Kale Salad with Quinoa
A fresh kale salad with cooked quinoa, semi-sweet apple, toasted walnuts, hemp hearts, and a lemon-maple mustard dressing.
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Fork
- small jar or bowl
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 4 oz.kale
- 1/2 tsp.sea salt
- 1 mediumsemi-sweet apple diced
- 1 cupcooked quinoa heaping 1/4 cup of uncooked
- 1/2 cuptoasted walnuts
- 1/4 cuphemp hearts
- 1/4 cupolive oil
- 2 tbsp.lemon juice
- 1 tbsp.maple syrup
- 1 tsp.mustard
- 1 mediumgarlic clove minced
- 1/4 tsp.sea salt
- 1/4 tsp.pepper
Instructions
Instructions
- Remove the tough central stalks from the kale and discard them. Stack the leaves, roll them into a tight bundle, and slice crosswise into thin strips. Place the sliced kale in a large mixing bowl.
- Sprinkle ½ tsp sea salt over the kale and massage the leaves with your hands until they darken and soften, about 2–3 minutes. Set the massaged kale aside in the bowl.
- Core and dice the medium semi-sweet apple and add it to the bowl with the kale.
- If the cooked quinoa is clumped, fluff 1 cup cooked quinoa with a fork, then add it to the bowl.
- Roughly chop the ½ cup toasted walnuts if desired, then add them and the ¼ cup hemp hearts to the bowl.
- Make the dressing: in a small jar or bowl combine ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp mustard, 1 minced medium garlic clove, ¼ tsp sea salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Seal and shake or whisk until well combined.
- Pour the dressing over the kale mixture and toss thoroughly until everything is evenly coated.
- Serve the salad immediately.
Notes
Substitute another fruit.Besides apples, you can also make this with blueberries, strawberries, pears, and mangos. This salad is so versatile.
Add other toppings.You can add raisins or dried cranberries, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, or avocados. Just cut everything to a uniform size.
Substitute other nuts.Instead of walnuts, you can use toasted almonds, pine nuts, pecans, or cashews. Make sure you toast them to get that extra layer of flavor.
Use other dressings.I love this tangy and sweet homemade dressing, but you can use others instead if you prefer. Try thisNo Oil Balsamic Salad DressingorRaspberry Vinaigrette Dressing.
Add other toppings.You can add raisins or dried cranberries, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, or avocados. Just cut everything to a uniform size.
Substitute other nuts.Instead of walnuts, you can use toasted almonds, pine nuts, pecans, or cashews. Make sure you toast them to get that extra layer of flavor.
Use other dressings.I love this tangy and sweet homemade dressing, but you can use others instead if you prefer. Try thisNo Oil Balsamic Salad DressingorRaspberry Vinaigrette Dressing.