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Kale and Quinoa Salad with Berries and Poppy Seed Dressing

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Salads are not just for summer anymore. Sure some of the ingredients may be out of season right now but your body will definitely thank you for the super foods you are putting in. Its like filling your Porche up with premium fuel. You will preform better and notice a difference in the long run.

We eat a lot of berries around here. Every morning on our yogurt breakfast as a mid day snack and now as a refreshing addition to this massive salad. Lucky for us the kids were both working the night we made this beauty (sorry kids) so we piled our plates high.

Now in case you are wondering yes berries are naturally sweet but they’re packed with antioxidants, vitamins, fiber and are low-carb. Of all the berries, raspberries offer the most fiber, and black raspberries are the highest on the list for cancer prevention.

Kale is now considered a super food. This bitter little leaf helps lower your risk of some cancers, has cholesterol-lowering abilities and is now recognized as providing comprehensive support for the body’s detoxification system. All good news!

Some may turn their noses up at Kale as it can be a little bitter. When choosing kale there are different varieties that taste better when prepared differently. Green kale tends to be quite bitter but it mellows a bit as you cook it. Green kale also make the best baked kale chips because of its structure. It tends to be very rigid which makes good crunchy chips. You can make your own garlic and parmesan Kale chips HERE.

Black kale, AKA Dino kale, I find is the best raw (next to baby kale) so it makes the best salads. The leaves are deeper green than the regular green kale and are quite a bit smaller as well. Red kale, also called Russian kale, offers a sweeter, buttery flavor. It cooks more quickly than green kale, but can be prepared using the same methods.

The nutritional values of this salad are for a full dinner sized portion for 6. It could easily feed 10-12 as a side salad so it makes a perfect addition to a BBQ potluck table.

There are 23.8g net carbs, 10.8g protein and 14 Weight Watchers points per meal sized serving.

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Ingredients

  • 2/3 cups quinoa
  • 1 cup almonds sliced, or your choice of favourite nuts
  • 1 1/2 cups kale black, baby or baby spinach
  • 1 1/2 cups blueberries fresh
  • 1 1/2 cups raspberries
  • 2 medium avocados ripe, peeled, pitted and diced
  • 2/3 cup feta cheese crumbled
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp lime zest
  • 3 1/2 tbsp lime freshly squeezed
  • 1 tbsp agave nectar
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp poppy seeds

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 10mins
Adapted from not-too-sweet.com

Preparation

Step 1

For the salad toss all ingredients together in a large salad bowl. reserving the feta cheese till just before serving.

In a blender, combine all dressing ingredients (starting at the olive oil down) except poppy seeds. Blend until well combined. Pour into a container and stir in poppy seeds. (Store in refrigerator till just before serving)

Pour dressing over salad, toss and sprinkle feta over top. Serve immediately after adding dressing.

http://www.not-too-sweet.com/kale-and-quinoa-salad-with-berries-and-poppy-seed-dressing/

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