Blueberries, kale, and walnuts pair perfectly in this delicious vegan blueberry summer kale salad that is packed with antioxidants. Topped with a simple blueberry vinaigrette that you’ll want to add to every salad this summer.

This post was originally published on July 9, 2014 but was updated with new photos and a couple of recipe tweaks to make it even better. I hope you love it!

Oh my goodness, I am so excited to tell you about this salad. Blueberry season is finally here and this salad is the perfect way to highlight their deliciousness. In fact, I put them on top of this salad as well as in the dressing. Mmm…

The best part about kale salads is that the flavors get even better when you serve the leftovers. I made this huge salad for myself and have been doling out single servings into containers for my lunch at work. It makes lunch prep when I am still half asleep in the mornings super easy! Speaking of meal prep, this quinoa and celery kale salad is another favorite in our house (it’s a Costco copycat recipe).

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Blueberries: Fresh blueberries are best for this salad because thawed frozen berries are just too mushy. Save this salad for berry season!
Balsamic Vinegar: Pairs so well with the blueberries in the homemade dressing for this salad.
Quinoa: Love adding quinoa to salads like this one to bump up the protein.
Kale: I like to use lacinato (ie. dino) kale for this salad but curly kale could work too.
Walnuts: Walnuts and blueberries just pair so well together! However, you could also use pecans, almonds, or sunflower seeds if you like.
Vegan Feta: The vegan feta is optional, but it is so good on this salad! I really like this one but there are a few different vegan companies that make feta now.

How to Make this Summer Kale Salad

STEP 1: Add quinoa to a fine mesh sieve and rinse well with cold water. Transfer to small saucepan and add water. Bring to a simmer and then cover. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed. Set aside too cool.

STEP 2: While the quinoa cooks. Finely chop the kale and massage with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add the blueberries, feta, and walnuts. Set aside.

STEP 3: Make the salad dressing by adding all the dressing ingredients to a blender cup and pureeing until smooth. It’s best to pulse just until smooth. If you blend too long, you can make mayonnaise!

STEP 4: Assemble salad by adding cooled quinoa to the rest of the salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.

Why This Salad is Good For You

Kale: We all know now that kale is super good for you. One cup of chopped raw kale has over 100% of your nutrient needs for Vitamins A, C, and K. That one serving has only 33 calories too.
Blueberries: These cute berries are high in polyphenols which research indicates play an active role in alleviating inflammation. Most recently, research has linked blueberries with a slower rate of cognitive decline with age.
Walnuts: Walnuts are a great source of heart healthy omega 3 fats. They are also especially high in antioxidants which can help lower risk of chronic disease.
Quinoa: Quinoa is naturally gluten free and is a great source of plant-based protein. One cup of cooked quinoa has 8 grams of complete protein since it includes all 8 essential amino acids.

Blueberry Kale Summer Salad in white bowl with serving fork

Recipe Notes:

To blend the dressing for this salad, I really like using the smoothie cup attachment for my NutriBullet Magic Bullet. This little appliance is seriously so useful! We use it all the time for small batches of sauces and dressings.
The secret to actually delicious kale salads is to make sure to finely chop your kale. The smaller the pieces, the more softer they get after massaging. Plus, no one likes trying to gnaw on big pieces of raw kale!
SEASON YOUR SALAD! Just like any other dish, salads taste so much better when sprinkled with the smallest dash of sea salt or finishing salt after plating. That little dash of salt can really make the flavors pop.
Switch it up with a different dressing. This strawberry balsamic dressing would be delicious on this salad!

Make Ahead and Storage

This salad will keep up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container but tastes best when served right after making.

Prepare the quinoa and the salad dressing in advance so this salad can be assembled in just a few minutes when you are ready to serve. Store the quinoa in an airtight container up to 4 days in the fridge. Store the dressing in a jar in the fridge until ready to use.

More Salad Recipes You’ll Love