This quinoa and celery salad is a fan-favorite among Costco shoppers, but you can easily make it at home with this recipe! Finely chopped kale is tossed with quinoa, celery, almonds, and cranberries then tossed in a simple apple cider vinaigrette. Great for lunch whether you are packing for the office or working from home.
This post is sponsored by Dandy® Fresh Produce.
Looking for a delicious new salad to add to your rotation? This quinoa and celery salad is inspired by a popular one from Costco that is actually simple enough to make yourself. One of the secret ingredients to this salad recipe is fresh celery. So I’ve partnered with Dandy® Fresh Produce and used their crispy celery to add crunch and flavor to this quinoa and celery salad recipe.
What’s more, celery is a great addition to salads like this one since it’s also high in fiber, full of vitamins and minerals, and just overall such a great kitchen staple. Plus, Dandy® fresh-cut celery is naturally sweeter, crispier, and less stringy than other brands on the grocery store shelves!
Why You’ll Love this Costco Copycat Quinoa and Kale Salad
- Great for Meal Prep: this recipe makes a big salad that can be prepped on the weekend and enjoyed all week for a quick and easy lunch or as a side for dinner.
- Easy to Customize: you can easily make this salad your own by using different nuts or veggies, adding cheese or protein, or swapping out the vinegar in the dressing. The recipe is vegan-friendly as written.
- Packed with Flavor: there’s no shortage of flavor in this salad! From crispy veggies, to sweet-tart cranberries, crunchy almonds, and a tangy dressing – this salad has a little bit of everything.
Ingredients for Quinoa and Celery Salad
- Quinoa: for more flavor, be sure to cook your quinoa in broth instead of water. That small change makes a big difference in the overall flavor of this salad!
- Chickpeas: canned beans are one of my additions to a salad for extra protein and fiber. You’ll need chickpeas for this one, but you can swap with butter beans or white beans in a pinch.
- Kale & Purple Cabbage: using kale and cabbage as the leafy green base for this salad helps it last longer without going soggy in the fridge. Both curly kale and lacinato kale work equally well in this kale salad recipe.
- Celery: for extra crunch, this Costco salad also has lots of chopped celery and Dandy celery is my go-to!
- Carrots & Red Onion: add more flavor and color to this salad. If you aren’t a fan of raw red onion in salad, swap it with thinly sliced green onions or minced shallot.
- Cranberries & Almonds: cranberries add a pop of sweetness while the almonds add some crunch. Of course, they provide many essential nutrients too!
- Apple Cider Vinaigrette: once the salad is prepped, it gets tossed in an easy apple cider dressing made with olive oil, vinegar, dijon mustard, and maple syrup. Feel free to adjust the amount of maple syrup if you prefer a sweeter dressing.
Recipe Variations
Try a different vinegar: if you don’t have apple cider vinegar on hand or want to switch things up, you can also make the dressing with balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar.
Swap your grains: don’t have any quinoa in the pantry? No worries! You can easily use a different grain instead like farro, barley, or buckwheat. Cooked pasta can also be a substitute.
Other topping options: feel free to make this salad your own. For example, you can swap the cranberries for raisins or use walnuts or pumpkin seeds instead of the slivered almonds. If you like cheese, this salad would be good with some shaved parmesan cheese or crumbled goat cheese (opt for dairy free ones if vegan!).
How to Make Quinoa Kale Salad
Cook the Quinoa: rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under cold running water. Add it to a small saucepan with the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and continue to simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the broth is absorbed and the quinoa is tender.
Prep the Salad: chop all of the vegetables (kale, cabbage, carrots, red onion) and add to a large salad bowl along with the cooked (and slightly cooled) quinoa and chickpeas. To make quick work of the kale and cabbage, I just pulse them in my food processor until finely chopped.
Make the Dressing: add all of the dressing ingredients to a small mixing bowl and whisk well to combine (or add to a mason jar and shake to combine).
Assemble and Serve: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat everything in the dressing and serve.
Meal Prep and Storage
Meal Prep: Meal Prep: since the base for this salad is quinoa and kale – it’s great for meal prep since it won’t get soggy in the fridge. In fact, the flavor gets better with time. You can easily make the dressing and store in the fridge for 2-3 days before using on the salad when you are ready. The same goes for the quinoa- just cook and store in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the salad.
Storage: store this salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. There’s no need to store the dressing separately.
Quinoa and Celery Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups chickpeas
- 4 cups kale
- 2 cups red cabbage
- 1 1/2 cups celery
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 red onion
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the quinoa to a fine mesh strainer and rinse well under cold running water. Transfer to a small saucepan and add the broth. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 12-15 minutes or until the broth is absorbed and the quinoa is tender.
- Chop all of the vegetables (kale, cabbage, carrots, red onion) and add to a large salad bowl along with the cooked (and slightly cooled) quinoa and chickpeas. To make quick work of the kale and cabbage, I just pulse them in my food processor until finely chopped.
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a small mixing bowl and whisk well to combine (or add to a mason jar and shake to combine).
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat everything in the dressing. Serve!
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