Description
A refreshing and nutritious kale and quinoa salad with a tangy dressing and crunchy seeds.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons mayo or greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon dijon or whole-grain mustard
- 1/4–1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 small red onion, sliced in thin rounds
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 10–12 ounces lacinato kale, destemmed and cut into 1–2 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup fresh dill, loosely packed
- 1 cup quinoa, cooked
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup hempseeds
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon tamari or braggs (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk together buttermilk, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mayo, mustard, salt and pepper. Chill this while you make the rest of the salad. Or better yet make a day or two ahead.
- Place water and baking soda in a bowl with the thinly sliced red onion rings and soak for 15 minutes. Rinse onion slices really well with water to clean off the baking soda residue.
- In a salad serving bowl, combine kale with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Massage with your hands to work the liquids and salt into the leaves, about 5 minutes or more if you want it really tender.
- Toss cooked quinoa with olive oil and salt. Spread onto two sheet pans in thin layers. Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix together sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hempseeds, sesame seeds with 1 tablespoon tamari or Braggs. Spread onto a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes or until desired toastiness. After the seeds completely cool, mix with the crispy quinoa and store in an airtight container up to a month.
- Drizzle in about 1/2 of the dressing over the kale, taste and adjust salt, pepper and add more dressing. Layer on onions and dill. Top with 1/2 cup or more of quinoa crunchies.
- Reserve the crunchy quinoa topper for sprinkling on when serving immediately.
Notes
- For best flavor, prepare the dressing a day in advance.
- Ensure the quinoa is thoroughly cooled before mixing it with the other ingredients.
- The baking soda helps to neutralize the bitterness of the red onion.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mixing, Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 5mg