Kale Salad with Quinoa, Tangerines & Almonds
Kale salad with quinoa, tangerines, and almonds. Naturally gluten-free and a perfect blend of fresh, naturally sweet, and a touch of nutty.
Kale salad with quinoa, tangerines, and almonds. Naturally gluten-free and a perfect blend of fresh, naturally sweet, and a touch of nutty.
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- extra virgin olive oil as needed
- 1 bunch lacinato tuscan black or dinosaur kale
- sea salt
- 2 fresh tangerines
- 1 tablespoon gluten-free low sodium tamari sauce
- 2 tablespoons raw organic agave
- 1 garlic clove minced
- fresh cracked pepper
- 1/4 cup roasted almonds
- Carbohydrate 26.3459207331731 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 6.85804215144231 g
- Fiber 4.5247228045326 g
- Protein 6.9386409375 g
- Saturated Fat 0.390488853365385 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (123g)
- Sodium 153.687612259615 mg
- Sugar 21.8211979286405 g
- Trans Fat 2.40527920793269 g
- Calories 190 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. Fluff the cooked quinoa and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil to moisten.
- I like to remove the ribs- which can be challengingly, jaw-numbingly chewy. Here's how. After washing the kale leaves and patting them dry, lay them on a cutting board, fold them at the rib, and use a sharp knife to slice the rib off the leaf. Slice the trimmed leaves crosswise into ribbons. Toss the kale into a bowl and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Massage the kale with your fingers to soften and tenderize (your winter skin will thank you). Some folks add sea salt at this point to help break down the kale (this is helpful when using it for salad). If you are roasting the kale for chips- do not salt it. Salt softens the kale and will keep it from getting crispy.
- Peel the tangerines and separate the wedges. Save half a tangerine for the juice.
- In a cup, whisk the juice from half a tangerine with the tamari sauce, agave, ginger and garlic. Sprinkle over the kale and toss to distribute.
- Add the kale to the quinoa and toss. Add the remaining tangerine wedges. Add a grind of black pepper, to taste. Taste test. Adjust seasoning if you need to. Just before serving add the roasted almonds and toss gently. Serve immediately at room temperature. (May be chilled ahead of time; add almonds right before serving to keep them crisp.)
Massaging raw lacinato kale with oil and salt is non-negotiable if you want to bypass the fibrous, leathery texture inherent to the brassica family. Raw leaves possess tough cellular walls composed of cellulose that must be mechanically ruptured before human digestion can comfortably process them. Skeptics often skip this step and end up chewing tough green ribbons that resist every molar. Proper execution requires firm friction between clean fingers and the leaf tissue until the color darkens noticeably and the volume shrinks by roughly half.
- Strip the tough central ribs completely by folding each leaf along its spine and slicing downward with an 8-inch chef knife rather than tearing by hand.
- Add flaky sea salt directly during the massage phase because sodium draws out internal moisture and breaks down tough structural fibers within 5 minutes.
- Whisk the 1 tablespoon of tamari and agave dressing in a separate 2-cup glass measuring cup before pouring to ensure the raw minced garlic emulsifies evenly.
- Fold in the 2 cups of warm, oil-moistened quinoa immediately after dressing the greens so the starch absorbs surplus citrus acidity.
- Reserve the 1/4 cup of roasted almonds in a small ramekin until the exact moment of plating to maintain their protective lipid barrier against moisture-induced softening.
Combining citrus juice with aged soy sauce creates a potent glutamate reaction that counters the natural bitterness of raw greens. Serve this dish immediately at room temperature for optimal textural contrast between the crunchy nuts and tender foliage.
