AHHH QUINOA + KALE. TWO OF MY FAVE THINGS. NOT JOKING HERE. LOZ.
Spring will soon be sprung ladies & gents, and with the season brings another year reminding me how much I miss those college spring breaks. I’ll definitely have my fair share of traveling this month though and will be sure to bring you all along for the ride here on the blog. With that said, anyone going on vacation soon? Starting to feel motivated for swimsuit season?
As we settle into this new month (cannot believe it’s already March!), I wanted to share this OG recipe I’ve used for meal solutions on end since going completely plant-based over three years ago. This go-to salad recipe will especially appeal to my fellow Quinoa Loving Queens.
Anytime I’m stuck on what to whip up for dinner, come home starved & hangry to the max after a workout class, or even maybe need to reset from eating out and traveling, nothing satisfies me more than this truly filling dish. My sister and I actually adapted this and have made so different variations I can’t even keep track now, but that’s the beauty of it- you can add whatever you want to make it your own! My recommendations below:
Total Prep + Cook Time: under 30 minutes
Ingredients: Serves 2
-1 small head kale de-stemmed and finely chopped
-1 cup quinoa cooked with Celtic sea salt and chilled in fridge for a few hours with added lemon juice (I use the Tru Roots brand sprouted quinoa from Whole Foods. I also use their lentils in place of quinoa sometimes!)
-chopped cilantro to taste (go for a handful or more!)
-cherry tomatoes
-Chopped onion
-Diced Avocado
-Tessmae’s brand Balsamic Dressing, your dressing of choice, or sometimes I just use a splash of each of the following: balsamic vinegar , apple cider vinegar, lemon, and red wine vinegar! You can even add a small dash of plain hummus to this mixture for a creamier texture and added protein.
-Vegan Pesto of choice (I make my own in the vitamin or my fave brand to buy pre-made is by Le Grand available at Whole Foods.)
-Bragg’s Nutritional Yeast (Plant-based peeps know this Vitamin B12 packed ingredient is an awesome kitchen staple to add to any dish for a parmesan cheese type of replica!)
Possible Additions:
Artichokes, Beets (Love Beets is an awesome brand that saves you the trouble of cooking and peeling these bad boys), Chopped Raw Mushrooms, Chickpeas, & Red Pepper Flakes or pinch of cayenne for an extra kick! (psst- you can find more great options to stock up on in my whole foods post here.)
Cooking Instructions:
Super simple. After cooking & chilling quinoa, toss all together and enjoy!
What other kinds of recipes would you guys like to see? Quick breakfasts, favorite snacks? Meatless recipes for the main man in your life (since their stomachs seem to be a bottomless pit- wink wink)? Let me know in the comments below- I would so appreciate your feedback!
Until next time, cheers!
Xoxo,
Dani
LOVE IT!