For me, a picnic is not a picnic without pasta salad. Lately, I’ve been adding kale and sunflower nuts to everything. The kale has become an inside joke here at the house between my husband and I because he hates it. OK, maybe hate is a strong word. . . but he definitely does not prefer kale and probably would be happier if I did not throw it into everything.
Too bad. I’m the one cooking.
Plus, it’s a good way to get vitamins A, C, and K. Did you know kale is one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet? It can do wonders for your health, and eating super-nutritious kale on a regular basis may also provide significant health benefits, including cancer protection and lowered cholesterol.
Kale is a 
Kale Pasta Salad for a Picnic #SundaySupper
Ingredients
- ½ lb Rotini pasta
- 2 medium cucumbers; peeled and chopped
- 1-2 heaping cups kale; chopped I'm using Organic Tuscan Kale here
- ½ red bell pepper; chopped
- ½ yellow bell pepper; chopped
- ½ orange bell pepper; chopped
- 1 stalk celery; chopped
- 1/2 cup black olives; chopped
- 1/2 cup Spanish olives; chopped
- ½ red onion; chopped
- 1 cup salad dressing: mixture of balsamic vinaigrette + your fave creamy italian dressing use store bought dressing or homemade + more if needed
- 1/2 cup sunflower nuts; roasted no salt
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions and cook to al dente. Rinse and allow to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the cooled pasta with all of the chopped veggies. Pour in the salad dressing, sprinkle on the sunflower nuts and mix again. Serve immediately.
We’re celebrating a picnic Sunday Supper hosted by Katy from Happy Baking Days! So, pull out your picnic blanket and get comfortable. . we have a ton of great recipes down below. Hope you enjoy!
Salads and Slaws:
- Bacon Ranch Potato Salad from Juanita’s Cocina
- Caprese Spinach Salad from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
- Chicken Chopped Salad from Table for Seven
- Cold Pea Salad from Shockingly Delicious
- Creamy Potato Salad with Roasted Pears, Cilantro and Romano Cheese from Gourmet Drizzles
- German Potato Salad from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
- Hawaiian Cole Slaw from Curious Cuisiniere
- Italian Chopped Salad from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Kale Pasta Salad from Hip Foodie Mom
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad from Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Mizeria (Polish Cucumber Salad) from From Fast Food to Fresh Food
- PA Dutch Pepper Cabbage from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Pineapple Slaw from I Run For Wine
- Spaghetti Salad from Country Girl in the Village
- Tortellini Pasta Salad from Supper for a Steal
Sandwiches and Mains:
- Avocado Chicken Salad Sandwich from Momma’s Meals
- Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, and Tomato Sandwich from Magnolia Days
- Grilled Bratwurst and Onion Open-Face Sandwiches from The Urban Mrs
- Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Green Goddess Sauce from Foxes Love Lemons
- Herbs-Garlic and Parmesan Croissants from Basic N Delicious
- Indian Spiced Chicken Drumsticks from Soni’s Food
- Japanese Picnic Bento Box from The Ninja Baker
- Mini Chicken Salad, Avocado and Cheese Subs from Big Bear’s Wife
- Moroccan Fried Chicken from MarocMama
- Pepper, Spinach and Goat’s Cheese Quiche from Happy Baking Days
- Picnic Basket Buttermilk Fried Chicken from Noshing with the Nolands
- Salmon in a Jar from Healthy. Delicious.
- Smoked Trout Deviled Eggs from The Wimpy Vegetarian
- Spam Musubi fromKimchi Mom
Desserts:
- Apricot Oat Nut Bars from Pies and Plots
- Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispie Treat Pops from In The Kitchen With KP
- Cocoa Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Fruit Salad from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
- Fruit Salad with Honey Port Drizzle from Family Foodie
- Loaded Butterscotch Bars from Vintage Kitchen
- Nathan’s Cookies from What Smells So Good?
- Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treat Truffles from Chocolate Moosey
- Shandy Popsicles With Raspberries from Ruffles & Truffles
- Texas Sheet Cake with Pecan Frosting from Food Lust People Love
- Triple Chocolate Punch Bowl Cake from Neighborfood
Drinks:
- Fresh Limeade with Chia Seeds from girlichef
- Pineapple Sangria from Growing Up Gabel
- Strawberry Basil Lemonade from The Messy Baker Blog
- Strawberry Lemonade from Gotta Get Baked
- Top 10 Wines for Picnic #SundaySupper from ENOFYLZ Wine blog
- Watermelon Agua Fresca from Daily Dish Recipes
Join us on Twitter! We’ll tweet throughout the day and share all of our picnic recipes. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. To join in, just follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, and remember to include it in your tweets. You can also check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more delicious recipes and photos.
Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement
I’m excited about the Food & Wine Conference sponsored by Sunday Supper! It’s being held July 19th – 21st in beautiful, sunny Orlando, FL. It’s a must for food bloggers. Check it out by clicking here → Food & Wine Conference
I love that you used raw veggies and kale in your pasta salad – it looks delicious!
I love kale! It’s such a versatile leafy green – the hearty greens stay tender in soups and braises and is delicate enough to eat raw!
Your salad sounds awesome. I love all the veggies and colors! Also love the bowl and plate….beautiful color too!
