Kale Salad with Avocado Dressing

 
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Kale is one of the most popular superfoods, full of all-star nutrients to help jump start you into a healthier new year. This warming salad is perfect for wintertime, with roasted vegetables, quinoa, and a creamy avocado dressing. It’s completely vegan, paleo, gluten free, soy free, and grain free, but packed with delicious flavor that’s good for you too! This recipe makes about 2-3 servings, so you can make it ahead of time to have a few days of lunches or to share with your whole family.

The avocado lime dressing is so easy to make, and it’s one of my favorites. I also use it as a dip or sandwich spread too!

 
 
 
 

Kale Salad with Avocado Dressing

 
 

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SALAD

  • 1 head of lacinato (Dino) kale

  • 1 sweet potato

  • 1 red pepper

  • 1/2 cup cooked quinoa seasoned with salt and pepper

INGREDIENTS FOR THE DRESSING

  • 1 avocado

  • 1/2 cup raw cashews

  • 3/4 cup water

  • 1 tbsp lime juice

  • 1/2 clove garlic

  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Wash the sweet potato and red pepper, and preheat oven to 425F.

  2. Using a large chef's knife, cut the sweet potato into strips (skin on) and toss with olive oil. Cut the red pepper in half, then remove stem and seeds with small knife. Place the potatoes and peppers (inside face down) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

  3. Roast red pepper halves and sweet potato strips at 425F for 30 minutes. The skin of the red pepper should blister, and the sweet potatoes should be soft enough to pierce with a fork. Once peppers are done, cut into slices.

  4. While the peppers and potatoes are roasting, prepare the kale: first, wash all the leaves and rinse well to remove any dirt. Next, de-stem the kale by pinching the base of the stem with one hand, and using your thumb and forefinger of the other hand to push the leaves up and away from the stem.

  5. Massage the kale by drizzling a bit of olive oil over the leaves in a salad bowl and kneading them like bread dough for 2 minutes, until they become soft and slightly wilted.

  6. To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor and process until smooth.

  7. Add peppers, potatoes, and quinoa to the kale in the salad bowl. Toss with dressing and serve.

 
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