Kalamata Collard Quinoa Salad

This kalamata collard quinoa salad couldn’t pack any more flavor into one dish. Make it for lunch, dinner, or as a side to any protein you’d like.

I always prefer to sauté green leaves, especially if they have a strong taste when they are eaten raw. Kale and collards are my two favorite green leaves to sauté in a good extra virgin olive oil because they taste much better when sautéed. I love kale or collard in my chili and my meatballs or this Warm Collard Quinoa Salad because they are cooked. I prefer to cook (sauté or steam) because I love them soft and silky.

Now, of course, you don’t need to cook your collards or kale to enjoy this salad. If you wish, you can slice them into very fine ribbons and season with lemon juice. This way, the rough texture and slightly bitter taste of these two green leaves will combine perfectly with the lemon juice. Why am I talking about kale in this post if the recipe calls for collard greens? It is just because I would like to give you another option, in case you don’t have any collards in your fridge. You can also make this recipe with spinach and it will be great too. Now that you have three choices of greens, you can’t give any excuse to prepare this warm and delicious recipe! Another great ingredient of this easy recipe is quinoa, which is a near-perfect food and a pseudo-grain that is high in protein. Like I said, this recipe is so easy, especially because I cooked my quinoa ahead of time. For me, it is one of the best ways to save time in the kitchen.

When it is time to use your cooked quinoa, you just have to take your plastic bag out of the freezer and defrost at room temperature. This will probably save you a ton of time because you will want to make your quinoa salad and only need to cut the veggies and assemble your salad when it is time to eat. It doesn’t get quicker than that! To wrap everything really well together, add some delicious and juicy kalamata olives into your salad and enjoy this delicious meal at any time. I’ve really been loving kalamata olives lately. If you are too, you should try this Leek Kalamata Rice as well.

Want to try another quinoa salad? Try my Quinoa Salad with Roasted Asparagus and Carrot Quinoa Salad. They’re so quick and easy to make. Want to change things up? Try my Asparagus Couscous Salad Recipe!

Please, if you recreate this recipe, please take a picture and tag @primaverakitchen and #primaverakitchen on Instagram! I would love to see your version. Thanks a lot.

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