Summer Superfood Salad with Spirulina Dressing

by | Updated: July 27th, 2017

Right about now, your body is probably asking for a cool, refreshing meal. This massaged kale salad is sprinkled with red quinoa for a tasty fusion of raw veggies and cooked grains (well, quinoa is actually a seed). Balancing out all the flavors is a sweet spirulina dressing that you’ll love so much, you’ll want to store extra for later! Loaded with superfoods and essential nutrients, this summer salad packs in protein and fiber in one delicious bowl.

Kale and Quinoa Salad with Spirulina Dressing | Vitacost.com/Blog

Recipe courtesy of Lauren Arboleda of Food from the Heart

Ingredients

Dressing
1/2 tsp. spirulina
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. raw honey
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. Himalayan pink salt

Salad
4 cups curly kale, rinsed and chopped; stems removed if desired
1 medium zucchini, spiralized
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (around 1/2 pomegranate)
1/2 ripe avocado
1/2 cup Vitacost Organic Red Quinoa
1 cup mushroom stock
2 tsp. pistachios

Directions

  1. In saucepan, cook quinoa according to package directions in mushroom stock. Set aside.
  2. In bowl, stir all dressing ingredients until combined. Add kale.
  3. Using hands, massage dressing into leaves for around 3-5 minutes. Add zucchini noodles.
  4. Transfer kale mixture to serving bowl and toss in pomegranate seeds, pistachios and avocado. Chew mindfully and enjoy!

Additional tips:

  • Don’t skip the massage! Massaging your kale leaves will result in softer, more flavorful greens.
  • If you don’t have a spiralizer, thinly slice zucchini instead.

For more inspiration on how to turn leftovers into heroes, check out Lauren’s new book, Pregnancy from the Heart. 

Lauren Arboleda

Lauren Arboleda is a Colombian-raised “real” food lover based in Miami. She is a chef, health coach, certified nutrition coach, author and founder of Food from the Heart (FFTH). Food from the Heart originally launched as a food blog and quickly evolved into a personalized brand offering a diverse set of culinary services. The brand’s main goal is to serve quality, and healthy food from the heart to help people reach the best version of themselves, and most importantly, remind them that cooking isn’t about being a professional chef but about using your imagination to create healthy yet indulgent dishes!