My parents were visiting me here in Seattle this week, so the past couple of days I’ve gotten to play tourist in my own town. The weather cooperated and we enjoyed sunny, warm days filled with spectacular mountain and cityscape views, ferry rides, shopping, trips to the beach and of course, lots of eating and drinking at some of Seattle’s best restaurants.
Overall, it was a wonderful visit. And I was sad to see them leave. But I’m also ready to get back into my routine. Which includes cooking and eating some lighter, healthier foods. All those restaurant meals really do a number on me!
I whipped up this Kale, Apricot and Quinoa Salad, and it’s been helping me get back on track. It’s hearty enough to be enjoyed as a main meal, which is a life saver on these hot nights when I don’t dare turn on my oven. And it’s full of good-for-you ingredients, too. Oh and because it’s vegan, you don’t have to be overly concerned about food spoilage if you decided to take this salad along with you on a picnic. In fact, I highly recommend doing that.
Cheers,
Liz
Recipe barely adapted from Get Off Your Tush and Cook
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
- 1 tablespoon course-grain Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 4 cups kale, washed and thinly sliced
- 6 fresh apricots, pitted and quartered
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/3 cup almonds
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa. Combine the quinoa and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce the temperature to maintain a simmer. Simmer for 15-18 minutes, covered, until the water is absorbed. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it stand covered for 5 minutes. Then fluff the quinoa with a fork and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, apricot preserves, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the kale, apricots, red onion and cooked quinoa. Toss to combine. Fold in the almonds.
- This salad can be served immediately. Or covered and stored in your refrigerator for 1-2 days.
Notes
1. Other stone fruits (nectarines, peaches or plums) would be great in place of the apricots in this salad.
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I discovered your salad over on Pinterest. It looks perfect for summer!
Glad you found me. Hooray!