5 from 4 votes

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A bright and textured salad filled with juicy blueberries, crisp kale, tangy feta cheese, and crunchy almonds in a fresh lemon dressing.

This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Bushel and Berry®.

Blueberry quinoa kale salad in a small brown wooden bowl.

YOU WILL LOVE THIS BLUEBERRY QUINOA SALAD

After I had our first son, we had lots of folks bringing us meals, and we were so grateful for that. We had everything from breakfast to dinner, but one of my favorites was a salad that my husband’s aunt brought to us. It was this pre-mixed salad that I remember eating immediately upon arrival and I barely stopped until it was all gone. It was that good.

And that salad was a version of this blueberry kale quinoa salad recipe that you are going to absolutely adore. I actually love this salad so much, it also exists in an apple version, and you really could use just about any fruit in this fresh salad that your heart desires.

The base of the salad is kale which gives it a soft and tender green bite. The fluffy quinoa lends a nutty, earthy taste similar to that of rice, and together, these two provide a solid base for all of the other ingredients I include with so much wiggle room, I wonder if you’ll be making it as often as we do!

While this recipe as written provides a complete protein thanks to the quinoa, meaning that this nutritious salad contains all nine essential amino acids that our bodies cannot make on their own, something that not all plant-based protein can claim.

Combined with nutrient-rich almonds and blueberries, this is the perfect salad for a side dish that can also stand alone as the main event with regard to both taste and satiety level, so be sure to check the variations and substitutions section below if you’d like to make this salad even heartier.

SALAD INGREDIENTS

The list of main ingredients in this salad recipe is short, and the simple salad dressing is only two!

Aerial photo of ingredients for blueberry quinoa kale salad with text overlay.

For this fresh blueberry salad, you will need:
• cooked quinoa
• kale
• feta cheese
• fresh blueberries
• almonds
• lemon
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

CAN I USE FROZEN BLUEBERRIES IN THIS SALAD?

This is a very common question, since having frozen fruit on hand is so much more convenient than buying fresh (plus, you can make it any time of year).

A bowl of blueberries on a surface with a lemon, quinoa, and olive oil in bowls around it.

Thanks to Bushel and Berry®, I had fresh blueberries available to me because they were in season when I made this recipe. I particularly like this blueberry plant “Perpetua,” because it stays small enough to grow in a patio container and it will give you two crops of sweet and delicious blueberries! The first fruit will appear in mid-summer and again in the fall.

HOW TO MAKE BLUEBERRY QUINOA SALAD RECIPE

This recipe is so simple, because all you’re doing is prepping and mixing. It’s too easy! If you’d like to make this ahead of time, see below for more details on doing that.

STEP #1

In a large bowl, combine quinoa, kale, feta cheese, blueberries, and almonds, and mix until thoroughly combined.

Aerial photo of ingredients for blueberry quinoa kale salad in a large glass bowl.

STEP #2

Drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil over the salad and toss to coat everything. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

What I love about this salad (and most salads, for that matter) is that the ingredients are really flexible and adaptable to what you prefer, have on hand, or enjoy adding to salads.

CHANGE UP THE FRUIT: not blueberry season? No problem! You can use frozen (thawed) sweet blueberries or any other frozen or fresh berries that you enjoy. I have also made this salad with apples, pears, peaches, strawberries, and oranges. The options are endless here!

SWAP OUT FETA: don’t like feta cheese? Consider goat cheese, Gorgonzola cheese, blue cheese, or other crumble cheese that lends a tangy bite to the sweetness and acidity.

MAKE IT VEGAN: as written, the only animal-based product in this blueberry quinoa salad is the feta cheese. If you’d like to keep this entirely plant-based, simply use your favorite dairy-free cheese.

ADD MEAT: I have enjoyed this salad with grilled chicken and it also works well with salmon.

ADD MORE HEALTHY FATS: some creamy avocado makes this salad even more satiating and is one of my favorite ways to add some extra fat.

CAN I MAKE THIS SALAD AHEAD OF TIME?

I love making this salad ahead of time as the lemon and olive oil help tenderize the kale leaves. It does, however, soften the almonds, too, so if I want to make this ahead of time, I usually leave the almonds out of it and add them on later.

If you want to add this blueberry quinoa kale salad to a salad bar type setup, I recommend tossing together the kale and quinoa and possibly the dressing, depending on your preference.

5 from 4 votes

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