Okay. You guys must be thinking – ‘another salad!?’ Well, yeah, coz I am that much in love with salads. This time, I am giving you, an exquisite sweet and savory one. It’s just another hearty way to feature my finds from the summer farmer’s market.

Kale is a natural reservoir of lots of nutrients like vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, fatty acids, fiber, etc. So, in a raw form, kale, either chopped, or as a pesto, is very healthy. But, massaged kale takes the whole thing to a different level altogether. It gets smoother in texture, helps get rid of the bitterness and hence gets an enhanced flavor.  Trust me; the kale in a kale salad is best when massaged.

I don’t think anyone needs to be sold on the sweet delicious miracle of nature that is, mango. Sweetness and taste aside, mangoes also have great health benefits. It has alkalizing effects on the body, along with being good for the eyes, cholesterol and digestion.

I am not even gonna start with the dressing to this salad. It is sweet as well as tangy, and brightens the whole flavor of the salad, while balancing the sweetness of the mango. You just cannot skip this, nor go wrong with this.

This salad is light, refreshing, ready in less than 30 minutes, super-healthy and ridiculously easy to make. With the tanginess of mango, and sweet and savory sunflower seed and honey dressing, this crunchy salad is perfect for any occasion in any form. The best thing though, is that, since the kale has been massaged, it will keep fresh for a good couple of days. With the quinoa, it becomes a wholesome and healthy meal. Skip the quinoa and you got yourself a very tasty and healthy snack.

You can adjust the seasonings to the salad as well as the dressing to your own liking. Do let me know how you liked this one.

Munch munch!

Ingredients:

For the salad –

• ½ cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 bunch kale, chopped
• 1 mango, chopped
• ¾ cup corn kernels
• 8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ jalapeño, seeded and chopped
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 cup cooked black beans
• Bean chips to top

For the sunflower dressing –

• 1/3 cup roasted sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2-3 tablespoons honey
• Salt & pepper as per taste

Instructions:

• To cook the quinoa, rinse it in a fine colander under running water. Then add the quinoa along with 1 cup of water in a pot and let it come to a gentle boil over medium heat. Then reduce the heat on low and simmer the quinoa until it has absorbed all the water. Remove from heat and let it rest for 10 minutes
• Place the chopped kale in a large bowl. Sprinkle some salt and massage the kale with your hands by scrunching up large handfuls until the kale gets darker and fragrant.
• Add the cooked quinoa, chopped mango, corn, tomatoes, jalapeño and black beans to the kale.
• To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients for the sunflower dressing in a food processor and process until smooth. Add some water for a thinner consistency.
• Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss it nicely. Adjust the seasoning if required.
• To serve, divide it into bowls and top it with sliced avocado and bean chips.