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Pesto Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Avocado, and Kale

Light, flavorful pesto quinoa salad with avocado, walnuts, feta cheese, asparagus, and kale. This nutrient-packed dish is perfect for packing up and taking for lunches or to barbecues and picnics.

Pesto Quinoa Salad with Kale, Asparagus, Avocado, Walnuts, and Feta. A light and refreshing side dish perfect for sharing

I’ve been on quite the quinoa kick lately (did you check out my Mango Edamame Quinoa Salad a couple of weeks ago?? It’s pretty magical!), and this pesto quinoa salad has been part of my weekly routine. I make a batch of it over the weekend so that I can eat on it throughout the week. The combination of pesto sauce, asparagus, kale, walnuts, avocado and feta cheese creates a texture and flavor-packed superfood medley that will make your taste buds swoon.

One of my favorite parts about quinoa is its nutrient profile – it is filled with plant-based protein and also complex carbohydrates. It’s an excellent food to add to my salads when I’m wanting a lighter meal but also wanting to hit all of my macros.

I originally developed this recipe for my cookbook, Let Them Eat Kale!, (which will be re-printed as The Quintessential Kale Cookbook in January 2019). Remembering how much I loved this dish back when I first made it 4 years ago for the book, I just had to re-make it, as it truly is a marvelous salad for summertime.

Pesto Quinoa Salad with Kale, Asparagus, Avocado, Walnuts, and Feta. A light and refreshing side dish perfect for sharing

The pesto sauce I use in this pesto quinoa salad is my homemade kale pesto. I typically keep my pesto sauces dairy-free and vegan by replacing the parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast and cider vinegar. I find the nutritional yeast and cider vinegar adds beautiful tangy, cheesy flavor. If you eat dairy, you can omit the nutritional yeast and cider vinegar and replace it with 1/2 to 3/4 cup grated parmesan. I love the nuttiness of the walnuts in the pesto, and the fact that the kale adds even more nutrients while still being super flavorful.

You can easily meal prep this recipe by cooking the quinoa up to 4 days in advance, and making the pesto sauce up to 4 days in advance. The dish comes together quickly, though, so no advance prep is necessary.

Recipe Adaptations:

  • Use your favorite pesto sauce in place of the kale pesto.
  • Incorporate your favorite seasonal vegetables in place of asparagus.
  • Omit the avocado if you’re meal prepping and add it in just before serving so that it stays fresh.
  • Substitute any of your favorite nuts for the walnuts, or go for pine nuts or pumpkin seeds.
  • Omit the feta to make vegan or replace with goat cheese.
  • If you aren’t intolerant to garlic, you may add 1 clove garlic to the pesto sauce.

Pesto Quinoa Salad with Kale, Asparagus, Avocado, Walnuts, and Feta. A light and refreshing side dish perfect for sharing

I keep this quinoa salad as a side dish, or I add it to a big green salad to turn it into an entrée. You can absolutely eat it as is and call it dinner or get creative with your uses. This is a marvelous addition to any of your picnics, barbecues, and gatherings.

Pesto Quinoa Salad with Kale, Asparagus, Avocado, Walnuts, and Feta. A light and refreshing side dish perfect for sharing

Pesto Quinoa Salad with Asparagus, Avocado, and Kale

Fresh, flavorful, delicious and nutritious quinoa salad loaded with superfoods and deliciousness!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
6 Servings

Ingredients

Kale Pesto

Quinoa Salad:

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small bunch asparagus, trimmed and chopped
  • 2 cups tightly packed kale leaves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
  • 1/2 cup kale pesto sauce, recipe above
  • 1/3 cup raw walnuts, roasted and chopped
  • 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
  • 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbles

Instructions

Kale Pesto:

  • Add all ingredients except oil to a food processor and pulse until chopped. Once chopped, turn the food processor on and stream the oil through the opening in the top. Continue processing until desired texture is reached. Taste pesto for flavor and add more sea salt or nutritional yeast

Quinoa Salad:

  • Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
  • Add oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat to medium-high. Add chopped asparagus and saute, stirring occasionally, until asparagus turns bright green and begins to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Add chopped kale to the skillet and stir. Cover and cook until kale has wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the cooked quinoa, lemon zest, sea salt, and kale pesto and stir well until combined. 
  • Fold in the avocado, walnuts, and feta and taste for flavor. Add more sea salt to taste. Note: you can chill the pesto quinoa in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve before adding the avocado, walnuts, and feta. Quinoa salad can be served both warm or cold.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 6 - Calories: 603kcal - Carbohydrates: 25g - Protein: 9g - Fat: 54g - Fiber: 6g - Sugar: 2g
Course: Side Dishes & Snacks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: avocado, healthy side dish, kale, pesto, quinoa salad, vegetarian
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 603kcal
Author: Julia
Recipe Rating




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Lisa

Tuesday 27th of August 2019

This was delicious and a huge hit at my dinner party. I paired it with your Mediterranean Salmon as you suggested and they worked really well together. Thanks for sharing this. I will definitely make again.

Julia

Tuesday 27th of August 2019

Wahoo! I'm so happy to hear it! Thanks so much for letting me know, Lisa! xo

Nadine

Saturday 27th of April 2019

Love, love, love this recipe!! 11/10?

Julia

Saturday 27th of April 2019

Yaaaaas! I'm so thrilled to hear it, Nadine! I'm obsessed with it too. Thanks for the sweet note! xo

Laura Benzel

Thursday 18th of April 2019

This is so delicious! I love the kale pesto.

Julia

Thursday 18th of April 2019

I'm so happy you like it, Laura! Thanks for the sweet note! xo

marcie

Monday 9th of July 2018

I absolutely love quinoa and pesto so this is a salad that I would love to eat for lunch every day of the week! I often make my pesto sauces without parmesan as well and am intrigued with the parmesan-vinegar trick. I'll have to give that a try!

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