This vegan kale and quinoa beet salad is a meal in one bowl. Or a beautiful side dish that will impress everyone at your next potluck.
We’re finally getting some warm weather here on the Central Coast of California! It’s rare that we actually get… summery weather ..in the summer…. so while it lasts I get to avoid my oven and make lots of salads.
The beauty of salads is that you can have so many of your favorite veggies and grains all in one bowl.
Isn’t it weird how some people can’t stand beets?
Beets are one of my favorite veggies!! I’ve been a lifelong lover of beets, I like everything about them…their amazing colors, their earthy taste and how easy they are to cook. I like them hot or cold.
This salad pairs my love of beets with kale and quinoa to make it a complete meal.
Gather your ingredients and let’s do this!
Cook your quinoa according to the package directions. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Or cook it the day before and refrigerate.
Pull your kale off of the stem and chop it roughly. Place it in a large bowl and set it aside.
Cook your beets…I use my Instant Pot so it’s quick! You can boil them on the stove or roast them ahead of time, but if you want to keep your kitchen cool the Instant Pot is the way to go. When they are done (a knife slides into them easily) run them under cool water and pull the peels off. Use rubber gloves unless you happen to like magenta colored fingers. When they are cool enough to handle, chop them into small cubes. I use the chopper you see in the picture below so that they come out in cute little perfect cubes.
Chop your carrots into tiny bits.
Make the dressing. Pour a few tablespoons of the dressing on the kale and massage it in with your hands. Yep…give the kale a massage!
Now that your kale is all relaxed and happy, add the beets, cooled quinoa, carrots and the rest of the dressing and toss it gently to incorporate the dressing.
Serve and enjoy!
This vegan kale and quinoa beet salad is meal in one bowl. Or a beautiful side dish that will impress everyone at your next potluck.
- 3/4 cup quinoa
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3-4 medium carrots (chopped)
- 8 cups kale (roughly chopped)
- 3 medium cooked beets (sliced or chopped)
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
- 1-2 avocados (cubed)
- 1/4-1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup sprouts
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 4-6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp salt (optional)
- 1/4 cup water, if necessary
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Cook quinoa according to package directions. I add quinoa and water to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
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Remove stems from kale (I use dinosaur kale...the long bumpy kind) and chop into small pieces.
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Chop the carrots and beets into bite sized pieces. I use my Müeller chopper with the 1/2" blade attachment.
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Place the kale in a big bowl and set aside. Leave the other veggies out while you make the dressing.
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Add a little bit of the dressing (a few tablespoonful) and massage the kale with your hands to soften it a little bit.
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Add the other veggies and cooled quinoa and mix. Add more dressing and mix again.
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Mix all dressing ingredients except the water in a small food processor or magic bullet type of blender. If you double this recipe it can be made in a VitaMix or other full sized blender. Add water a little at a time to thin if you like a thinner dressing.
I recommend doubling the dressing! It's great added to other salads or drizzled on wraps and sandwiches.
Be sure you like the tahini you buy. Some tend to be bitter, so try different brands. I used Trader Joe's fresh (in the refrigerated section) when I can find it, but often have to get the one they have in a jar on the shelf. You can substitute cashew butter for the tahini, but it's a bit sweeter so you may want to cut back on the maple syrup.
Dried cranberries and chopped apples are really good in this salad too! Experiment and enjoy!
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