I love making up a hearty salad or side dish that keeps for a few days in my refrigerator for a nutritious lunch option or a dinner side dish during the busy work week.
Do you have a favorite dish you make ahead for the week?
Today’s recipe: Kale, Tomato and Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing. Personally, I love kale in salads for its taste, crunch, and nutrient profile (rich in calcium, fiber, Vitamin A,C and K) but if you are not a kale fan, you can opt to use a mix of chopped parsley or spinach for this refreshing salad infused with a generous amount of lemon juice and olive oil dressing. Do bear in mind though, the spinach is a bit more delicate than kale, so you will want to eat the salad the day you make it.
You can be creative with this recipe. If you like mustard in your dressings, add a teaspoon or two of Dijon mustard to the salad’s dressing mixture. It does offer an extra punch of flavor. It’s up to you. I sometimes add a handful of toasted hulled pumpkin seeds or pine nuts to add a nice warm crunch to this salad. Toasting the nuts and seeds up just prior to serving is my favorite way to enjoy them.
Hope you enjoy this salad. 🙂
Ingredients
- Serves 6
- 6 cups chopped kale leaves, washed and trimmed (Or sub in a 6 cup mix of chopped spinach and/or parsley)
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons or 3 small to medium lemons)
- 1/2 cup good quality olive oil
- 1-2 teaspoons, Dijon mustard, optional
- 1 1/2 cup cooked quinoa (I used Trader Joe's pre-cooked frozen quinoa)
- 1 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (I used a mix of heirloom multi-colored cherry size tomatoes)
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish: Toasted pine nuts or hulled pumpkin seeds/pepitas (about 2 tablespoons per serving) and sprinkle over kale salad immediately prior to serving
- Serve Kale Quinoa salad cold or at room temperature.
Instructions
- Add kale to food processor and pulse into finely chopped kale, or finely chop by hand
- Add kale to medium size bowl.
- In small bowl, whisk lemon and olive oil. (Add a 1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, if desired); set aside.
- Fold in quinoa and tomatoes in to kale.
- Drizzle with dressing.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- If using toasted pine nuts or hulled pumpkin seeds/pepitas, add to medium size skillet, over medium heat, until lightly toasted and fragrant. Lightly salt nuts/seeds, if desired.
- Garnish salad with warm toasted hulled pumpkin seeds/pepitas or pine nuts, keeping to 2 tablespoon FODMAP portion per serving.
Christine
Hi Kate, thank you very much for this great recipe. I love kale and I could eat it every day. I read there are some health risks if you eat kale very often. Is that true?
Thanks, Christine
katescarlata
I think a varied diet is best for overall health. Eating a normal 1 cup (or even 2) servings of kale per day should not pose a problem–but why not switch it up for variety? Some vegetables can take in some metals from the soil, other vegetables contain phytates and oxalates that bind some minerals such as calcium –so your body can not absorb it. Eating a variety of vegetables ensures we get a mix of nutrients…so that has always been my recommendation.