No tags yet.
Lemony Kale, Quinoa, and Chickpea Salad
If you know me, you know I am obsessed with lemon - I like it in desserts but I absolutely love it in savory dishes. The bright, acidic flavor just brings out the best in so many other foods, and lemons are especially prominent in my summer cooking when I want lighter meals. This salad is so healthful yet so simple and quick to make. Only a few ingredients come together, get tossed in a tangy lemon dressing, and the best part is you can serve it warm, room temp, or cold.
Start by prepping all the ingredients. Rinse and chop a large bundle of kale, removing the thick stems. Peel 3-4 cloves of garlic. Zest and juice two lemons. That's it for prep!
Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pot along with the garlic cloves and turn the heat up to medium high.
Once the garlic starts to sizzle, add in the kale. It will make a loud sizzling noise at first, but after stirring it around it will start to cook and get coated in the garlicky-olive oil. Add a pinch of salt as well.
Saute the kale for just a few minutes until it barely starts to wilt. Add a cup of quinoa, two cups of water, the lemon zest, and a can of drained, rinsed chickpeas to the pot.
Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 12-15 minutes, until the quinoa is cooked. Fish out the large cloves of garlic.
While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the dressing. Combine the lemon juice (it should be about 1/2 a cup), with 1/4 cup of olive oil and big pinch of salt and pepper.
When the quinoa is fully cooked, add it to a big bowl and toss it with the dressing. You can enjoy immediately or cool it in the fridge. It only gets better as it sits and the ingredients start to meld!
Recipe:
Total time: 20 minutes | Serves: 4 as a side, 2 as a meal
Ingredients:
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large bunch kale or collard greens, roughly chopped & stems removed
2 lemons, zested and juiced (1/2 cup juice)
1 15.5 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup quinoa
Salt & Pepper
1. Place the garlic cloves in a large pot with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and bring the heat to medium high. (Adding the garlic before turning on the heat allows more of the flavor to infuse into the oil).
2. Once the oil is hot and the garlic is starting to sizzle, add the kale and stir. It will make a loud noise at first, but quickly die down and start to cook. Add a pinch of salt.
3. Saute the kale for 2-3 minutes until it just starts to wilt.
4. Add the lemon zest, chickpeas, quinoa, and two cups of water to the pot with the kale.
5. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 12-15 minutes until the quinoa is cooked. Fish out the garlic cloves.
6. While the quinoa cooks, make the dressing. Combine the lemon juice with the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and a big pinch of salt and pepper.
7. Combine the dressing with the cooked quinoa mixture and serve warm, room temp, or chilled. Enjoy!