I haven’t always been a big fan of kale in salads. It’s very tough, and sometimes bitter, and ultimately eating the salad just feels a little “too healthy” and tastes a little bit sad. But not this salad! The key is to take some of the dressing and massage it into the kale before adding the other vegetables. It softens the kale and takes out the bitterness. Kevin and I both had seconds of this salad for dinner. The dressing in this Thai kale salad with quinoa is packed with flavorful ingredients like fresh lime juice, peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. The ingredients in the salad itself are flavorful and crunchy, making this a delicious lunch or light dinner.
It’s bright and crunchy and packed with ingredients that are good for you. The nutty, citrusy dressing is a real winner. And since all you have to do is cook the quinoa, the minimal cooking time makes this perfect summer dish. The salad is crunchy and flavorful while also keeping you full thanks to the quinoa and peanuts for protein and healthy fats. With kale, shredded cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, and cucumber, you are truly able to eat the rainbow with this delicious Thai kale salad! The cilantro and green onion incorporated into the salad makes sure that every bite is bursting with flavor.
- 6-8 cups chopped kale
- 1 large carrot, julienned
- ½ small head red cabbage, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 English cucumber, chopped
- 1 yellow, orange, or red bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1½ cups cooked quinoa
- 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
- chopped peanuts for topping
- Juice of 1 lime
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1 tbsp. sesame oil
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. ground dried ginger.
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
- In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, salt, garlic powder, ginger, and black pepper. Set aside.
- Place kale in a large bowl and drizzle with half the dressing. Using your hands, massage dressing into the kale. Make sure all the pieces are coated.
- Add the carrot, red cabbage, cucumber, bell pepper, cilantro, quinoa, and green onion top with remaining dressing, and toss.
- Serve topped with chopped peanuts.
- Enjoy!
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