Author Notes
I make this salad whenever I crave health: both kale and quinoa are packed with complex nutrients. Substitute kale for Swiss chard, if you like, or feel free to add any other raw or cooked veggies of your preference. Have it alone as a hearty salad after a good work-out, or as a side for broiled chicken. —alejandra
Ingredients
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1 cup
Quinoa
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1
Leek, sliced
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3-4
Garlic cloves, minced.
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1
Carrot, diced.
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2
Zucchini, diced
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1 cup
Button Mushrooms, diced.
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1 bunch
Dinosaur Kale (or other leafy green), coarsely chopped.
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1 cup
Garbanzo beans
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1
Tomato, coarsely chopped.
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Pinch
dried Oregano
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Salt and Pepper to taste
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Olive Oil
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Juice of half a lemon
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1 handful
pinenuts
Directions
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In a saucepan, boil 2 1/2 cups of water. Reduce heat to medium, add quinoa, a dash of salt, and let simmer with the lid half-on. The quinoa will take about 30 minutes, when the grain is translucent with a spiral-like germ.
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In the meantime, heat some olive oil in a frying pan. Sauté the leeks and most of the garlic until softened. Add carrots. After a few minutes, add the mushrooms and zucchini. Season with the oregano and salt and pepper to taste. When softened, transfer to a large bowl.
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In the same pan, without wiping any of the juices, sautée the remaining garlic and add the kale, turning it often. Add the tomatoes. Season with a dash of salt and pepper, and some of the lemon juice. Transfer to the bowl with the rest of the cooked veggies.
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Add the garbanzo beans and toss. Add the quinoa about a cup at a time. Toss in the pinenuts. Check salt and pepper taste. Drizzle with some remaining olive oil and some lemon juice, if desired.
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Done!
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