When hot salad season starts (and yes, it's a thing) this Baked Kale Salad with Crispy Quinoa is the only one I want. All the vegetables are roasted in the oven, and the quinoa is toasted to a crispy perfection. It's the perfect balance of flavors and a great way to pack vegetables into your meal.
2tablespoonschili oil of choice, I like Calabrian chili oil, Brightland's chili oil, or Momofuku chili crunch
1smallred onion
1/4cuphoney
2tablespoonswater
2sage sprigs
1rosemary sprig
1/4cupred wine vinegar
Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cook 3/4 cup of quinoa per package instructions, or in a rice cooker with a 2:1 ratio of water to quinoa.
Remove the core from the head of cabbage, then thinly slice the cabbage and 112 stalks of kale. Spread them out evenly on separate baking sheets, one for cabbage, one for the kale.
Drizzle both the kale and cabbage with 1-2 tablespoons of avocado oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the cabbage at 450°F for 20-23 minutes, or until golden and slightly crisp. For the last 5-7 minutes of baking, add the kale. Remove both vegetables from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375°F.
Add the quinoa to a baking sheet. Drizzle with chili oil, season with salt and toss to combine. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the quinoa is slightly golden and lightly crisp.
While the quinoa is baking, make the agrodolce dressing. Thinly slice the red onion and place it in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of honey and 2 tablespoons of water.
Place a pan or small pot over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon avocado oil. Add the leaves from 2 sage sprigs and the leaves from 1 rosemary sprig. Pour in the honey mixture (it should slightly fizz), and stir until it thickens, about 1 minute. Add a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar. Stir again and let the mixture simmer for 1-2 minutes. Remove the sage and rosemary and pour the dressing over the red onion. Stir to combine.
In a large bowl, toss together the roasted cabbage, roasted kale, and red onion agrodolce.
When the quinoa is out of the oven, sprinkle it liberally on top of the salad and serve warm!