Quinoa Kale Salad
Serves 5-6
Ingredients:
1 cup dry Quinoa
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1/3-1/2 Red Onion, chopped
1 bunch Lacinato kale
Feta cheese, amount per preference
1/4 cup Walnut pieces
Olive Oil and Red Wine Vinegar to taste in about a 3:1 ratio, about 1 T Olive Oil:1/3 T Red Wine Vinegar per serving
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to taste
Directions:
Prepare Quinoa according to package instructions. I like to cook it in my Instant Pot like this post on Love & Lemons. Rinse dry Quinoa and place in Instant Pot with 1 1/2 cup water. Cook on high pressure for one minute and allow to slow release for ten minutes. Release remaining pressure and toss.
Cut Kale along stems, discard stems. Chop Kale, rinse, and massage for a few minutes. Toss Kale with warm Quinoa. The heat from the warm Quinoa will soften the Kale, but you don’t want the Kale to overcook. So you can put the Kale and Quinoa in the refrigerator to cool.
Add Red Pepper and Red Onion and toss. I like to cover and keep this mixture in the refrigerator and do the rest of the prep with individual servings before eating. It will stay fresh in the refrigerator like this for a few days. If you’re making this for a group meal or party, add the remaining ingredients just before serving and toss to combine.
Optionally, you can add a touch of sweetness by including cranberries and a small amount of honey to the oil and vinegar.
Perfect Lunch for Work
I like to make a double batch for our work lunches. Neither of us minds eating it for a few days in a row. In the morning before work, I put our individual servings of the quinoa, kale, onion, pepper mixture into our glass storage bowls and add the other ingredients. We toss it all together just before eating. Stephen, who isn’t the biggest fan of salads, loves this one! He likes that it is light and refreshing, but also that it is filling. I like that it has a decent amount of protein, but is meatless. I am not a vegetarian, but I am trying to have 2-3 vegetarian days each week. On the other hand, I find that I feel better with a good amount of protein in my diet. This ticks both boxes!
Fun facts about Feta—
I discovered a love for Feta when we traveled to Greece last year. Our tour guide told us that this “brine cheese” is supposed to only have the label “Feta” if it was made in Greece. I’ve noticed that there are brands that use the name “Feta” that are not made in Greece, but they aren’t supposed to because the name has been granted protected designation of origin (PDO) status and any Greek will tell you, if it wasn’t made in Greece, it isn’t Feta. I loved the Feta in Greece and started buying it when we got home. Feta is supposed to be made from a combination of sheep and goat milk, but if you look at the ingredients, much of what is sold in America is from cow’s milk. I found a “Bulgarian Sheep Milk Cheese in Brine” (way to respect the PDO!) that I have been enjoying. Cow’s milk doesn’t agree with me as well, so I try to buy a sheep or goat milk version. Feta is cured in a salty brine, which supposedly gives it probiotic qualities. I’m always on the lookout for foods with probiotics to improve our gut health.