This Kale Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate and Champagne Vinaigrette is going to make you very popular this holiday season. Not only is it gorgeous to look at, but the textures make your mouth come alive. The pomegranate arils pop as you crunch into the kale, releasing their sweetness and providing a perfect contrast to the shards of Parmesan cheese. Quinoa gives the salad heartiness and staying power and the toasted pine nuts provide a little bit of elegance. Fennel and endive add a sweet, cool counterpoint to the kale to make an irresistible salad all around.

Tossed in a light, tangy champagne vinaigrette, this salad balances earthy greens with a bright, universally appealing dressing. Whether you’re meal prepping for the week or serving at a holiday gathering, this salad is easy to make, keeps well, and is sure to be added to the rotation!

Kale Quinoa Salad Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa, cold (for my quinoa cooking method, click here)
• 4 cups kale (which we will NOT massage, but ribbon and salt instead)
• belgian endives
• fennel
• pomegranate arils 
• shaved Parmesan
• toasted pine nuts
• Champagne Vinaigrette

How long does this Kale Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate and Champagne Vinaigrette last in the fridge?

Great question. Undressed, it will last in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Can I make the salad in advance for entertaining?

Yes. My suggestion is that you chop all the ingredients except for the endive in advance. It has a tendency to turn a little brown when cut. You can ribbon the kale in advance (but make sure you spin it very dry) and store it in a zip lock bag, dice the fennel, and cook the quinoa a few days before you’d like to serve it.

Which proteins do you recommend with this salad?

This Kale Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate and Champagne Vinaigrette would pair beautifully with any roasted meat or poultry on your holiday or weeknight dining table. If bringing this to work for a desk lunch, diced grilled chicken or sliced deli turkey would be amazing with it. If you don’t eat meat, a white bean such as cannellini or Great Northern would be a delicious plant based protein addition.

Kale Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate and Champagne Vinaigrette

Recipe by thesal28_wp

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of green kale

• 2 cups cooked quinoa, cold

• 2-3 belgian endives

• 1 fennel bulb

• 3/4 cup pomegranate arils 

• 3-4 oz. block of Parmesan cheese (or 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese)

• Champagne Vinaigrette (recipe below)

• kosher salt

• black pepper

• Champagne Vinaigrette

• 1 peeled garlic clove

• 1 1/2 tbsp honey

• 2 tsp Dijon mustard

• 4 tbsp champagne vinegar

• 8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• kosher salt

• black pepper

• 1-2 tbsp finely diced shallot

Directions

• RIBBON KALE: In case this is your first time making one of my kale salads, I do not recommend “massaging” your kale. It is wholly unnecessary if you learn how to “ribbon” it instead! Here is how you do it: Remove the stems from the kale by holding the stem in one hand and stripping the leaves off with your knife or your hand. Stack 3 to 5 leaves on top of each other, aligning them so they lay flat, and roll them tightly from one long side into a snug bundle. Use the fingertips of your non-knife hand to anchor the kale, pressing very firmly. Use a sharp chef’s knife to slice crosswise into the kale to make very thin cuts, about ⅛ inch apart or even thinner, keeping the slices as close together as possible to create fine ribbons. Once sliced, use your fingers to fluff and separate the strands. Add to a large bowl and sprinkle a small amount of kosher salt (1/4 tsp-ish) onto kale. Toss with gently with your hands and set aside. 
• PREPARE DRESSING: While you could use a top loading blender, I prefer to use an immersion blender for all my salad dressings. Place the Dijon mustard, honey, garlic and vinegar in a pint sized mason jar, deli container or other similar sized receptacle and blend until combined. While blending, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to emulsify into the dressing. Add the finely diced shallot. Season to taste.
• Dice your fennel bulb (I do it the same way one would an onion), slice your endives thinly into rings, and add to the bowl with the kale. Add the quinoa and pomegranate arils. Using a vegetable peeler, shave shards of Parmesan cheese off the block into the salad. Dress and season to taste. Garnish with the toasted pine nuts.