This meal prep kale and quinoa salad jars are a delicious and healthy creation that embodies the essence of autumn. This vibrant gut-friendly salad combines the robust earthiness of kale with a medley of seasonal ingredients creating a symphony of flavors and textures. The Honey Dijon Tahini dressing provides a balance of sweet and savory notes and completes this vegetarian lunch.
While you can enjoy this recipe year round, this meal prep kale and quinoa salad jar shines during the autumn and fall season.
If you love this recipe, you will love my other Meal Prep Fall Harvest Salad Jars and End of Summer Salad.
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Ingredients
- Tahini
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Dijon Mustard
- Honey
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Water
- Can of Chickpeas, Rinsed and Drained
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Kale, Chopped and massaged with oil
- Quinoa, Cooked
- Slivered Almonds
- Cranberries
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
FIRST, MAKE YOUR ROASTED SWEET POTATOES:
- Preheat your oven to 400 F and set your rack to the middle position.
- Grab your medium sweet potatoes, peel (optional) and dice into 1″ cubes. Add avocado oil and your favorite seasonings to your taste preference (I used ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon onion powder), toss and place on a baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes or until fork tender. Let cool to room temperature.
NEXT, MAKE YOUR QUINOA:
- While your sweet potatoes are roasting, cook your quinoa according to the instructions on the packaging or use pre-cooked frozen or packaged quinoa. Let cool to room temperature.
NEXT, ASSEMBLE YOUR MEAL PREP SALAD:
- Grab a large jar or meal prep container as pictured, start by adding 1 tablespoon tahini, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard,1 teaspoon honey, 1 & ½ tablespoons water, ⅛ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper to the bottom of the bowl and giving it a whisk until everything is well combined.
- Next, add in ¼ of your chick peas so that they soak up the flavor of the dressing while they sit in the fridge. Then add 1 cup of massaged kale, ⅓ cup of your roasted and cooled sweet potatoes , ⅓ cup of cooked and cooled quinoa, 1 tablespoon of dried cranberries and 1 tablespoon of roasted and sliced almonds. Repeat process with the other jars.
- Store in the fridge for up to 5 days until you are ready to enjoy. When you are ready, flip the jar over onto a bowl, because the tahini may thicken a bit, you will need to likely scoop the dressing and chickpeas with a spoon and then toss your salad before serving.
Hint: All you need to do to massage the kale is add in about a teaspoon of oil to the kale and massage it with your fingers to soften the kale up and make it easier to enjoy. You can also add a pinch of salt.
Hint: Make sure to use a jar or container as pictured and assemble in the order that I specified to prevent your salad from getting soggy. You may also just store the dressing separately if you do not own a jar or container as pictured.
Substitutions
- Sweet Potatoes - substitute sweet potatoes for butternut squash.
- Roasted and Slivered Almonds- feel free to use sunflower seeds instead.
- Dried Cranberries- use fresh pomegranates instead.
- Vegan- Use maple syrup instead of honey to make this recipe vegan.
This gut-friendly recipe is already gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian.
Variations
- If you make all the substitutions I suggested above, then you will have another gut-friendly fall variation of this recipe
You will love my Meal Prep Fall Harvest Salad Jars.
Equipment
All you need to make these gut-friendly salad jars is an air tight container or 24-26 oz jar.
If you are in the market for some great, aesthetically pleasing glass containers, you will love these for prepping your salads.
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you choose to purchase through qualifying links.
Storage
This is a meal prep friendly jar and this is meant to be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Top tip
Make sure to use a jar or container as pictured and assemble in the order that I specified to prevent your salad from getting soggy. Additionaly, just store the dressing separately if you do not own a jar or container as pictured.
FAQ
Yes, this recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free.
Meal Prep
Looking for other meal prep friendly recipes like this? Try these:
Vegetarian
Looking for other vegetarian recipes like this? Try these:
Jump to: Recipe
Meal Prep Kale and Quinoa Salad Jars
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Avocado Oil
- 4 tablespoons Tahini Divided
- 4 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar Divided
- 4 teaspoons Dijon Mustard Divided
- 4 teaspoons Honey Divided
- 1.5 teaspoon Salt Divided
- 1.5 teaspoon Pepper Divided
- ½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder Divided
- ½ Teaspoon Onion Powder Divided
- 1 can Chickpeas Rinsed, drained, Divided
- 2 Medium Roasted Sweet Potatoes Instructions below, Divided
- 4 cups Kale Chopped and massaged with oil, Divided
- 1 Cup Cooked Quinoa Divided
- 4 tablespoons Almonds Roasted and Slivered, Divided
- 4 tablespoons Dried Cranberries Divided
Instructions
FIRST, MAKE YOUR ROASTED SWEET POTATOES:
- Preheat your oven to 400 F and set your rack to the middle position.
- Grab your medium sweet potatoes, peel (optional) and dice into 1″ cubes. Add avocado oil and your favorite seasonings to your taste preference (I used ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon onion powder), toss and place on a baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes or until fork tender. Let cool to room temperature.
NEXT, MAKE YOUR QUINOA:
- While your sweet potatoes are roasting, cook your quinoa according to the instructions on the packaging or use pre-cooked frozen or packaged quinoa. Let cool to room temperature.
NEXT, ASSEMBLE YOUR MEAL PREP SALAD:
- Grab a large jar or meal prep container as pictured, start by adding 1 tablespoon tahini, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard,1 teaspoon honey, 1 & ½ tablespoons water, ⅛ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper to the bottom of the bowl and giving it a whisk until everything is well combined.
- Next, add in ¼ of your chick peas so that they soak up the flavor of the dressing while they sit in the fridge. Then add 1 cup of massaged kale, ⅓ cup of your roasted and cooled sweet potatoes , ⅓ cup of cooked and cooled quinoa, 1 tablespoon of dried cranberries and 1 tablespoon of roasted and sliced almonds. Repeat process with the other jars.
- Store in the fridge for up to 5 days until you are ready to enjoy. When you are ready, flip the jar over onto a bowl, because the tahini may thicken a bit, you will need to likely scoop the dressing and chickpeas with a spoon and then toss your salad before serving.
- Hint: All you need to do to massage the kale is add in about a teaspoon of oil to the kale and massage it with your fingers to soften the kale up and make it easier to enjoy. You can also add a pinch of salt.
- Hint: Make sure to use a jar or container as pictured and assemble in the order that I specified to prevent your salad from getting soggy. You may also just store the dressing separately if you do not own a jar or container as pictured.
Notes
Substitutions
- Sweet Potatoes - substitute sweet potatoes for butternut squash.
- Roasted and Slivered Almonds- feel free to use sunflower seeds instead.
- Dried Cranberries- use fresh pomegranates instead.
- Vegan- Use maple syrup instead of honey to make this recipe vegan.
Variations
- If you make all the substitutions I suggested above, then you will have another fall variation of this recipe
Equipment
All you need to make these healthy salad jars is an air tight container or 24-26 oz jar. If you are in the market for some great, aesthetically pleasing glass containers, you will love these for prepping your salads. Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you choose to purchase through qualifying links.Storage
This is a meal prep friendly jar and this is meant to be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.Top tip
Make sure to use a jar or container as pictured and assemble in the order that I specified to prevent your salad from getting soggy. Additionaly, just store the dressing separately if you do not own a jar or container as pictured.Nutrition
Food safety
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Kara says
Absolutely delicious!!! Will be putting this in my rotation!