We’ve been loving this salad for years. It’s one of those fabulous stand by’s that you can modify or swap in or out almost anything and it will still work well. You just can’t skip the fresh dill or the dressing!
This is a great salad to bring to a Barbecue or Potluck, or to make at the beginning of the week and eat for lunches and/or snacks throughout the week. It packs a nutritional punch, is loaded with protein & quality fat, and contains heaps of antioxidants and immune protective phytochemicals.
There are a few steps to this recipe, but none of them take much time. If you want to do a bit of prep to quicken the process, make your quinoa, roast your beets, and toast those pumpkin seeds ahead of time, the day before even, and this salad will be a quick & satisfying kitchen masterpiece!
Warning: You will definitely want to make more of this salad dressing to use on your leafy greens and/or to just have on hand for veggie dipping and the like - it’s my son’s favourite 😊
Lemon-Dill Quinoa Kale Salad with Roasted Beets
2 medium beets, peeled, cubed & roasted
3 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dry)
1 head kale, stemmed & washed, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp salt
1 medium cucumber, seeded & diced small
1 red or yellow pepper, diced small
3 spring onions, chopped
½ cup chopped & packed fresh dill
½ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
¼ cup hemp hearts
1/3 cup chopped pitted kalamata or black olives
Lemon-Dijon Dressing:
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
1 tsp maple syrup
¼ tsp salt
½ cup olive oil
Lots of fresh black pepper
To roast beets, toss cubed beets with a little coconut oil and season with salt & pepper. Roast @ 375 for 25 – 30, stirring occasionally, until browned around the edges. Set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, combine chopped kale, lemon juice and salt and massage kale well with your hands. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, chopped veggies, dill, toasted pumpkin seeds, and olives. Add cooled beets.
To make the dressing: combine all ingredients in a blender or in a large jar and blend with an immersion blender.
To assemble: to your large bowl of chopped veggies, add massaged kale and enough dressing to coat and toss well. Adjust seasoning as needed.
This salad will keep 4 or 5 days. Toss with more dressing as the days progress to add moisture & flavour, as needed.
As always, if you make this beautiful quinoa salad, please let me know how much you love it (and even if you don’t) 😊 I would love to hear your feedback!