There is a local new restaurant here in Utah, Cubby’s Chicago Beef that is a new favorite place to go for lunch. They have amazing burgers and sandwiches but surprisingly one of their most popular items is their Citrus Kale salad. Everything about this salad speaks to me. The tender quinoa, sweet Craisins and apples, crispy kale, all drizzled in this heavenly sweet and tangy citrus dressing. This salad is SO super healthy and makes for a delicious side dish or a vegetarian, light meal. I served this salad to my friends and sisters and it was a huge hit. It was so good in fact I made one big batch one day and a second huge bowl the next day. I have been eating it all week and it is still amazing. If you want a healthy, new, fresh salad recipe this one is for you! I can’t wait for you to try it. Let me know what you think 😉
Ingredients
- SALAD:
- 1 head kale rinsed, stems removed and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 3 stalks green onions sliced
- 2 apples diced
- 1 cup dried cranberries Craisins
- 2 cans mandarin oranges drained
- 5 cups cooked quinoa or 2 cups raw
- CITRUS DRESSING:
- Juice of 2 oranges
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. paprika
- 2 Tbs. rice vinegar
- OPTIONAL ADDITION:
- 2-3 grilled and seasoned chicken breasts
Instructions
- For the salad, cook the quinoa (a rice cooker works great) according to package directions. Once the quinoa is cooked, set aside to cool slightly before adding it to the salad. Rinse the kale, remove the thick stems and cut the kale into long, thin strips. Add the kale to a large salad bowl. To the kale, add the craisins, sliced green onions and the diced bell pepper. For the dressing, add the orange juice, orange zest, honey, dijon, salt, pepper and paprika into a blender or whisk together until smooth. Add the olive oil slowly to let the dressing emulsify and become smooth and creamy. Once the dressing is done, set aside while you prepare the salad.
- Option: Grill and season a couple chicken breasts and then cut them into bite sized pieces. Toss the grilled chicken into the salad for a complete meal.
