Tag: salad

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Winter Kale Salad

veganlivingbydanielle

Winter Kale Salad | Vegan Living by Danielle

Ingredients:

Salad –

  • 1/4 cup dry quinoa (I think red or tri-color quinoa look the best)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 8 cups of kale, thick stems removed
  • 1/4 cup hemp seeds (walnuts work well too, we have a nut allergy in the family so I sub hemp seeds)
  • 2 apples, chopped (I like fuji and honeycrisp best, but chose your favorite apples!)
  • 1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds (sub dried cranberries)

Dressing –

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup

Directions:

  1. Put dry quinoa in a small pot with of water.
  2. Set timer for 15 minutes once the burner is turned on.
  3. Move the temperature to low or medium-low once water is boiling. (You’ll know quinoa is fully cooked when the kernels opened and look fluffy.)
  4. Remove the thick stems from kale and cut into bite-size pieces.
  5. Put all kale in a pot to steam with about 1-2 cups of water. Stir kale and repeat until all kale is very slightly cooked.
  6. Once kale is cooked, drain the pot and pat kale dry with paper towel if needed.
  7. In a small bowl, mix the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and syrup.
  8. In a large bowl, combine cooled kale, cooled quinoa, fruit, seeds/nuts, and dressing.
  9. Toss until mixed thoroughly and dressing is evenly distributed.
  10. Enjoy!

Makes about 4 side salads, or 2 lunch-sized salads!

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Ideas for Serving Quinoa Salad

veganlivingbydanielle

There are many different ways you can serve quinoa salads!

The two recipes that I have shared so far are the Mexican Quinoa Salad and the Mediterranean Quinoa Salad. Both of these could be served on their own, hot or cold.

Some other ideas include serving the quinoa salad over a bed of fresh greens. The Mexican Quinoa Salad always pairs well with some salsa and slices of avocado.

One of my favorite ways to eat these salads, is wrapped in a tortilla, served cold, with some fresh greens. This is a really good way to grab lunch or dinner on the go! The Mexican Wrap is delicious with avocado slices and fresh salsa (the less liquid in the salsa the better). The Mediterranean Wrap is very yummy with a tablespoon or two of hummus spread on the tortilla.

Most tortillas are vegan, but always check the label to see if it contains milk, eggs, honey, or other non-vegan ingredients. For help identifying non-vegan ingredients, check out my post on Vegan Apps on iTunes!

Enjoy!

xo,

Danielle

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Mexican Quinoa Salad

veganlivingbydanielle

Vegan Mexican Quinoa | Vegan Living by Danielle

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dry quinoa
  • 2 cups vegetable stock (or water with 1 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp pepper)
  • 1 can of corn, drained
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes (with jalapeños if you like spicy!), drained
  • 1 can of your favorite beans (chickpeas, kidney, or black beans), drained
  • 1 can of olives, halved
  • 1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 red onion, diced
  • 1/2 lime, juiced (approx. 1 Tbsp of juice)
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (1 Tbsp dried cilantro)
  • 1 avocado (optional)

Directions:

  1. Put dry quinoa and stock, or water and spices, in large sauce pan over high heat.
  2. Reduce heat to medium-low when the pot is boiling and cover.
  3. Let quinoa cook for a total of approximately 15 minutes, or until all kernels are open and fluffy. Stirring is not necessary or recommended. Best results come when the lid is left on during the whole cooking process.
  4. Once quinoa is thoroughly cooked, move it to a bowl. Refrigerate to cool if desired to serve salad cold.
  5. While the quinoa is cooking and cooling, prepare remaining ingredients.
  6. Combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
  7. Combine quinoa with remaining ingredients and mix well.
  8. Serve cool or warm and enjoy!
  9. Option to top each serving with sliced avocado and a whole, fresh cilantro leaf.
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Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

veganlivingbydanielle

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad | Vegan Living by Danielle

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dry quinoa
  • 2 cups vegetable stock (could substitute water, but stock is much more flavorful; low-sodium stock highly recommended)
  • 1/8 cup fresh parsley, chopped or 1/2 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
  • 1/2 cup red onion (about 1/4 of a larger onion), chopped
  • 1/2 can chickpeas, drained
  • 1 med cucumber with the seeds removed, diced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • juice of 1/2 lemon (roughly 1 1/2 Tbsps)
  • juice of 1/4 lime (roughly 1/2 Tbsp)
  • 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 3/4 tsp black pepper
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup kalamata, green, or black olives (optional – depending on your taste), halved

Directions:

  1. Put dry quinoa and stock in large sauce pan over high heat.
  2. Reduce heat to medium-low when the pot is boiling and cover.
  3. Let quinoa cook for a total of approximately 15 minutes, or until all kernels are open and fluffy. Stirring is not necessary or recommended. Best results come when the lid is left on during the whole cooking process.
  4. Once quinoa is thoroughly cooked, move it to a bowl and refrigerate to cool.
  5. While the quinoa is cooking and cooling, prepare remaining ingredients, and mix in a bowl.
  6. When quinoa has cooled, combine quinoa with remaining ingredients and mix well.
  7. Serve cool and enjoy!

 

It is the season for barbecues, picnics, and grad parties. I highly recommend doubling this recipe to bring to these events! It is definitely a real crowd pleaser. Also, quinoa and chickpeas have a good amount of protein for you, so it’s definitely a good thing to bring with you to picnics to be sure there is a vegan option for you that has a substantial amount of protein.

I like to take a bit of it with me as my lunch, or serve a few scoops on the side of dinner!

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Buffalo Chickpea Salad

veganlivingbydanielle

 

Buffalo Chickpea Salad | Vegan Living by Danielle

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp of cooking oil (vegetable, olive, coconut…whatever you like!)
  • 1 can of chickpeas
  • 1/2 cup of flour (approx)
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • salad greens and other toppings
  • your favorite buffalo sauce! (just read the label of ingredients and make sure it doesn’t contain dairy as some buffalo sauce will; *vegan hack: use the app, “Is it Vegan?,” from my last blog posting! Sweet Baby Ray’s and Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauces are vegan 😛)
  • vegan ranch (just ranch is pictured, they were recently found to test on animals, so I do NOT recommend their products)
  • 1/2 of an avocado (optional – good to counter the spice, especially if you don’t find dairy-free ranch)

Directions:

  1. Heat a medium-large sized frying pan over medium heat with the cooking oil.
  2. Open can of chickpeas and drain the liquid.
  3. Dump the chickpeas in a Tupperware container with a lid.
  4. Cover chickpeas with the flour (this may not take the whole 1/2 cup).
  5. Add pepper and garlic and shake the container to evenly distribute.
  6. Put the lid on the Tupperware and shake until all the chickpeas have a light layer of flour.
  7. Dump the chickpeas in the warmed frying pan and cook until they are golden, stirring occasionally. You may want to turn the heat up to medium-high heat, but watch closely to avoid burning!
  8. Once the chickpeas are golden, lower the heat and stir in just enough buffalo sauce to cover the chickpeas. (Too much makes them a little soggy and mushy which I don’t like, but if you do, go for it!)
  9. While the buffalo sauce is warming, prep your salad veggies in a large bowl or plate.
  10. Top your salad with the buffalo chickpeas and avocado and/or vegan ranch dressing.

Bon Appetit!