warm and spicy southwest quinoa kale salad with chipotle tahini ranch
Sucks if you’re colorblind cos this salad is so wonderfully multihued and pretty and…wolf whistle.
I, of course, say that affectionately. J himself is colorblind and I have a gnarly time poking fun at him for it. He once told me a story about him and his also-colorblind friend who bought matching hot pink suitcases out of desperation, thinking they were gray. They got some odd looks in the airport. I obviously could not imagine being afflicted so since an eye for color is quite important for what I do here on FMG. I once got REALLY concerned because the images on J’s computer looked alarmingly awful, until he told me he put a colorblind filter on his screen. Phew.
Right now, I’m totally into foods with a whole lot of pigment. It feels heavenly to indulge in more veggies but still punch my tastebuds with a bevy of flavors. I’ve never thought healthy food was necessarily boring. How could one find unattractive those beautiful and varying shades in nature? It floors me that some people don’t enjoy any kind of fruit or vegetables (seems to be a dude plague particularly). There exists so many varieties of produce, and varieties within the varieties. Gotta be something the folks can enjoy.
This salad is one of my absolute favorites here. Best eaten warm or at room temperature – as per request from an Instagram prompt I posted – it’s cozy, filling, gorgeous, and the dressing is extraterrestrial. We’ve been craving something like this for awhile and boy did it deliver. Spicy roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, kale, and protein-packed quinoa tossed with a whole buncha other shit and the aforementioned Greek yogurt and tahini ranch.
I’ll just shut up and let the photos do the talking.
Quee-no-ah
Joaquin.
Stupid ass Progressive commercial that always makes me chuckle.
Leftover quinoa is not unusual in our house, so if you have a bowl in the fridge, take it out for this salad. Otherwise, I use my rice cooker to whip up a quick batch in around 30 minutes. You are also free to make some on the stovetop according to the directions on the package, which usually also takes 25-30 minutes.
The other thing to actually cook is the sweet potatoes. I cube them up and toss with a blend of spices I enlist whenever I make sweet potato fries: smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, garlic and onion powders, dried oregano, salt/pepper, and olive oil. Roast the taters for about 15-20 minutes, until tender.
While the potatoes tan in the oven, I whisk up the dressing. Get yourself a can of chipotle chiles, chop a few up, and stir into a Greek yogurt-tahini base with typical ranch seasonings like dill, garlic, and onion powder. Thin out the dressing with some buttermilk and lime juice for a tangy blast of sweet heat.
The amount of chipotles will depend on your preferred level of spice: I also find some brands are spicier than others. I usually buy this one since it’s somewhat milder but still very smoky, and fish out about 3 tablespoons worth of sauce and peppers.
Toss the Salad, Not Your Cookies
Once those steps are done, just fucken mix that shit up, yo.
The rest of the ingredients lend so much heft and flavor to the finished salad. Nutrients galore! I chop up some Tuscan kale (my favorite variety), lots of fresh cilantro for a snap of fresh herbiness, crumbled feta (you can use cotija, too, or leave it out), black beans, and avocado, and some pepitas for crunch. Snag your biggest fattest bowl and throw everything together with a few spoonfuls of the dressing.
Serve immediately while everything is still nice and warm, or let it come to room temp, or hell, chill it if you prefer colder salads. Every which way is amazing and none of the taste is compromised if you change the temperature. Extra dressing on the side is imperative.
This salad holds up really well to the dressing, so divide some leftovers up into meal prep containers and take one for the lunch the next day. Be sure to pack a little condiment bowl of dressing for the road, too. I like to add some canned tuna on the side, or tortilla chips to scoop everything up if I’m feeling it. A little lime wedge for drizzling is great, too.
Another prime example that being mindful and eating nourishing foods isn’t all boring. Specifically, salads needn’t be a standard bowl of lettuce and tomatoes with too much vinaigrette. They can be funky and fill up your soul on chilly winter days.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Ensaladas:
Kale Pomegranate and Maple Chickpea Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette
Shredded Brussels Sprouts Apple Salad with Spiced Maple Walnuts
Harvest Fig and Kale Crunch Salad with Tahini Cider Dressing
warm and spicy southwest quinoa kale salad with chipotle tahini ranch
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 3 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 cups Tuscan or regular kale, chopped
- 1 can black beans, drained
- 1/2 cup pepitas
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup crumbled feta or cotija cheese
- 1 large avocado, diced
chipotle tahini ranch
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2-3 tbsp chopped chipotles in adobo sauce
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- On the baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Spread into a single layer. Roast 15-20 minutes until tender and softened. Set aside.
- To make the ranch: in a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, tahini, chipotles, parsley, dill, garlic, onion, lime juice, buttermilk, and a pinch of salt and pepper. If needed, thin with an additional 1-2 tablespoons of milk.
- Assemble thy salad! Grab your biggest mixing bowl. Toss together the quinoa, sweet potatoes, black beans, kale, pepitas, cilantro, feta, avocado, and 1/4 cup of the dressing until everything is well coated.
- Pour into a large serving bowl or platter. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
