Happy Monday! Becca here from Two Places at Once. I’m so excited to share my fist post on My Cooking Spot.
I’m a big fan of easy, healthy and hearty meals. A meal doesn’t need to take two hours to meet any of those criteria. I also like meals that can be eaten as leftovers. It’s way more affordable and you get to enjoy a delicious meal multiple times. Luckily, this kale salad with quinoa makes a huge portion and it super easy.
Kale and quinoa are two of my go-to ingredients for a salad. Kale is packed with nutrients and adds a crunchy punch to any salad. Plus, quinoa is full of protein! That means this salad with stick with you through the afternoon instead of leaving you hungry. The sweet potatoes get cooked until they’re perfectly creamy. And the cucumbers add a refreshing bite to finish off the salad.
Let’s not forget the pesto dressing though! It’s tart and slightly salt, which adds brightness to the whole mix. Honestly, I think I could eat this pesto on it’s own! It would make a great dip if you don’t feel like using it for a salad.
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch of kale, washed, stems removed and roughly chopped
- 1 large bunch spinach, washed and rough chopped
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 2 cucumber, peeled and diced into ¼ pieces
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into ½ pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
- ½ cup basil leaves
- ¼ cup parsley leaves
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 clove, garlic
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine kale, spinach, cooked quinoa and cucumber. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook the sweet potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the sweet potatoes have softened, set aside and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
- To serve the salad, add the sweet potatoes to the kale mix and toss to combine. Either pour the dressing directly over the salad or reserve for individual servings.
- Adapted from Cookie + Kate
And there you have it! A few high quality, super nutrient-rich ingredients and you’ve got one tasty salad.
I’m so excited to be a part of My Cooking Spot. I can’t wait to share more recipes with y’all!
Latest posts by Becca Davis (see all)
- Slow Cooker Honey Ginger Lime Pork - May 31, 2017
- Lemon Garlic Parmesan Asparagus - April 6, 2017
- Lemon Dijon Brussels Sprouts Salad - March 23, 2017
- Sweet Potato Nachos - February 7, 2017
I love easy and healthy meals, too! This salad looks perfect with all my favorite ingredients. I especially love the dressing. I’m sure those fresh herbs really makes this dish delicious 🙂