Kale, Quinoa ‘n Roasted Beet Salad with Maple-Cider Vinaigrette
Whether you are working on your menu for an upcoming holiday dinner, or just want to add some pizzazz to your weeknight suppers, why not consider replacing your typical salad greens with kale? If you are a kale naysayer, you may have resisted this nutrient-packed “green gem” due to its slightly bitter taste. However, there are bunches of kale varieties and if you are willing to experiment a bit, I bet you’ll find your favorite. (BTW-baby kale is much sweeter than more mature varieties.) Oh, and thinly slicing your kale leaves is my trick for thwarting too much “crunch.” Plus, combining kale with sweeter salad mix-in’s such as fruit and roasted veggies and finishing with a naturally-sweetened vinaigrette as I did creates a salad masterpiece that is as mouthwatering as it is visually attractive. Don’t have all these ingredients for this salad? No worries, just use whatever yummy fruit and veggies you have in the fridge. (see MPM Mini-Bites below for lots of tasty alternatives)
Recipe Adapted from: Kale, Quinoa and Cherry Salad by Cooking Light Magazine-August 2014
Yield: about 4 servings
Recipe Adapted from: Kale, Quinoa and Cherry Salad by Cooking Light Magazine-August 2014
Yield: about 4 servings
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup almond or extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- Coarse salt and pepper as desired
Salad
- About 4 cups curly kale sliced (I used packaged Tuscan kale)
- 1 cup cooked quinoa cook according to package directions
- 1 small bunch red or yellow beets trimmed and roasted
- 1 medium sweet potato roasted, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 ripe pears cored and cut into wedges
- 1/3 cup dried cherries look for juice-sweetened, like Eden’s
- 1/3 cup toasted pecan halves
- 1/2 cup Crunchy Spiced Chickpeas or use canned, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup crumbled goat cheese or feta or gorgonzola
Instructions
Vinaigrette
- In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. (Alternatively, you may use a small food processor or hand-held blender.)
Salad
- In a large bowl, toss together kale and quinoa.
- Toss with 3 tablespoons of vinaigrette.
- Transfer to a large serving bowl or platter.
- Arrange remaining salad ingredients on top of combined kale and quinoa.
- Drizzle salad with desired amount of remaining vinaigrette.
Notes
Make Ahead and Storage Tips: salad may be prepared (unassembled) up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Vinaigrette may be made up to 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate until serving time. Whisk again before serving. Dressed salad is best served that day, but will keep for 1 day; cover and refrigerate.
So adaptable to whatever salad ingredients you have handy! Mix it up by swapping the roasted beets and sweet potatoes for carrots, turnips, rutabagas, etc. If you don’t have pears, apples will be equally delicious. For an “earthier” tasting cheese, try freshly shaved Parmesan or Manchego. Also, feel free to switch up the pecans for your favorite nuts such as walnuts, pine nuts, macadamias, pistachios or almonds.
Other fall and winter salads you may like are: After Thanksgiving Turkey ‘n Fruit Salad, Roasted Pear ‘n Butternut Squash Salad, Sweet Autumn Salad with Creamy Pear Vinaigrette, Roasted Brussels Sprouts ‘n Apple Salad with Balsamic Drizzle, Trio of Roasted Beets Salad with Apple-Dill Drizzleand Farro ‘n Quinoa Salad with Dried Cherries ‘n Pistachios.
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