Name: Warm Kale Salad with Citrus Tahini
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients: 1 tsp avocado oil; ½ bunch of kale, shredded; ⅓ cup cooked quinoa; ⅓ cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed; ⅛ tsp garlic powder; Himalayan sea salt; ½ cup sweet potato, cubed and baked; 1 tsp hemp hearts; 1 TBSP dried cranberries; ¼ cup runny tahini; 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar; juice from ½ lemon; juice from ½ orange; ½ tsp dijon mustard; ½ tsp pure maple syrup; ⅛ tsp garlic powder; Himalayan sea salt and black pepper, to taste; ¼ cup filtered water + more as needed to thin

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Warm kale salad with quinoa, chickpeas, and roasted sweet potatoes with an oil-free citrus tahini dressing. Perfect for a cozy working winter lunch!

Hi, friends.

It’s kind of a strange time of year.

The novelty of the new year has worn off and the next big holiday in sight is Valentine’s Day.

I’ve been hunkering down and working on the cookbook with the fire of a fast approaching manuscript deadline.

Honestly, the hardest part of cookbook recipe creation is keeping said recipes from you!

I’m so accustomed to the instant gratification of the blog posting process that hoarding all of this content feels downright miserly.

Which is why I’m letting one of the recipes slip through the cracks today…

This Warm Kale Salad with Citrus Tahini is my current, go-to lunch!

It’s served warm, and packed with complex carbs, plant-based protein, and a creamy, oil-free citrus tahini dressing.

So, if it can fuel me to write my first cookbook, I can’t wait to see what it does for you!

What You Need to Make Warm Kale Salad

I fixed variations of this meal-preppable lunch salad for the cookbook and finally decided that you need the recipe, like, yesterday.

So, here it is.

For the salad itself, you’ll need:

avocado oil
kale
cooked quinoa
chickpeas
garlic powder
Himalayan sea salt
baked sweet potato
hemp hearts
dried cranberries

That’s it!

How to Make It

I like to prepare the baked sweet potatoes and cooked quinoa in advance, usually on a Sunday, so that they’re ready for assembly.

Peel and cube the sweet potato and bake them for 30-40 minutes until they’re fork tender and light brown underneath.

Then, while the sweet potato is baking, prepare the quinoa according to package instructions.

Allow both the sweet potato and quinoa to cool completely and transfer to the fridge until you’re ready for salad assembly.

You can use the time while they’re baking to wash the kale and prepare the chickpeas.

What You Need to Make Citrus Tahini Dressing

I also recommend mixing up the dressing in advance, too!

For the citrus tahini, you’ll need:

runny tahini
apple cider vinegar
lemon
orange
dijon mustard
pure maple syrup
garlic powder
Himalayan sea salt
black pepper
filtered water

That’s it!

How to Make Citrus Tahini Dressing

Mix up the citrus tahini in advance, by adding all ingredients to a bowl and whisking vigorously until well combined and creamy.

Add more filtered water in one Tablespoon increments to reach desired consistency.

You want the dressing to be thick and creamy, yet pourable.

I like to shake mine up in a salad dressing container, if you have one, instead of stirring.

Refrigerate the dressing until you’re ready to dress your lunch.

The dressing will thicken up after refrigeration, so add a little more filtered water before serving if it’s too thick.

How to Serve Your Warm Kale Salad

When you’re ready to create your salad, add a drizzle of avocado oil to a large saucepan over medium heat.

Once warm, add in the shredded kale, cooked quinoa, chickpeas, garlic powder, and Himalayan sea salt.

Sauté the mixture for 3-5 minutes, until the kale is softened and the quinoa is slightly crispy.

Next, add in the baked sweet potato cubes to briefly warm them up.

Then, transfer the contents to a bowl and drizzle with citrus tahini and garnish with hemp hearts and dried cranberries.

Dig in and enjoy!

Swaps and Substitutions

Enjoy this Warm Kale Quinoa Salad with Citrus Tahini as an easy lunch or dinner.

Because I’m able to work from home, I love making this salad on the spot, as a speedy reprieve from my home office.

It heats up on the stovetop in less than 5 minutes, for a cozy elevated lunch.

If you need a quick commuter lunch, try sautéing the contents together in advance and storing in the fridge.

When you’re ready to serve, reheat the dish in the microwave and top with citrus tahini dressing.

I love the addition of dried cranberries and hemp hearts for a touch of sweetness and nuttiness.

Feel free to add in any combination of nuts, dried fruit, or seeds.

Enjoy!

More Warm Salad Recipes

I Want to Hear From You

If you make a Warm Kale Salad with Citrus Tahini, show me! I’d love to see how yours turned out!

Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums.

Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your creations.

Check out my Pinterest page to pin more recipes like this one to make later.

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XO Lauren