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This Quinoa Salad with Apples and Kale , chickpeas and pine kernel will brighten all any day. Hearty and delicious, it is packable, vegan and can be made ahead! Perfect for take potlucks, meeting and midweek lunches.

Actually, I am sharing a recipe with you that you can cheer up with your imagination. Some boiled quinoa, some lemon juice and olive oil … the rest is your business.Sometimes using it in the fridge for a salad is the biggest savior.

Quinoa Salad with Apple and Kale is packed full of healthy nutrients. Beautiful deep green lacinato kale, crisp juicy apples, pine kernel, hearty chickpeas and quinoa. Once the quinoa is cooked, it’s just a matter of a little happy chopping, then combining the ingredients together. Dried currents give the salad a little natural sweetness and added texture. Toasted fennel seeds and coriander seeds add a delicious flavor. Plus, both are amazing for supporting the digestive system. Massaging the kale with a little olive oil and salt beforehand tenderizes it and makes it much more pleasant to eat raw.  The kale along with the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and drizzle with the flavorful vinaigrette. Make sure to remove any tough veins. Then gently mixture. Feel the happiness start to inside you.

What I love about this hearty vegan salad is that it can be made ahead, and holds up well for several days in the fridge –  making it ideal for Sunday meal prep and midweek lunches. And perfect complement to dinner.

Quinoa Salad with Apple and Kale Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked Quinoa ( 1 ¼ cup dry)
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 bunch Lacinato Kale, de-stemmed, cut into one inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• pinch of salt
• 1 bunch flat leaf Italian parsley, rinse and finely chop
• 1 large apple, chopped into small bite sized pieces.
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 ½ cups chickpeas, (15 ounce can, drained and rinsed, if using canned)
• ⅓ cup pine kernel
• 1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest ( about 1 medium lemon)

Vinaigrette

• ⅛ cup lemon juice
• ⅛ cup apple cider vinegar, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon sub maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon miso paste (adds depth, richness & probiotics!) white, red or brown
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅛ cup extra virgin olive oil

Quinoa Salad with Apple and Kale Instructions

• Get quinoa cooking and cool to room temperate.  (Quinoa can also be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use.)
• Make the vinaigrette: whisk all ingredients together, except the oil, in a small bowl, then slowly drizzle in the  olive oil while whisking.
• Toast fennel and coriander seeds in a cast iron skillet (or any pan will do) and give them a few stirs until they just start to give off their lovely fragrance, about 30 seconds. Grind with mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
• Rinse and pat dry kale leaves and remove ribs and stems. Place in a large bowl and add the 2 teaspoons olive oil and a pinch salt. Rub the salt and oil in the leaves with your hands to tenderize the kale.
• Add the cooled quinoa, parsley, apple, scallions, chickpeas, pine kernel, lemon zest and ground spices to the bowl with the kale and toss gently with the vinaigrette.
• Taste and adjust salt and vinegar, adding more to taste.

Notes

• Serves 4-6 for a hearty lunch.  Or 8-10 as a side dish.  Makes delicious leftovers.  Fantastic to make ahead and refrigerate, giving flavors a chance to fully develop.
• Can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 days.
• If you don’t want to eat the pine kernel raw, you can fry them in a pan before adding them to the salad.
• Play with Vinaigrette. It would be just olive oil, lemon juice and salt.