The Zen - A Kale Salad You Will Love
Say hello to my new favorite salad. You might have noticed that kale has a heavy presence in this salad but the Peanut Butter Dressing has the right amount of vinegar kick to balance out any bitterness leaving even non-kale lovers asking for seconds. Trust me, this salad is a crowd pleaser so take it to the next potluck you want to dominate.
INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch kale (I like dino kale, but do what works for you)
1 head romaine lettuce
12 oz shelled edamame (frozen)
1 cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed)
3 carrots julienned
1 cup peanuts (unsalted)
2 cups water
For the Peanut Butter Dressing:
1/2 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ginger powder
2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons Bragg’s Amino Acid or light sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon water (optional for desired consistency)
DIRECTIONS:
First: Bring the water to a boil in a pan. Once boiling, add the quinoa. Then reduce the heat and cover, letting the quinoa simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the water has evaporated. When it is done cooking remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
Optional: If you want to add baked tofu on the salad, then go ahead bake the tofu now. Here are directions for how to bake tofu.
Second: Wash the kale and romaine then remove the tough stems from the kale. Chop the kale and romaine up into small ribbons and put into a large bowl.
Third: Cook the edamame according to the package directions. Usually, it only take 3-4 minutes. Let the edamame cool, then add it to the lettuce along with the carrots and peanuts. You can also add the quinoa once it has cooled.
Fourth: Make the dressing. Put the peanut butter in a microwavable bowl that is large enough for mixing and microwave for 20 seconds. This will allow the peanut butter to soften making it easier to whisk. Then add the other ingredients and whisk until well blended. For the peanut butter, I prefer to use the Whole Foods 365 Organic that does not have any added sugar or salt. Make sure to read the labels when buying peanut butter and try to buy one that only has peanuts as the ingredient.
Fifth: Serve. This makes around 10 servings. If you don’t think that there will be any leftovers then you can toss the salad and dressing together. However, I usually plan on left overs and eat this salad all week, so I just drizzle on the dressing as I go, preventing the lettuce from wilting.
Hope you enjoy!
Rachel
