeway.
Absolutely delicious! I also tried it with Trader Joe’s Mango-Ginger chutney and it’s yummy. I added some snap peas and the shredded broccoli they have at TJ’s as well. My husband loved it too! This one’s a winner!!