Quinoa, Kale and Chickpea Salad

Quinoa, Kale and Chickpea Salad – a delicious, protein-packed salad that is great for a healthy lunch, vegetarian main meal or side dish.

I’ve frequently mentioned my love of quinoa. Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it contains all eight essential amino acids, and I love it’s nutty taste and versatility. Quinoa is wonderful in salads such as Greek Quinoa Salad and Asian Quinoa Salad as well as baked dishes such as Spinach and Artichoke Quinoa Bake.

Today, I’m sharing another salad recipe, this Quinoa, Kale and Chickpea Salad, that contains another of my favorite superfoods – kale. I make this salad all the time. It was a wonderful accompaniment to this past Memorial’s Day weekend barbeques. I also often make it to have on hand for a healthy lunch or snack during the week.

How to Make Quinoa, Kale and Chickpea Salad

To make this Quinoa, Kale and Chickpea Salad, I first prepare the quinoa according to the package directions and finely chop the kale. Once the quinoa is cooked, I immediately stir in the kale so that the heat from the cooked quinoa wilts the kale a bit.

Once the quinoa and kale mixture is cool, I add it to a large mixing bowl along with chickpeas, red onion and parsley and toss it all in a garlicky balsamic vinaigrette. I’ll often add in some raisins or dried cranberries and/or grated Parmesan cheese. The salad can be served immediately, or kept in the fridge for several days.

This protein-packed Quinoa, Kale and Chickpea Salad is a great side dish for a barbeque, it also wonderful for a healthy lunch or snack anytime.

Quinoa, Kale and Chickpea Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 8 - 10 side dish servings

Quinoa, Kale and Chickpea Salad

Quinoa, Kale and Chickpea Salad - a delicious, protein-packed salad that is great for a healthy lunch, vegetarian main meal or side dish.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups quinoa
4 cups finely chopped kale
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from ~ ½ large lemon)
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic (from ~ 1 large clove)
1 (29 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup diced red onion
¼ cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

Cook the quinoa according to the package directions;
When quinoa is done cooking, immediately stir in chopped kale; set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and garlic.
Add in the cooled quinoa and kale, chickpeas, parsley and red onion and toss to combine.
Stir in raisins or dried cranberries and/or Parmesan cheese, if using, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Serve immediately or refrigerate.

http://joylovefood.com/quinoa-kale-chickpea-salad/

Quinoa, Kale and Chickpea Salad

How to Make Quinoa, Kale and Chickpea Salad

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