Main Dishes
Warm Kale Quinoa Salad with Tahini-Harissa Dressing
Prep
30 minutes
Cook
25 minutes
Yield
6 -8
This super healthy warm kale quinoa salad with tahini-harissa dressing is so good for a quick and healthy lunch or a tasty side dish at dinner. What I love about this recipe is how versatile it is. You can really tailor it to what you have in the fridge or what you (and your family) enjoys in a salad.
Why you’ll love this kale quinoa salad:
- Quick Prep: Prep this salad in only 30-minutes and have it ready to eat in under an hour
- Healthy: Kale and quinoa have so many great health benefits. Read below for more!
- Flavorful: The tahini dressing for this kale quinoa salad really adds a ton of flavor
Ingredient Notes:
Kale: Known as a superfood, kale is a great source of vitamins and minerals. It also contains things like vitamin B6, calcium, folate, iron, and the list goes on and on.
Quinoa: Quinoa is rich in fiber, minerals, antioxidants, and all nine essential amino acids. It’s one of the healthiest and most nutritious foods!
Tahini: Did you know that tahini provides more protein for you than milk and most nuts? It’s rich in B vitamins and vitamin E. It also has important minerals like magnesium, iron, and calcium.
How to make a kale quinoa salad:
- Preheat the oven to 400F and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cut the delicate squash in half, length-wise, and remove the seeds. Slice the squash into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Transfer to the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and add salt + pepper. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes, until golden.
- Cut the red pepper into three or four large pieces, removing all of the seeds. Transfer onto a baking tray faced-down. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes, until soft and completely roasted. Flip peppers halfway. Set aside to cool.
- To make the dressing, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Adjust to taste, and add more water to desired thickness.
- To prepare the salad, prepare your quinoa as per your package instructions, cooking it to your preferred doneness. Set aside, cool slightly.
- Add your warm, freshly cooked quinoa to a large bowl.
- Remove the green kale from the stems. Chop into small pieces and add to a large bowl. Slice the roasted red pepper, cut into quarters, and transfer to the bowl.
- Add the sunflower seeds and delicate squash.
- Dress the salad with your desired amount of the salad dressing.
- Serve immediately with fresh cilantro!
Expert Tips & FAQ:
Is quinoa better for you than rice? Yes! Quinoa provides twice the protein and more fiber than the same amount of white rice. Due to this it not only is healthier, but it’ll also fill you up quicker and for longer.
How can I add more protein to this salad? Get some extra protein by adding some roasted chickpeas. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes with some of your favorite spices, and add to the salad. Delicious!
Storage: Salad can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 4 – 6 days.
Other recipes you’ll love:
- Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad
- Israeli Fattoush Salad
- Jackfruit BBQ Burger
- Grilled Vegetable Wrap
- Zucchini Lasagna Recipe
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Warm Kale Quinoa Salad with Tahini-Harissa Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 delicata squash
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 ½ cups red quinoa cooked
- 1 small head of green kale
- 2 red peppers roasted
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- cilantro
For the dressing:
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp harissa spice
- 1 ½ tsp umami powder
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cut the delicate squash in half, length-wise, and remove the seeds. Slice the squash into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Transfer to the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and add salt + pepper. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes, until golden.
- Cut the red pepper into three or four large pieces, removing all of the seeds. Transfer onto a baking tray faced-down. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes, until soft and completely roasted. Flip peppers halfway. Set aside to cool.
- To make the dressing, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Adjust to taste, and add more water to desired thickness.
- To prepare the salad, prepare your quinoa as per your package instructions, cooking it to your preferred doneness. Set aside, cool slightly.
- Add your warm, freshly cooked quinoa to a large bowl.
- Remove the green kale from the stems. Chop into small pieces and add to a large bowl. Slice the roasted red pepper, cut into quarters, and transfer to the bowl.
- Add the sunflower seeds and delicata squash.
- Dress the salad with your desired amount of the salad dressing.
- Serve immediately with fresh cilantro!
