Kale and Quinoa Salad

When you want to eat something satisfying and delicious, look no further than Kale and Quinoa Salad. With buttery avocado, creamy feta cheese and crunchy almonds, every bite is a little different. So easy to make and assemble, you’ll only need to cook the quinoa until light and fluffy then add it while it’s warm to thin kale ribbons that you’ve given a salt massage. Top with remaining ingredients and you’re ready to eat.

William Blake dreamed of angels and devils if you believe his heated artwork…I had a dream about quinoa. 🙂

That was a text that my dad sent the other day. He continued…

I’ve been dissatisfied with rice and polenta and potatoes, etc. and have been reading about quinoa and then I dreamed about it. And that stuff really makes you feel good. (If you don’t rinse it, it’s bitter.) So between quinoa and kale I’ve been eating pretty healthy and feeling pretty good!

And then I started to dream of a Kale and Quinoa Salad.

Quinoa is not a grain but a seed, a species of goosefoot (so appetizing 🙂 ).  More comedy? It’s also closely related to tumbleweeds. But what makes it most unique is that, on it’s own, it’s a complete protein – a rarity among plants. It’s also delicious: nutty, grassy, buttery. And it’s endlessly amiable to other ingredients making it a perfect base ingredient or addition to salads, warm or cold.

Then there’s the kale; it’s raw, with a salt massage of course. Since I discovered that trick, I use raw kale often, tossing it into salads and pasta dishes.

The remaining ingredients in this salad are interchangeable. You might try goat cheese instead of feta, add a tomato, swap in pistachios for the almonds – infinite possibilities! And though I served this warm initially, we enjoyed the leftovers straight from the fridge for lunch the next day (save out half of the topping ingredients if you plan to serve it over a couple of days).

How to Make Kale and Quinoa Salad

Step 1: Carefully rinse quinoa then simmer covered until tender and curlicues appear.

Step 2: Massage kale ribbons with salt until tender and dark green.

Step 3: Toss warm quinoa with kale, lemon juice and olive oil. Then top with almonds, feta, avocado and red pepper flakes and serve!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Kale and Quinoa Salad

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Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 396kcal

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa thoroughly rinsed
• 1 bunch Italian kale sliced crosswise into thin ribbons
• large pinch fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon juiced
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 avocado peel and seed removed, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 ounces feta crumbled
• 2 ounces slivered almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper optional

Instructions

• Heat rinsed quinoa and 3 cups water in a saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, place kale ribbons into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of fine sea salt. Massage salt into kale by squeezing it in fistfuls and then rubbing it between your fingers, until it turns a darker shade of green and has a softer texture – just a minute or two.
• Fluff quinoa with a fork and add to kale in serving bowl; gently stir to combine. Pour olive oil and lemon juice over the top; gently toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Top salad with remaining ingredients and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 714mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 92.7% | Vitamin C: 81.1% | Calcium: 16.8% | Iron: 18.7%

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