I love kale and I am so excited that the kale in my garden seems to be doing well so I am going to have to give this one a try when it is ready
I hate admitting this, but I have never tried kale! The shame. I hear everyone raving about how awesome it is, and I have yet to put some on my table. I like the idea of putting it in a pasta salad…sounds like a great dish!
I really hate that I don´t find kale here, though I´ll keep on asking the guys at the asian market until they finally get bored with my questions and sell it! Girl, your husband is a saint for eating it anyway, most would make you do two salads! Picnics and pasta salad, they are made for each other. And it´s another recipe I´d love to open my fridge and have ready at any moment.
I’m not a kale fan, but maybe with this recipe I’ll give it another try!
So what you’re saying is, I can eat this whole thing and be really healthy? SOLD!
Love all the healthy, yummy additions to this salad… and I’m sold- I’m going to give Kale a try!! 😉
This looks so amazing. I can see it subbed with quinoa for the noodles too. This has lunch next week written all over it!
Amanda,
yes totally . . . quinoa would be wonderful in here as well! 🙂
Healthy and gorgeous! I would certainly gravitate towards your salad at a picnic…yummy!
I have a big bag of Kale in my fridge waiting for me to do something other than put it in smoothies. I think I have to make this!
Megan,
I hope you give it a try! 🙂
I’ve been living on stuff like this lately. I love being able to take a fresh, crispy salad like this to work all week. And adding kale is a little stroke of genius. BTW, have I ever mentioned how much I love your tagline? So good!
Awh thank you so much! “joyful in life and cooking”. . words to live by, right?
I love kale and how healthy it is too! I make kale chips all the time. This pasta salad looks awesome!
How fun! I never tried adding kale on a pasta and yours look very appetizing. I’ll start adding kale into pasta from now on and making it pretty like your pasta salad. Yum!
LOL! My husband is totally with your husband. He barely tolerates kale, and really wishes I didn’t add it to everything too. I’ve threatened to made kale ice cream, LOL. Or Kale Cobbler. I love that name, so for sure I’m making it if only for that. But he says the kale chips were bad enough. To him it ruined a whole genre of eating. So you KNOW I’m going to have to make your kale pasta salad now 🙂
haha, I love it! OMG. . I’m totally using this. . telling my husband I’m going to make kale cobbler next week! 😛
We don’t eat alot of kale, but, this salad is pretty convincing to give it a try 🙂
Just starting eating kale and we all love it. We eat tons of salads here, yours looks great!!!
Different and very healthy.
Without the olives, this is definitely the salad for me!
Your pasta salad is beautiful! I am a big kale fan and I can’t wait to give this pasta salad a try!
Your kale salad is perfect, Alice. The marriage of soft pasta with crunchy veggies and the slight bite of kale is sublime =)
P.s. Thank you for the health benefits info about kale =)
I agree – picnics need pasta salad! I love kale, and loooooove that you added it to this salad.
Mmmm…love kale, but I’ve not had it with pasta. Definitely looking forward to trying this recipe!
Kale is such a great veggie and this is an awesome way for people to try it! Love your salad.
Yay for the kale obsession Alice! I love it too, and… you know what? My husband actually told me the other day that my kale salad with walnuts, garlic and chilli is his ‘favourite salad, ever’. Whaaat? That meat loving man has been won over, woop! Glad that you’re persisting with your husband. It’s for his own good 😉 This pasta salad looks deliciously healthy. Great picnic option!! x
ok, I totally have to check out your kale salad! 🙂 sounds delish!
Pasta salad is a must at a picnic. We have one at every outdoor party. This salad looks amazing.
Hi Alice, gorgeous photos and gorgeous food. I think (by looking at your lovely pictures) that anyone might assume they are the poster child for lovely food & good health.
So often I see kale on a blog and (it’s those lovely kale chips,) it’s nice to see it otherwise, lol 🙂
I loved that you used a mixture of balsamic vinaigrette and creamy Italian! It’s the best of both worlds. Great idea!
This pasta salad looks so good with the crunchy veggies and dressing mixture. Kale is such a nice addition, as well!
Oooh gorgeous! Love the combo dressing. Love the idea of kale and pasta.
I love kale! I love pasta salad! and I really love raw kale! I usually have a raw kale salad once a week for lunch, but I’m totally going to add it to my next pasta salad.
Love pasta salads! They are a great addition to any picnic menu and your version with Kale sounds fantastic! !
I really do not eat enough kale. I usually go for spinach and I need to get out of that rut. Your crunchy pasta salad is just the thing to get me eating more kale. At least my husband likes it and that’s a real good thing!
Too bad, I’m the one cooking! You crack me up, Alice. Fortunately, everyone at our house loves kale, and all greens, even my girls. Unfortunately, in Dubai, the kale is imported from the US and you have to empty your wallet to take some home, so it is an occasional treat. Tell your husband THAT next time he complains. Some people consider kale a treat! I am in the States for a few weeks so I plan to get my fill of kale. Your beautiful salad looks like a great place to start!
I totally agree – summer food parties are not complete unless there’s pasta salad. I love that you used kale and raw veggies. Nothing’s sadder than overcooked, limp, tasteless veggies. Tony hates kale but I force him to eat it. Every time I do, I tell him that it’s healthy for him and he comes back with a snarky remark. Too bad, buddy!
I love it. Please share more picnic recipes as well.