with quinoa, sweet bell peppers, Vidalia onions, fresh spinach and cilantro and a creamy bacon cilantro dressing
Ah the sweet tastes of summer! Fresh garden goodies are just beginning and I am super excited to go visit my parents because I know they are already up to their ears in fresh fruits and veggies from their garden. They have a HUGE garden and they can’t keep up with it all … and I’m ALWAYS happy to help them with that problem. I am a rescuer of neglected foods, a cozy place to call home for wayward foodstuffs.
I talked to my dad a couple days ago and he mentioned that they have lots and lots of kale. I can’t wait for the kale! I went on a huge quinoa kale salad binge last winter after my sister introduced me to what I named the Holiday Quinoa Kale Salad (because we made it for Christmas dinner). She had discovered it at a local restaurant she liked to frequent for lunch. I asked her what they called it so she looked it up and the name on their menu was “Kale salad”. I guess you can do that when you have a restaurant with only one kale salad on the menu. For my blog where I might have who knows how many versions of kale salad over the years, I needed something a little more descriptive.
Anyway, after that addictive holiday salad (which I made many times), I started experimenting with other flavor combinations involving kale and quinoa. I love the flavors of smoky bacon and sweet corn together with sweet bell peppers, so I thought I’d try something like that … and so this salad was born. I drizzled a creamy bacon cilantro dressing on top and it was lovely. I can’t wait to make it again with dad’s fresh garden kale!
What’s so awesome about this Bacon Corn and Kale salad?
- First and foremost: it’s yummy! There are so many different tastes, colors and textures going on. Chewy, nutty textures from the quinoa, a smoky taste from the bacon, crisp crunchy vibrant sweetness from onions and peppers and corn and then the creaminess of the dressing.
- Secondly, it’s super easy to make. If you’ve got pre-cooked bacon on hand (I keep some in the freezer at all times because you never know when you’ll need it!), you can put this salad together in about 15 minutes.
- The dressing is lightened up with plain yogurt, which brings probiotics and calcium into the mix, helping boost the good bacteria in your body.
- It’s got kale, which is loaded with fiber, potassium and so many nutrients! Kale helps fight cancer, diabetes, heart disease, contributes to bone health, digestion and healthy skin and hair. Read more about benefits of kale on Medical News Today …
- And there’s cilantro! Besides being one of my favorite herbs for the flavor, cilantro is another health powerhouse. Like kale, cilantro is a cancer-fighting agent, but in addition it can help with pain and inflammation, has antifungal properties and even has antibiotic effects over salmonella. Read more about cilantro on Medical News Today ….
- And quinoa too! Quinoa is known as the “mother grain” and it’s technically a seed, not a grain. It’s high in protein and fiber, has lots of healthy minerals, nutrients and antioxidants that provide anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-cancer and anti-depressant effects.
- … but the #1 reason I’m guessing you’re even looking at this post is bacon. Yeah, okay, bacon might not be good for you, but a small amount of it just makes things taste better. And you’re going to eat more if it tastes good, right?
Pro Tip: if your kale is bitter or tough, try massaging it first. Just dig your fingers in and rub the leaves all over. Besides giving your fingers a little mini-workout, the massage softens the leaves of the kale and releases the bitter flavor, making it sweeter and easier to chew. Here’s more from Spicy Foodie on why you should massage your kale.
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Bacon Corn & Kale Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 - 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the bacon cilantro dressing:
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/4 cup light mayo
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon bacon mushroom salt (to taste – recipe here)
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- A pinch of dried dill
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
For the salad:
- 3 – 5 slices of bacon, cooked & crumbled
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed … or corn cut off the cob (after a bit of cooking)
- 1 cup (packed) of kale leaves, ribs removed and cut into small bits
- 1 cup (packed) of fresh baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 5 – 6 mini sweet peppers or 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 of a vidalia onion, peeled & chopped
Instructions
- Put all the dressing ingredients in a handi chopper or mini food processor and process until the cilantro is finely chopped and the dressing is smooth. Set aside.
- Put the kale leaves in your salad bowl and taste test it. If it is bitter or tough, rub the kale leaves with your fingers to soften it. Add the rest of the salad ingredients into the bowl and toss to mix.
- Serve with the creamy dressing on the side to drizzle over as desired.
Notes
RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/
© Copyright 2018, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.
