Sesame Kale and Quinoa Salad
This kale and quinoa salad comes together in about 30 minutes and is loaded with tender kale, quinoa, and chickpeas tossed in a zippy sesame dressing and topped with a crispy ramen topping. It’s perfect for meal prep because it will stay fresh in the fridge all week, and the flavors just get better with time!
The salad that made me love kale.
- There are basically 4 steps to this kale salad recipe. Massage the kale, whisk the dressing, toast the crispy ramen topping, and toss it all together! It’s probably one of the easiest salads you’ve ever made.
- The crispy ramen topping is OUT OF THIS WORLD. The crispiness and sesame flavor are unmatched. I like to make a double batch of the topping and just add a mountain of it to each serving.
Here’s what you’ll need.
Here’s how it all comes together.
MAKE RAMEN TOPPING: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Crush the ramen brick into small pieces and toss it in the skillet with the almonds and sesame seeds. Stir frequently for 5-6 minutes until everything’s toasty and smells amazing. Off the heat, drizzle with sesame oil and a sprinkle of salt, toss to coat, and set aside to cool.
MAKE DRESSING: Whisk together the rice vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust.
MASSAGE KALE: Add the chopped kale to a big bowl, drizzle with a couple teaspoons of dressing, and massage it in with your hands until the kale softens and turns bright green.
ASSEMBLE: Add the chickpeas, quinoa, and half the ramen topping to the bowl.
DRESS: Pour in half the remaining dressing and toss well. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
SERVE + ENJOY: Right before serving, toss with another splash of dressing, transfer to a platter, and top with the rest of that crispy ramen topping.
Things I learned while testing this recipe.
- Add just half the dressing initially, and then add a splash of dressing just before serving.
- This recipe makes A LOT of dressing (so you’ll end up with extra), but it’s so freaking good that you’ll want to put it on everything. I even love to use it as a chicken marinade! If you really only want exactly just enough dressing for the salad, click the 1/2x button in the recipe card, and it will automatically halve the recipe for you!
- Massaging the kale is the best way to make it super tender and infuse that sesame flavor into every bite. Don’t skip it!
- Keep the crispy ramen topping separate until right before serving if you’re not eating the salad right away. It stays shockingly crispy that way instead of going soft mixed in with everything else.
This ultimate meal prep salad just gets better with time.
- Unlike lettuce-based salads that wilt into a sad puddle, kale actually holds up.
- In fact, it just gets better with time after marinating in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
- Make it Sunday night and eat it all week!
Here’s what I’d serve with this.
- sheet pan Greek meatballs + potatoes
- coconut curry chicken skewers
- peanut butter chicken and rice bowls
- sage chicken meatballs with cheesy orzo
- creamy cauliflower + carrot soup
Just in case you have leftovers.
- Keep the dressed salad (without the ramen topping) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- Store the ramen topping separately in a container at room temperature so it stays crispy. Just sprinkle it on right before you dig in.
More easy salad recipes for your eating pleasure.
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Sesame Kale Chickpea Salad
This kale and quinoa salad comes together in about 30 minutes and is loaded with tender kale, quinoa, and chickpeas tossed in a zippy sesame dressing and topped with a crispy ramen topping. It’s perfect for meal prep because it will stay fresh in the fridge all week, and the flavors just get better with time!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American/Asian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Ramen Topping
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 brick uncooked ramen, crushed
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- Kosher salt
Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
Salad
- 1 bunch of kale, trimmed and finely chopped
- 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1.5 cups cooked quinoa (1/2 cup uncooked)
Instructions
- MAKE RAMEN TOPPING. Add butter to a large skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Crush ramen into small pieces and add to the skillet along with almonds and sesame seeds. Cook, stirring very frequently, for about 5-6 minutes or until everything is toasty and fragrant. Remove from heat, drizzle with toasted sesame oil, and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Toss to coat evenly and set aside to cool.
- MAKE DRESSING. Add olive oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper to a bowl. Whisk until well combined. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if needed.
- MASSAGE KALE. Add chopped kale to a large bowl. Drizzle with a couple teaspoons of dressing and use your hands to gently massage the dressing into the kale until it begins to wilt and turn bright green.
- ASSEMBLE AND DRESS. Add chickpeas, quinoa, and half the ramen topping to the bowl. Pour in half of the remaining dressing, toss to coat evenly, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- SERVE + ENJOY. Just before serving, toss salad with another splash or two of dressing. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with the remaining crispy ramen topping. Enjoy!
- SHARE THE LOVE. If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating and review below!
Notes
- Add just half the dressing initially, and then add a splash of dressing just before serving.
- This recipe makes A LOT of dressing (so you’ll end up with extra), but it’s so freaking good that you’ll want to put it on everything. I even love to use it as a chicken marinade! If you really only want exactly just enough dressing for the salad, click the 1/2x button in the recipe card, and it will automatically halve the recipe for you!
- Massaging the kale is the best way to make it super tender and infuse that sesame flavor into every bite. Don’t skip it!
- Keep the crispy ramen topping separate until right before serving if you’re not eating the salad right away. It stays shockingly crispy that way instead of going soft mixed in with everything else.
