Description
This high fiber salad recipe is fresh, colorful, crunchy, and filling. Made with quinoa, chickpeas, black beans, kale, avocado, crunchy vegetables, seeds, and a bright lemon-garlic dressing, it is perfect for healthy lunches, meal prep, or a satisfying side dish.
Ingredients
1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups packed kale, stems removed and finely chopped
2 cups mixed greens or romaine, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 medium cucumber, diced
1 large carrot, shredded
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large avocado, diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
For the lemon-garlic dressing:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, about 2 lemons
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1–2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup, to taste
3/4–1 teaspoon salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Rinse the quinoa under cold water using a fine-mesh strainer to remove any bitterness.
Cook the quinoa according to package directions, usually using 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water, until fluffy and the water is absorbed.
Spread the cooked quinoa on a plate or baking sheet and let it cool completely.
Remove the tough stems from the kale and finely chop the leaves.
Add the chopped kale to a large bowl with a small pinch of salt.
Massage the kale with your hands for 30–60 seconds, until it becomes slightly darker, softer, and more tender.
Add the chopped mixed greens or romaine to the bowl.
Add the cooled quinoa, chickpeas, and black beans.
Gently toss to combine and break up any clumps of quinoa.
Add the diced red bell pepper, cucumber, shredded carrot, red onion, and cherry tomatoes.
Sprinkle in the sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, honey or maple syrup, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
Taste the dressing and adjust with more lemon juice for brightness, more sweetener for balance, or more salt if needed.
Pour about two-thirds of the dressing over the salad.
Toss thoroughly until everything is lightly coated.
Add the chopped parsley or cilantro.
Gently fold in the diced avocado last so it does not get smashed.
Add more dressing if needed.
Let the salad sit for 5–10 minutes so the flavors can meld.
Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
Notes
Cool the quinoa completely before adding it to the salad so the greens do not wilt or become soggy.
Rinse and drain canned beans well to remove excess starch and improve the flavor.
Massage the kale briefly to make it tender instead of chewy.
Chop the vegetables into small bite-sized pieces so every forkful has a balanced mix of ingredients.
Start with two-thirds of the dressing and add more only if needed to avoid overdressing.
For a vegan version, use maple syrup instead of honey.
For meal prep, store the dressing and avocado separately and add them just before serving.
Undressed salad without avocado keeps well in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
Dressed salad without avocado keeps for 2–3 days.
This salad is not recommended for freezing because the fresh vegetables and greens lose texture.
nutrition:
servingSize: “1 large bowl”,
calories: “430”,
sugar: “7 g”,
sodium: “620 mg”,
fat: “24 g”,
saturatedFat: “3.5 g”,
unsaturatedFat: “19 g”,
transFat: “0 g”,
carbohydrates: “47 g”,
fiber: “14 g”,
protein: “14 g”,
cholesterol: “0 mg”
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Tossed
- Cuisine: American