Spicy Kale & Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Not gonna lie: I had my doubts about this one. First off, it has kale in it. That veggie can bit a hit or miss in this household - usually a miss because I end up overcooking it and bringing out some horribly bitter side never experienced by taste buds known to man. Secondly, the dressing calls for cilantro, which my husband detests more than anything. But we all know what happens when you take an ingredient out of a recipe you've never tried before: to paraphrase "Goonies": "Bad things, Mikey, bad things!" I decided to take my life even further in my hands by cooking the kale and onion instead of adding it raw to the salad bowl as suggested in the original recipe. Lastly, my hubby is usually a little wary of recipes that are warm salads. Add to that a vegan, gluten free, oil free meal, it's gotta either be amazing or really bad. Lucky for us, this is one of our new favorites!

Spicy Kale and Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

*1 cup quinoa, uncooked

*6 cups kale, de-stemmed

*1/2 red onion, chopped

*1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

*1 cup corn

Dressing Ingredients

*1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (I left this out, and it was perfectly fine if you also can't stand it)

*2 cloves garlic, minced

*1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)

*1/4 cup hot sauce of your choice (I used the chili garlic sauce from the Asian foods aisle)

*1/4 cup water

*1 t. maple syrup (I know! I did a double-take too! But it's the perfect amount of sweetness to cut the acidity of the limes)

*1/2 t. cumin

*Sea salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium sized pot, combine 2 cups of water with 1 cup of quinoa and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy. 

In a large salad bowl, combine kale and onion. (If you'd like it cooked like I did, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add about 1 T. of olive oil. Add kale and onion. Cook down. Add 1 clove of garlic - it won't be "oil free" any more, but we thought cooking the kale absolutely made this dish!) 

Once the quinoa is done cooking, add in the black beans and corn. Mix. 

Prepare the dressing. Serve in a bowl alongside salad so everyone can drizzle the perfect amount over their portion. Enjoy! 

Stores well in the fridge for up to 2 days. Sorry my photos aren't the best today - I'm having some photo editing software issues. Let me know what you think!