As I was writing this post I got to thinking about how long it’s been since I posted a kale salad recipe on the blog. Turns out it’s been a while: the last was my tahini mint kale salad, which I shared last March! In other words, I’m overdue, and this maple mustard kale, quinoa & toasted pecan salad is a nice way to get back into the kale salad game.
This is a great kale salad for February. It’s packed with quinoa, golden beets, green beans, and toasted pecans, which together make for a lot of heartiness and nutrition and contrast in texture. What brings the salad together—underscoring the sweetness of the beets along the way—is the maple mustard vinaigrette, which is straight out of Power Plates (I shared the recipe with the harvest bowls, too).
The dressing began as a vinaigrette, and then one of my recipe testers tried it with tahini in place of oil and raved about it. I tried it that way, and I liked the two versions so much (in different ways) that I gave both options in the book. I think the vinaigrette version works better for massaging kale, and in this recipe overall, but you can definitely use the tahini version if you choose to avoid oils.
No matter what, the dressing lends a sweet, salty, and slightly savory (thanks to nutritional yeast!) flavor to the salad.
The salad also benefits from nutty, crunchy toasted pecans. I’ve been working with the American Pecan Council this year to explore and showcase all of the culinary versatility and health benefits of pecans, which are the only major tree nut indigenous to America. Pecans are packed with nutrients, which you can read more about here.
My favorite among pecan’s nutritional highlights are their beneficial, monounsaturated fats and protein, which can aid in satiety after meals. They’re also a good source of fiber and contain plant flavonoids, which are a type of phytonutrient. The food lover in me loves their slightly sweet flavor, which works nicely in all sorts of dishes.
This salad qualifies as a power plate, thanks to protein-packed and complex-carb-rich quinoa, plenty of good fats from the pecans, and lots of veggies. It’s nice for a light lunch, but it’s an even more filling and nutritious meal if you pair it with a cup of soup, a slice of hummus toast, or some baked tofu or tempeh. It’ll give you four generous servings, or—if you’d like to serve it as an appetizer—6 smaller ones.
I can definitely imagine making this salad for a potluck lunch with friends sometime before winter’s end here in the city. For now, I’m enjoying the leftovers all on my own. Like all kale salads, this one keeps pretty nicely: a full two days in the fridge after you make it. Quick weekday lunches for the win.
I’ll be swinging back around this weekend with the usual link love; for now, wishing you a good week ahead.
xo
This post was sponsored by the American Pecan Council. All opinions are my own. Thanks for your support!
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We really don’t like beets. Anything that would be a good substitute?
Roasted carrots would work very well, I think!
The combination of kale, beets, and nuts are delicious but I didn’t care fot the dressing. Also, putting the beans on top of the quinoa didn’t work. I had to pick the beans out to finish cooking them. I will try this again but with changes to the dressing.
Gena, this is the best dressing I’ve eaten in my entire life. I have been meal prepping with it for almost a full year. It’s fantastic both cold and hot – on this salad and pretty much anything with kale or cabbage in it (or any other green, for that matter). Thank you for this fantastic addition to my diet.
Hooray! delighted you like it so much Thera 🙂
Such a colourful and creative recipe! Thanks so much for sharing, my family LOVED it
Great recipe! Can’t stand to try this. Thanks for sharing!!
I love this salad. It looks so good and delicious and nutritious.
As a Nutritionist i can say this food is 100% healthy and nutritious.
This recipe rocks! I am normally not a fan of kale, but could eat it everyday and twice on Sunday like this. I halved the recipe and used precooked beets because I was hungry and didn’t want to wait for the beets to roast, and made vinaigrette version of dressing— which may now be my new favorite sweet and sour dressing ever. I will definitely make this again, would be good as a potluck salad, or a side dish for a dinner party. For me, it was a satisfying lunch.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Tracy!
Hi Gena,
It looks yummy and testy. Also a new salad items for me. Going to try it soon.
Thanks for sharing!! Looks sooo yummy. Could I substitute cashews?
Made this for a dinner party. Everyone LOVED it
I’m so glad to hear this!
The combo of Kale, Quinoa & Toasted Pecan sounds amazing! I know my family would love them.
I didn’t think it was possible to make kale taste good…
This salad proved me wrong… lol. I love it!
I have been trying to include kale into my diet and this looks delicious. Thanks for sharing
Wow Mouth watering recipe.
I love the use of mustard in this dressing! I’ve been obsessing over that flavor lately for some reason. Anyway, this looks like a delightful salad that I’ll have to give a try ASAP!
This dish looks so attractive and mouthwatering. Thanks for sharing this.
This looks delicious for someone who’s trying hard to switch to a healthier lifestyle. I’m training for a race with SportMe half marathon app and also on a strict diet. Things are going great for now.
This is a great idea for kale… I love kale. Will try this out. Awesome. Thanks for the share.
the food looks mouth watering.
I love the use of mustard in this dressing! I’ve been obsessing over that flavor lately for some reason. Anyway, this looks like a delightful salad that I’ll have to give a try ASAP!
A good recipe to try in my kitchen, thanks for sharing
This looks amazing! I’m looking for quinoa recipes. Thank you for another recipe to try.
Looks so pretty with the beets!
I’m trying to find different ways of getting more kale into my diet and this looks delicious. Thank you for sharing 🙂
A good recipe to try in my kitchen, thanks for sharing