Strawberry Kale Salad

Spring has arrived and to celebrate, we created this Strawberry Kale Salad! It is light yet filling, a nutritional powerhouse filled with superfoods, fiber, and protein. Yum!

People often wonder how vegans get their protein. Well, I’ll tell you- it’s from plants! Many plants, especially beans and legumes offer plenty of protein. Plus, the amount of protein humans actually need has been greatly exaggerated. Check out the diet of a gorilla! They have a 95% vegan diet (supplemented by the occasional bug) and they are one of the strongest mammals in the world! This Strawberry Kale Salad gets its protein from chickpeas, a vegan staple and one of my favorite foods.

So now that we’ve covered the protein, let’s dig into this salad! I paired sweet, tangy strawberries with nutty quinoa and earthy chickpeas to create the perfect lunch for spring and summer. The avocado and balsamic drizzle on top make this salad extra tasty. Bring it to a picnic! Strawberry Kale Salad + friends + sunshine = pure bliss. 🙂

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

• 1 bag or 10oz baby kale
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (1/2 can drained)
• 1 diced avocado
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• balsamic drizzle
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• sea salt and cracked pepper

[/ingredients]

[directions title=”Directions”]

1. In a large bowl, toss the baby kale and red onion with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Massage the oil into the kale with your hands for 5-10 seconds to evenly coat and soften the leaves.
2. Add the quinoa into a large scoop in the middle of the salad, Drizzle the lemon juice on top of the quinoa, then top with the chickpeas and avocado. Arrange the strawberries around the bowl, or simply sprinkle on top .
3. Add the balsamic drizzle onto the salad. Toss just before serving.

[/directions]

This Strawberry Kale Salad is quickly becoming one of my spring staples. Although, I’m pretty much obsessed with anything that pairs strawberries with balsamic. I just can’t get enough! The kale and quinoa send it over the top. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a salad to devour!

Did you make this Strawberry Kale Salad? We wanna see? Post a pic of your colorful creation on Instagram with the tag #carrotsandflowers so we can admire your salad skills! 🙂

For other tasty salad options, check out our Roasted Vegetable Salad and our Pomegranate Persimmon Salad.