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CARE Recipe: Kale Pistachio Pesto Salad
This flexible salad can be made denser for fall/winter depending on which grain you use. Heartier long-grain rice, bulgur, or spelt add welcomed comfort, while grains like quinoa and couscous keep it lighter. This salad also uses our Kale Pistachio Pesto, packing it with flavor and nutrients. This bright green pesto is packed with flavor and nutrients (like lutein and vitamin A, especially important for eye health).
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
Scale
For Pesto
- 1/2 cup pistachio kernels (walnuts can also be substituted)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 cup kale, chopped, (1 small bunch, dark green Dino kale recommended)
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pinch ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For Salad
- 2 cups COOKED couscous (or grain of choice)
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 4 cup riced cauliflower (raw, not frozen)
- 8 ounces extra firm tofu, diced
Instructions
- Prepare grains according to package directions to yield 2 cups cooked.
- While grains are cooking, prepare pesto by placing all ingredients “For Pesto” in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, add pesto and cooked grains (can be added warm). Mix well.
- Add vegetables and tofu. Mix salad well.
- Portion and enjoy!
Notes
- If you are using this as a brassica (cruciferous) vegetable source (cauliflower) to serve with BBQ (to help reduce the effects of HCA, see blog post for more details), simply leave out tofu and add the protein you are grilling.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Lunch
- Diet: Vegan
Nutrition
- Calories: 473
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 247mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 57g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
