Quinoa Kale Salad

Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free/Plant-Based/Vegan

Fun Fact: Kale has more nutritional value per calorie than any other food. I remember when I first read that, I stopped and read over it again. Wow, no wonder so many nutrition junkies are obsessed with kale. That’s insane.

The first time I made a Kale Salad was when I went through the Culinary Nutrition Expert Program through the Academy of Culinary Nutrition. After watching the video and reading the recipe, I was looking forward to massaging kale. This was new to me, but also made sense because raw kale is so dense when I had dealt with it before this. It’s actually somewhat therapeutic to massage kale into submission. It reminds me of getting a nice, relaxing massage because I also relax during this delightful experience and can highly relate to how much the kale relaxes during the process and changes consistency. Going in for a deep tissue massage does not have the same effect, so I like to compare it to an easy, relaxing massage.

When I first experimented with this recipe, it made a big batch. My mom is a huge fan of kale salad, so I took 3 servings for her to try out and kept 3 servings for myself. Just as expected, she loved it just as much as I did. It’s becoming a weekly staple menu item for both of us. She goes to the specialty store to get the organic kale and raw pumpkin seeds, and I make the salad for us. This has become a regular weekly staple for us, and I’m completely okay with that.

Quinoa Kale Salad (makes 6 servings)

For the Salad

2 bunches organic kale

juice from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes

In a large mixing bowl, combine kale, lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt. Massage kale with clean hands for 5-7 minutes, until it becomes dark green and soft. Add cooked quinoa, walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes, and dressing. Toss together until well-combined, store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

For the Dressing

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup tahini

juice from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons coconut aminos

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a small blender or bullet, blend until smooth.