Kale and Quinoa Salad Recipe

Had a little get together at the house last weekend and made a kale and quinoa salad that was a hit. I had several people ask for the recipe so thought I would post it here for easy reference. I started out using this recipe on theleancleaneatingmachine.com but made a few additions and omitted a few things as well and came up with my own recipe.

When cooking quinoa I like to use a little less water than what is called for on the packaged instructions so it is more dry and less mushy. I also toss a leaf or two of sage in the pot. You may also want to use vegetable or chicken stock to cook the quinoa for more flavor.

Recipe: Kale & Quinoa Salad

Yield: 6 servings as a side dish
Estimated Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups finely chopped curly kale, ribs removed
2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tbsp raw pumpkin or sunflower seeds
6 or more cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

DRESSING:
1/4 cup avocado or olive oil
1 large lemon, zest and juice
1 Tbsp raw honey
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp minced red onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until combined and set aside.
2. Stir together the chopped kale, quinoa, feta and pumpkin seeds in a medium sized bowl.
3. Add the dressing to the kale and quinoa mixture and stir until evenly distributed.
4. Taste and add more salt if needed.
5. Top the salad with cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered, depending on size and preference

Tropeana Lunga onions from the garden