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Salad #42 – Kale, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

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Kale, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

This salad is packed so full of nutrition that you just can’t help but feel good about eating it. It will keeps well in the fridge for a couple days which is good because this makes a ton. If you like your food on the spicy side you’ll probably want to increase the amount of chili powder – the recipe is pretty mild as it’s written. You could easily turn this into a great lunch by having some chicken or a hard boiled egg on the side – or even throwing a fried egg right on top.

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Kale, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup cooked and cooled quinoa
  • 2 fresh squeezed limes
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 4 TBSP olive oil
  • 2 TBSP white wine vinegar
  • ½ tsp salt and pepper to taste
  • 2-3 handfuls of fresh kale or other greens
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained (about 1½ cups)
  • 2 large chopped carrots
  • 1-2 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 avocado, sliced or cubed (optional)
Instructions
  1. Mix up the dressing by whisking the lime juice, chili powder, olive oil, white vinegar and salt and pepper together in a small bowl.
  2. Separate the leaves of the kale from the stems and cut them into tiny pieces. I ran mine through my food processor which worked really well.
  3. Chop the carrots (also great in the food processor) and the bell peppers (less awesome) into small pieces.
  4. Add all the ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well.
Notes
Adapted from http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2013/06/kale-and-quinoa-salad-with-black-beans.html

Did They Eat It?

Nicky (2 years old): “no.”

Stephen: Good.

Anne: Great. Tangy but not too spicy.

Dana: I liked it. It was easy to put together and it makes a ton.

Kale, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

 

Salad #26 – Kale Salad with a Bacon Vinaigrette

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I was looking for some ideas for out of the ordinary dressings and my friend Heather (who writes a funny parenting and design blog over at Home to Heather) suggested a warm bacon dressing. This sounded like it would be perfect for my kale, one of the few things that I actually managed to grow in my garden this year.  I’m not sure whether this is what she had in mind, but it was delicious nonetheless. I ate this entire salad almost all by myself. It was even really good the next day.

Kale Salad with a Bacon Vinaigrette

 Kale Salad with a Bacon Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe

(adapted from Just a Taste’s Raw Kale Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette Dressing)

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Salad #26 - Kale Salad with a Bacon Vinaigrette
 
Ingredients
  •  1 bunch kale
  • ⅓ cup toasted pumpkin seeds
  • 6 slices bacon (3 TBSP bacon fat reserved)
  • 2 garlic scapes (or 1 clove garlic)
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon grainy mustard
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Chop bacon into small pieces and cook in a frying pan. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan and dispose of any remainder. Add a little olive oil if you are short on bacon fat. Let the bacon dry and cool.
  2. Saute the garlic in the bacon fat for 1 minute over medium heat. Whisk in the vinegar, mustard and brown sugar and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Toast pumpkin seeds in a dry pan until fragrant and just starting to brown. Stir constantly.
  4. Wash, dry and stem kale. Then slice thinly.
  5. Toss the kale with the dressing and add the seeds and bacon to the salad.

Kale Salad with a Bacon Vinaigrette

Kale Salad with a Bacon Vinaigrette
Did They Eat It?

Deb – lovely. one of the nicest ones I’ve had.

Nicky (17 months) – Loved munching on the kale leaves from the salad

Gordie (4.5 years) – Thought the bacon from the salad was okay but would be better without the dressing.

Dana – I thought this salad was great. I’m wasn’t sure if it would hold up the next day when I had pre-dressed it but it was still great though less crunchy.

Kale Salad with a Bacon Vinaigrette

Salad #10 Bacon Roasted Potato Salad with Kale and Tahini Dressing

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This is my absolute favorite potato salad of all time. It’s very unlike traditional potato salad. I tried it when I had some kale in the fridge and have made it again and again ever since.

Bacon Roasted Potato Salad with Kale and Tahini Dressing

(adapted from Dinner with Julie’s Garlicky Roasted Potato Salad with Wilted Kale and Tahini Dressing)

Bacon, Kale and Roasted Potato Salad with Tahini Dressing

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Salad #10 Bacon Roasted Potato Salad with Kale and Tahini Dressing
 
Ingredients
  • 4-6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled (save a little bacon grease)
  • 2 lbs of baby potatoes cut into quarters
  • 1 bunch of kale (remove the stems and cut the leaves into small pieces)
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • 2-4 tbsp of water (if needed)
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • couple pinches of salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 450F
  2. Toss the potatoes in the bacon fat. (You can use olive oil if you'd rather)
  3. Lay the potatoes out on a cookie tray lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  4. Cook the potatoes for 10 minutes, add half the garlic and cook for 15 more minutes, until potatoes are starting to get crispy and golden. Stir occasionally.
  5. While the potatoes cook, mix the water, lemon juice, tahini, half the garlic and the salt in a blender or small food processor until smooth.
  6. Put the potatoes into a large bowl, and add kale while the potatoes are still hot, tahini dressing and bacon.

Variations

  • Skip the bacon and the bacon fat and use olive oil instead for a lighter salad.
  • Add grated parmesan to the potatoes half way through cooking
  • Use spinach or swiss chard in place of the kale

Bacon, Kale and Roasted Potato Salad with Tahini Dressing

Did They Eat It?

Gordie (4 years) – enjoyed the potatoes and bacon before I put any dressing on it

Nicole (12 months) -loved it.

Stephen – Good. Tangy. Feels like I’m eating the top of a baked potato.

Dana – I cannot get enough of this salad. The leftovers are good right out of the fridge but it’s best served right away.