I made this salad recently for a (socially distancing) lunch gathering. It was a hit!! The comments I received from my friends were that they loved the idea of cooked quinoa with raw vegetables, but especially my added twist of cooked kale. For those of you that may not be a fan of kale, the orange vinaigrette added sweetness to the earthy kale flavor which was a hit. I served this salad with two types of hummus , both cheese and spinach pies (found in the cookbook titled Baladi) as well as babaganoush. The citrus vinaigrette by itself was quite nice. I have found that this is also a nice dressing for fish. I suggest doubling the recipe to serve with either salmon, or halibut. In fact, this is one of my favorite winter salads. Not only is this healthy but filling as well.
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 bunch kale
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 green onions, sliced
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced
1/2 head of red cabbage, sliced
1 Delicata squash, seeded and cut into circles
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
salt and pepper
pomegranate seeds for garnish
Citrus Dressing:
Juice of 2 lemon
Juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
Yield: 6-8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Method:
Pull the kale leaves from the stem, and tear into smaller pieces. Sauté in a skillet with olive oil until the leaves are wilted. Set this aside.
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the maple syrup in a bowl. Add the squash circles and coat both sides. Now place the squash on the baking sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Next mix all the ingredients for the dressing.
To assemble the salad first place the quinoa in a bowl. Now add the green onions, cabbage, cooked squash, cucumber slices and the kale. If you would like add salt and pepper to taste.
Either top with the dressing and toss or serve the dressing on the side. If you would like I would suggest garnishing with pomegranate seeds to add a bit of color.