Kale Quinoa Salad with low fat Caesar dressing

Ingredients for Kale Quinoa Salad

  • 4 cups (about 1/2 bunch) Tuscan kale- wash, pat dry, then small chop

  • 1/2 cup cooked Quinoa

  • 1/4 cup toasted chickpeas - Saute a drained and rinsed can of chickpeas in 1 Tbsp of olive oil; remove from heat and sprinkle with Za'atar seasoning.

  • 1/8 cup almonds

  • 12 grape tomatoes, halved

Ingredients for low fat Caesar dressing

  • 5 oz cup of nonfat Greek yogurt

  • 1 Tbsp mayonnaise

  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

  • 1 Tbsp mustard (dijon preferred, but yellow is okay)

  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (reduced sodium)

  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic

  • 1 tsp anchovy paste

  • 1-2 pinches of Cayenne pepper

  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven = 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with non-stick spray. Arrange halved tomatoes on half of the sheet and sauted chickpeas on the other half. Lightly salt tomatoes and chickpeas. Drizzle olive oil over tomatoes. Bake 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

  2. Make dressing: combine all the Caesar dressing ingredients except the cheese into a medium bowl, whisk together until smooth. Stir in parmesan cheese. Set aside.

  3. In a tupperware bowl add the kale and 2-3 teaspoons of dressing. Massage the dressing into the leaves for 2-3 minutes. Place in the refrigerator while the chickpeas and tomatoes are in the oven.

  4. Assemble the salad: Add the cooled chickpeas and quinoa to the kale in the tupperware bowl. Shake together to coat. Transfer to a large serving dish. Add the roasted tomatoes and almonds. Finish with a light grating of parmesan cheese prior to serving.