Avocado, Quinoa and Kale Salad With Lemon Mustard Dressing

From time to time we have dietetic interns who are studying to become Registered Dietitians rotate through our practice at Maya Feller Nutrition. They support us with research, patient counseling sessions and more. Recently, we had a new Chef, Chef Bri come and intern with us. She helped to develop this recipe. I wanted to create a salad that was reminiscent of tropical flavors so requested that she use paw paw and for a crunch toasted quinoa. 

When we put the salad together I said, “Wow this is super green! We should call it the green machine!”  Then we added the pawpaw and it was the pop of color we were looking for as well as sweetness accompanied with a buttery texture that can only be found in that particular fruit. 

If you don’t want to use kale sub in any hearty leafy green vegetable of your choice.

Avocado, Cruncy Quinoa, Kale salad with lemon mustard dressing 

Serves: 4 

Ingredients

1 cup tri-color quinoa, cooked

2 cup kale, washed and dried

1 cup Romaine lettuce, washed and dried

1 whole avocado, diced

1 seedless cucumber, diced

½  red onion, sliced 

1 large pawpaw, peeled, de-seeded, and medium diced

1 can hearts of palm, rinsed and cut in ½ moons 

For the Dressing

½  cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

Juice of a lemon 

Zest of 1 lemon 

3 Tablespoons  Dijon mustard

¼ cup white wine vinegar 

⅛ tsp salt 

2-3 cranks fresh black pepper 

Directions:

1. Prepare quinoa according to package directions.While the quinoa cooks, make the salad dressing and chop the salad ingredients.
2. Salad Dressing: Add the ingredients of the dressing in a small glass jar, cover with lid and give it a good shake. Set aside.
3. Once quinoa is cooked, set aside ¼ cup of quinoa to cool for about 10 mins on parchment-lined baking sheet. Preheat broiler on high. 
4. Add baking sheet to heated oven to cook for 5 mins, rotate halfway through until quinoa is crispy. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
5. Assemble kale, romaine lettuce, avocado, cucumber, onions, pawpaw and hearts of palm in a salad bowl.
6. Add the rest of quinoa to the salad bowl and pour the dressing.
7. Toss until well combined and refrigerate for 30min 

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