Cranberry Kale Quinoa Salad

with pomegranate seeds, blue cheese crumbles, toasted pecans & bacon and (optional) a maple balsamic vinaigrette

A perfect mix of tastes and textures in a bowl of beauty that’s a feast for the eyes … nutty quinoa with the sweet tart of the cranberries and pomegranate arils, crunchy pecans, creamy blue cheese and salty bacon. This is the absolute perfect salad to grace your holiday table.

My sister gave me some kale from her garden a while ago … it took me a long time to use it all because the bag she gave me was HUGE, but it kept beautifully in the fridge. I was going on vacation and really wanted to use the last of it before I left. I also had some cooked quinoa and pomegranate seeds in my fridge … and a bit of cooked bacon as well.

All of these things were just begging to become a salad. I was sooo excited when I tasted it. Honestly, I didn’t even use the dressing on it. I don’t think the salad needs it, but if you feel like you want a little more sweet on your salad, definitely drizzle a bit of that deliciousness over the salad.

Cranberry Kale Quinoa Salad

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 3 - 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

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• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed & peeled
• 4 cups of chopped fresh kale
• 2 cups of cooked quinoa
• 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
• 1/2 – 1 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)
• 1/2 – 1 cup toasted pecans
• A bit of orange zest
• 1 – 2 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• Optional: Maple Balsamic Dressing, to taste (recipe here)

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Instructions

1. Put the olive oil in a small bowl and add the crushed garlic clove. Let the garlic soak in the oil for at least 15 minutes to infuse the oil with garlic.
2. Heat a medium frying or saute pan over medium heat and add the oil, then the kale. Stir and cook the kale just until it’s wilted and bright green. Add the quinoa & honey and stir to mix. Stir in the cranberries, pecans, orange zest and bacon. Taste and add maple balsamic dressing as desired. Serve warm or cold.

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Notes

For a totally gluten free salad, make sure your quinoa is certified gluten free.

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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This recipe was shared at Gluten Free Friday, What’s for Dinner Sunday, What to Do Weekends and Hearth & Soul Bloghop.