I have been indulging in this dish the last couple days! It’s so fresh and good.
A few quick things about this recipe. First, it couldn’t be easier. Boil the quinoa, chop some fresh parsley, throw all the pesto ingredients in a blender, and then toss the everything together with some chopped walnuts. The whole process takes all of 20 minutes, and it’s 100% fool-proof.
Bright and delicious!
Kale is king of the leafy greens and the more we can incorporate it into our meals the better. The kale pesto gives it those extra nutrients and a wonderful garlicky kick, and the walnuts bring the crunch. You’ll also have some extra kale pesto, which is excellent news, as you can use it to dress up everything from eggs and roasted veggies to pizza and wraps.
It’s a perfect salad to enjoy on a beautiful summer evening.
Quinoa Kale Pesto Bowl
Serves 4
1 cup quinoa
½ cup kale pesto (recipe below)
Zest of one lemon
Juice of ½ lemon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
Place quinoa into a fine-mesh strainer. Rinse thoroughly with cool water for about 2 minutes. Heat a splash of olive oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat, and add the drained quinoa. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute, letting the water evaporate. Add 1 1/2 cups of broth and bring to a rolling boil, lower to a simmer (turn heat down to the lowest setting), cover, and cook for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 more minutes, covered.
Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa gently with a fork. Combine cooked quinoa with enough kale pesto to coat, and mix quinoa thoroughly. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Divide quinoa among separate bowls.Top off quinoa with lemon zest, chopped walnuts and red pepper flakes.
Kale Pesto Recipe
3-4 cups packed kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, optional
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more as needed
1 or 2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese or 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon himalayan salt, or to taste
pinch or two of red pepper flakes
juice of 1 small lemon
Start with the pesto, place ingredients in food processor and blend until desired consistency. Add more olive oil if desired and taste for seasoning, set aside.
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