Anyone who knows me knows I love me a good kale salad. This explains why I am constantly trying out new and delicious combinations of said salad.
For this Kale & Blueberry Quinoa salad, I was I was in the mood for a burst of colour so that’s what I did. Cause, as we know, the more colour, the better for your health.
Since I love adding fruits to my salads and since it’s still summer (just barely), blueberries fit the bill. They add a delicious sweetness here to balance the earthy kale flavour and tart taste of that lemon vinaigrette. Shredded carrots make a great addition and also add a firmness and sweetness that I love.
Quinoa is a complete protein, and with the addition of the healthy fats found in almonds and organic goat feta, you’ll be covering all the bases with this filling and pretty dish. It can serve as a main course or as a side depending on your mood.
You’ll get lots of vitamin A and C in this salad and all these deliciously dark colours also up the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities.
I always massage my kale when adding it to salads because it helps break down its stiff cell walls, making it tastier and easier to digest. Simply wash and dry your kale, de-stem the large stalk running up the middle, and slice into thin strips. Place it in a large bowl, add the vinaigrette of choice (or just oil and salt or lemon juice and salt), and scrunch the leaves with your hands until softened. This should all take about a minute or so.
Massaged kale salad will keep in your fridge for about a week. Just add the nuts and seeds when you’re ready to eat so they stay nice and crunchy!
- 1 cup blueberries
- 2 grated carrots
- ⅓ cup raw almonds
- ¼ cup crumbled organic feta (goat or sheep)
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 6 cups loosely packed kale, cut into thin strips – (3 cups massaged) handful of pumpkin seeds
- - Cook quinoa according to directions (1/2 cup uncooked quinoa with 1 cup water. Bring to boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and leave covered for at least 10 minutes).
- - Massage strips of kale with 1-2 tbsp of lemon vinaigrette
- - Add remaining ingredients.
- - Top with nuts and goat’s cheese and drizzle more dressing on to
desired flavour.
- ½ cup olive oil
- Juice if 1 ½ lemons
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- pepper to taste
I could literally go on and on about tasty salad recipes and variations, but we’ll stick to this for now. I’d love to hear how you love your kale.
In salad we trust,
KD
