Kale Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

What You’ll Need:

Dressing

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 1/2 T Dijon mustard
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• drizzled red wine vinegar (optional)

Salad

• 2/3 cup quinoa
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 1 bunch kale torn to bite-sized pieces discarding stems
• 1 organic avocado – peeled pitted and diced
• 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
• 1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 2 T diced red onion
• 1 T crumbled feta cheese

What to Do:

1. Follow directions below for soaking and rinsing quinoa before cooking. Once rinsed, bring the quinoa and 1 1/3 cup water to a boil in a saucepan.  Reduce heat and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool
2. Massage kale with 1/2 tsp salt in large bowl. Kale will shrink by half volume; add more salt if needed. Squeeze kale and discard juices. Combine cucumber, red bell pepper, onion, and quinoa with kale and stir. Add avocado and feta.
3. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, sea salt, and black pepper together in a separate bowl until creamy texture forms; pour over salad and toss lightly. Drizzle with red wine vinegar if flavor is desired and serve.

  Quick soak for quinoa: When cooking quinoa, it is important to rinse and soak your grain before cooking. This method sprouts your quinoa making it easier to digest, and eliminates the otherwise bitter flavor.

1. Place the amount of quinoa you are cooking in a bowl or pot of your choice and cover completely with water (we like using a sprouting jar for the convenience of draining it).
2. Let quinoa sit for about 30 minutes and drain using a cheese cloth or ultra fine strainer.
3. Repeat two to three more times or until the water draining is almost clear and small sprouts begin to form from the grains.

Now you are ready to cook your quinoa and enjoy the delicious earthy flavor it provides.