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Vegan Kale and Quinoa "Caesar" Salad

Kale and Quinoa "Caesar" Salad

Vegan | Gluten-Free | Anti-Candida
Course Main Course, Salad
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the Quinoa:

  • 1/2 cup filtered water
  • 1/2 cup tri-colored quinoa rinsed thoroughly
  • 1 Pinch sea salt

For the Kale:

  • 2 Tablespoon olive oil divided
  • 1/2 medium size red onion small dice
  • 4 cups kale shredded or cut into small pieces*
  • 1 medium sized carrot shredded
  • 2 Persian cucumbers small dice**
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds I like roasted and salted

For the "Caesar" Dressing:

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons creamy unsalted tahini butter
  • 1 Tablespoon coconut aminos
  • 1 Tablespoon filtered water
  • Juice of 1 small lemon about 1 Tablespoon
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 Pinch sea salt

Instructions

To make the Quinoa:

  1. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under cool water to remove any dust or dirt. Place it in a small saucepan with filtered water and a pinch of sea salt. Bring it to a boil over high heat.  Cover with a fitted lid, reduce heat to low and simmer for exactly 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and let sit for another 5 minutes before removing lid to prevent sticking. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

For the Kale:

  1. Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once warm, add red onion and a pinch of sea salt and sauté for 1 – 2 minutes.  Add the chopped kale, another Tablespoons of olive oil and another pinch of sea salt and sauté for 2 - 3 minutes more.

  2. Place the sautéed kale into a large bowl. Add the shredded carrots, Persian cucumbers, sunflower seeds and mix to combine.  Stir in cooked quinoa.

To prepare the dressing:

  1. Place all of the ingredients into a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. If the dressing is too thick, add filtered water 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Taste for seasoning.

  2. To serve place 2 cups of kale and quinoa salad onto a plate and drizzle with dressing.

  3. Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 - 5 days.  Leftover salad dressing can be stored in a jar with a fitted lid in the fridge for up to one week.

Recipe Notes

*I like to shred the kale in a food processor by roughly chopping kale, placing in a food processor and pulsing several times until very small pieces are formed. If you don't have a food processor, chop into small pieces using your knife.

**I prefer Persian cucumbers because they tend to be less watery and have less seeds.