Kale and Quinoa Salad with Honey-Ginger Dressing

It is time to expand the kale salad repertoire. I hope you have tried (and LOVE) this Easy Raw Kale Salad with Garlicky Dressing – I enjoy it about once a week. One of its benefits is the low number of ingredients – ingredients that I tend to always have on hand and ready to go {hence the “easy”}. Although I sometimes struggle with finding the right salad accessories, this colorful, healthy combination of toppings and the tangy Asian-inspired dressing – with ginger, honey, toasted sesame oil, and garlic – are a great match.

I served this salad last night to some colleagues who are in town for work for an extended stretch. When I travel for work, I have to try so hard to eat just one serving of fruits and vegetables each day. I mean, if wine counted as fruit, I would be all set … but I digress. Suffice it to say, I know how hard it can be to eat healthy when you are traveling or just out of your routine. So when I was planning the dinner menu and had a bunch of kale and a pint of blueberries from my vegetable delivery burning a hole in my refrigerator, this seemed like a good choice to serve.

This salad makes a great colorful addition to any entertaining table. If your guests are healthy or gluten-free (or both!), or if you have a heavier main course, give this a try as your side salad. And I don’t mind the leftovers, for packing my lunch for work tomorrow!

Kale and Quinoa Salad with Honey-Ginger Dressing

 

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Author: myutensilcrock.com

Ingredients

• For the Dressing:
• 4 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 T c balsamic vinegar
• 1 T low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 T honey
• 1 T peeled, minced ginger
• ½ t toasted sesame oil
• 1 T water
• 
  
• For the Salad:
• 1 bunch lacinato kale, washed and chopped into thin strips (discard the tough ends of the stems)
• 1-2 t fresh lemon juice
• 1 c cooked quinoa
• 2 carrots, cut in to thin discs
• handful of grape tomatoes, cut into slices
• handful of blueberries
• ½ c sliced almonds, toasted

Instructions

For the Dressing:

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, and whisk well.
   

For the Salad:

1. Place the washed, sliced kale in a large mixing bowl, and sprinkle the lemon juice on it; massage the lemon juice into the kale with your hands for a minute.
2. Add 2 T of the dressing, and massage that in for a minute as well.
3. Let the dressed, massaged kale sit for 5 minutes {use this time to toast the almond slices!}.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients (quinoa, carrots, tomatoes, blueberries, and almonds).
5. Add more dressing if you would like, and serve with the remaining dressing.

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Adapted from: http://www.fitsugar.com/Sesame-Ginger-Kale-Quinoa-Salad-Recipe-28512826