Meatless Monday: Sweet Potato Kale Quinoa Salad with Creamy Coconut Curry Dressing

When I’m hungry for something satisfying, hearty, healthy yet quick and easy to make, I raid my

kitchen for interesting leftovers and fresh ingredients and “voila!” magic usually happens in the form

of a taste-bud-tingling-super-salad!

Today my refrigerator search turned up a few promising flavors to create with:

*leftover roasted sweet potatoes–yum!

*leftover cooked quinoa

*leftover cooked chickpeas

*organic kale, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes fresh from my local farmer’s market

*ripe avocados

Awesome!

Everything I need to make a sweet and savory salad.

So, let’s get started…

Sweet Potato Kale Quinoa Salad w/

Creamy Coconut Curry Dressing

Meatless Monday: Sweet Potato Kale Quinoa Salad with Creamy Coconut Curry Dressing

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

Salad

1 small bunch organic kale

1 organic cucumber

1/2  cup cherry tomatoes

1 ripe avocado

1 cup Roasted sweet potato chunks

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 cup cooked chickpeas, preferably–or you can use organic canned chickpeas

in BPA free cans

Dressing

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut

1/4 cup soaked cashews

1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional)

1/4 avocado

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon turmeric

1 tablespoon organic mustard

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

A dash of kelp powder

A dash of dulse powder

A dash of cayenne pepper

Meatless Monday: Sweet Potato Kale Quinoa Salad with Creamy Coconut Curry Dressing

Directions:

Make your creamy coconut curry dressing by adding all of the dressing

ingredients above to your blender and blending on high for a few seconds until smooth.

Taste, and adjust liquid and seasoning as needed.

Pour the dressing into a dressing carafe or jar.

Set the dressing aside until the salad is completed.

Wash and drain the kale.

Tear into small pieces and place in a large glass or stainless steel bowl.

Sprinkle cooked quinoa on the kale.

Pour some of the dressing on the kale and quinoa.

Massage the kale and quinoa well with the dressing to soften and flavor the kale.

Place a plate on top of the kale.

Set the kale aside to soak up the dressing.

Next…

Wash, then cut cucumber into chunks.

Wash, then slice cherry tomatoes into halves.

Wash, peel and extract avocado from shell.

Retrieve your leftover sweet potatoes and chickpeas from the refrigerator.

Place massaged kale and quinoa combination into individual serving bowls.

Arrange remaining salad ingredients in small groupings on top of the kale.

Add a small pile of tomatoes, then cucumbers around the edges of the kale.

Continue by adding chunks of roasted sweet potatoes, then chickpeas.

Place a sliced avocado half in the center.

Shake the dressing, then pour it over each salad.

Sweet, savory, crunchy, creamy, spicy!

The blend of tastes and textures in each mouthful is absolutely delicious!

Enjoy!

 

Do you use leftovers to create healthy, hearty salads?

What are some of your favorite salad combinations?

Share your thoughts and comments with us.

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