Kale Quinoa Salad

Prep Time:

10 minutes

Cook Time:

20 minutes

Serves:

6 servings

Nutrition:

Servings

Ingredients

1 c dry quinoa (3 cups cooked)
1 bunch Tuscan kale (also Lacinato kale, dinosaur kale or cavolo nero)
1 (15oz) can chickpeas
1/4 c finely chopped shallot, red or green onion
1 bell pepper
2 carrots
1/4 c olive oil
1/3 c apple cider vinegar
1 Tbls Dijon mustard
1 pinch curry powder, to taste
1 garlic clove peeled & grated
1/2 tsp salt & pepper, to taste

Optional add-ins: Parmesan cheese, chopped almonds or other nuts, dried cherries, cranberries or raisins, chopped apples, chopped cucumber, etc.

Preparation

Step 1 Make quinoa in advance. If serving immediately, bring the quinoa to room temperature by spreading it in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze it for 2 to 3 minutes until it cools.

Step 2 Chop the kale. Sprinkle the kale with 1 pinch kosher salt. Coat your hands with a few drops of olive oil and massage the kale leaves for 2 to 3 minutes until all pieces are tender.

Step 3 Finely chop the onion or shallot. Dice the pepper. Peel and dice the carrots.

Step 4 In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, curry powder, and grated garlic.

Step 5

Mix the quinoa and vegetables together with the dressing and the 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Add more kosher salt to taste. Stores up to 3 days refrigerated (you may need to add a pinch of salt before serving since it looses saltiness over time).

NOTES

With seafood. Try with garlic shrimp, baked shrimp, broiled shrimp, or oven baked salmon as a healthy, easy side dish.
With pasta. Serve with an easy pasta like vegan fettucine alfredo or pasta primavera.
With soup. Great with creamy broccoli or loaded potato soup to make it into a healthy meal.

NUTRITION

1 serving: 279 calories, 12.7 g fat, 34.2 g carbohydrate, 7.1 g fiber, 3.2 g sugar, 8.4 g protein.