Springtime Tahini Quinoa: made with oil free tahini dressing and the beautiful colors of spring. Fresh asparagus, kale, and parsley make springtime come alive.
Ingredients
Tahini Dressing (makes 1½ cups):
½ cup tahini
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 date
½ tsp salt
1 clove of garlic
¾ cup water
Salad:
2 cups quinoa
2 cups blanched asparagus cut into bite sized pieces, reserve some tops for garnish
6 cups raw chopped kale, sauteed
½ cup minced red onion
1 cup minced celery
¼ cup minced parsley, plus an additional tbsp for garnish
1 tbsp lemon zest
½-1 tsp kosher/sea salt to taste
½-3/4 cup tahini dressing, to taste
½ cup chopped curried cashews (or more)
black pepper to taste
Instructions
Drain soaked quinoa and place into a pot with 4 cups water. Bring to boil, reduce to low and cook until softened, but not mushy (taste after 15 minutes, if done, drain remaining water). Quinoa can be made ahead and refrigerated.
While quinoa cooks, make dressing. Place all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth
Place asparagus into boiling water, and let cook for no more than 1 minute. Place immediately into ice cold water to shock, and stop cooking.
Saute kale with a little water until wilted.
Steps 1-4 can be done ahead of time, as can curried cashews
Add all ingredients into a large bowl (saving a few asparagus tips for garnish), and toss with desired amount of dressing. Add cashews right before serving to keep crunchy.
Serve as a side dish, or main meal. This salad is great when topped on a portobello mushroom, or on fresh salad greens.
Notes
575 mg potassium, 127% Vitamin A, 91% Vitamin C, 30% Iron, 11% Calcium, per serving
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1/10 Calories: 231 Fat: 8 g Saturated fat: 1.1 g Carbohydrates: 34.6 g Sugar: 1.2 g Fiber: 4.4 g Protein: 8.6 g Cholesterol: 0 mg
Recipe by Garden Fresh Foodie at https://gardenfreshfoodie.com/main-dishes/springtime-tahini-quinoa/