The recipe for this salad was born after a dinner out with friends. We were at a fabulous restaurant, all eating a kale salad that several friends had highly recommended, when one looked at me and said, “You should figure out how to make this and let us know!” It tasted like a combination of a few recipes I had tried in the past, so I put them together and there you have it! Tons of colorful nutrition on a plate!
KALE & QUINOA SALAD
Makes 6 servings
Salad:
1 bunch kale
1 C cooked quinoa, cooled
¼ C slivered almonds, toasted
¼ C dried cranberries
¼ C feta cheese
½ C diced red onion
½ C diced red bell pepper
½ C shredded carrot
OPTIONAL: Add more protein, such as grilled chicken breast or shrimp
Dressing:
¼ C olive oil
2 Tbsp. vinegar (cider or champagne)
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 ½ Tbsp. granulated sugar or honey
2 Tbsp. fresh, chopped parsley
Juice from ½ fresh lemon
- Remove the kale leaves from the center rib. As you are peeling the leaves off the rib, scrunch them in your hands to break down the tough fibers. Tear them into bite-sized pieces as you go and place them in a colander or salad spinner. Rinse well.
- Place all salad ingredients in a bowl and toss.
- In a small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients together.
- Pour dressing over salad and toss well. Let sit for 15 minutes so that the acid in the dressing has a chance to soften the kale leaves.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: (per serving)
390 calories, 42g carbohydrate, 23g fat (9g unsaturated, heart healthy; 2g saturated), 11g protein
Plus, iron, calcium, vitamins A & C
