Summer Quinoa Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing

Gorgeous Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing starring quinoa, sun dried tomatoes, feta and almonds. A hearty and filling salad perfect for lunches!

Isn't she purty? This stunner of a salad came to be when I was craving a hearty, satisfying, and veg-heavy lunch. Like my Kale and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad and Roasted Potato, Mushroom and Lentil Kale Salad, it's just what the doctor ordered!

The farmer's market is brimming with gorgeous ripe cucumbers, tomatoes and greens right now. Bonus points if you score most of your produce for this dream lunch from local pals.

I like to cook the quinoa ahead of time and buy pre-chopped kale in a pinch. I'm all about optimizing the convenience factor so things come together in a snap when meal time rolls around. Who's with me?

How to make kale salad with tahini dressing

1. First, rinse and cook your quinoa. Set aside to cool.
2. Prep all the veggies. Rinse and chop the kale, cucumber, and tomatoes.
3. Place kale in a large bowl and massage salt into leaves to break them down.
4. Blend the dressing in a Nutribullet or high-speed blender. Add to kale and toss to combine.
5. Add veggies, quinoa, almonds, cheese, and any optional add-ins. Mix and dig in!

Key ingredients

• Kale: you can use curly kale or lacinato kale. You can also buy pre-chopped, just be sure to remove the tough stems.
• Quinoa: for body and filling factor.
• Almonds: I love the nutty crunch pf almonds here. Any nut or seed you fancy will work.
• Cheese: feta or goat cheese or delish here for creaminess and tang.
• Cucumber and tomatoes: the fresh, juicy veggie friends that bring this salad to life.
• Avocado: I love the creamy texture and yummy flavor avocado adds, but you can easily omit it.
• Sun dried tomatoes: these addd lovely flavor and flare to our dressing. Regular or oil-packed worked, no need to soak if oil-packed.
• Extra virgin olive oil: to make the dressing rich and smooth.
• Red wine vinegar: the lovely acid for our dressing. Apple cider vinegar also works.
• Tahini: I'm obsessed with the dimension and creaminess tahini adds. You could also use almond butter.
• Honey: to balance out all the acid. Any sweetener will work.
• Salt and pepper: to season everything to perfection!

How to cook quinoa

Did you know quinoa is technically a seed? That's what they mean by "pseudo-grain." I used white quinoa for this recipe, but you could also use red or tri-color. Quinoa is fab because it's a complete plant protein, trumping the protein content of other whole grains. Boom!

1. Rinse quinoa under cold water a fine mesh strainer to get rid of the bitter tasting outer layer.
2. Place in a small saucepan with 1 ¼ cups water. (I typically do a ratio of 1 part quinoa to 1 ½ parts liquid).
3. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid has absorbed and quinoa looks fluffy.
4. Fluff with a fork, transfer to a medium bowl, and allow it to cool.

What to serve with this salad

This salad is great as a side dish and also hearty enough for a main meal. Try it with:

• chickpeas, salmon or shrimp
• snack plate pairings like seedy crackers, grapes, and scoop of hummus
• salmon burgers or sweet potato black bean burgers

Make ahead tips

You can easily whip up the dressing ahead of time! It will thicken in the fridge, so stir in water as needed to loosen it up.

The quinoa can me made in advance to make this come together even more quickly.

Storage tips

This salad will last up to two days in the fridge for the best flavor. If you want it to last all week, store the dressing separately from th rest of the ingredients and toss right before serving. Add avocado right before serving as well.

More healthy salads to love

• Healthy Broccoli Salad
• Summer Quinoa Salad
• Strawberry Balsamic Spinach Salad
• Caesar Salad with Kale and Brussels Sprouts

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