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Protein Kale Salad
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Any salad that has quinoa and kale I will probably enjoy. However my all-time favorite is the Kale & Quinoa salad at the Cheesecake Factory. The portion is huge (which is to be expected at the CF), however I can easily finish the whole salad on my own enjoying every mouthful. This recipe is my take on that amazing salad.
Why protein? Quinoa, sunflower seeds and hemp seeds give a healthy plant-based protein boost that will power you through your day. I love how kale doesn’t wilt when dressing is added to it, which means you can easily pack this salad to work, or prepare it in advance and store in the fridge until ready to enjoy.
For a dairy-free version of the salad omit the parmesan, and add some toasted pine nuts or make your own by grinding up some raw nuts in the food processor, and add some nutritional yeast, salt and pepper. I plan to add a recipe soon, but in the meantime I’m sure there are many nut parmesan recipes you can find online.
Protein Kale Salad
Ingredients:
Salad:
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 4 cups kale, shredded (dino or curly)
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds
- 1/2 of red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup seedless grapes, sliced in half
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan or nut parmesan
Dressing:
- 2 tsp minced shallot
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- pinch black pepper
Instructions:
- Mix all the dressing ingredients together and set aside. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
- Mix the dressing into the shredded kale and let the kale soak up the dressing. Then add in the quinoa, seeds and mix. Taste to check if it needs more dressing. Then add most of the bell pepper and grapes, keeping some for garnishing the top of the salad.
- Transfer the mixed salad to the serving bowl. Top with the remaining bell pepper and grapes. Sprinkle on the parmesan.
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