Shea is 10 months old…sigh…I can’t even believe it. Everyone says how fast they grow, but in the beginning you’re just trying to survive while constantly worrying about doing everything right that you don’t even realize it.
And now I’m planning her 1st birthday party, wishing time could just stand still for a minute or two…but let’s put that sappy stuff aside for now and talk about this Cucumber Kale Salad with Avocado Dressing!
The party will be in June and we’re planning on making full use of our grill and smoker with lots of fresh tasting eats. So plan on lots of those recipes coming up on Hunger|Thirst|Play!
So fresh and crisp!
To kick off this party, we’ve got this killer fresh Cucumber Kale Salad that you can totally binge on without an ounce of guilt. I absolutely can not wait to make this with a little seared Ahi Tuna and teriyaki drizzle. It’s definitely one to keep in mind for those super hot summer nights when just the thought of hot food makes you perspire.
Another love of this salad is that it’s super fast to put together, especially if you’ve already made the dressing or have another dressing you prefer. (I am obsessed with Fanny’s Lite Italian Dressing, seriously, so good.)
If you’re really in a crunch, here’s a trick to speed you up in prep – to deseed the cucumbers take a spoon and run it along the seeds with slight pressure – essentially carving them out of the cucumber.
So easy, so fresh, soooo delicious!
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Cucumber Kale Salad
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 8 mins
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup red quinoa
- 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 english cucumbers
- 2 avocados
- 1/4 red onion, finely diced
- 1 3/4 cups (cooked) or 1 15.5-ounce can Black Beans
- 1/2 head or 4 large leaves kale of choice
- 1 cup Avocado-Lime Dressing or dressing of choice
- 1 4-ounce log of goat cheese (reserve 2 tablespoons for the dressing)
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Start by cooking the quinoa, so it will have time cook and cool while you prepare everything else. Combine quinoa and stock (vegetable, chicken or you could use water) in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, cover and then simmer on low about 7-8 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. The quinoa should still have a springy bite but not crunchy. If there is still a little liquid left, drain it before adding the quinoa to the salad. Let cool completely before adding to the other ingredients.
- Peel, deseed and dice the cucumbers. The easiest way to do this is to cut the cucumber in half the long way and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Place chopped cucumbers in a bowl – large enough so that you’ll be able to toss all the ingredients with the dressing. Finely dice the red onion and add to the cucumbers. Remove the main stem of the kale leaf and finely chop the kale leaves and add to the bowl. Add the black beans, if using canned black beans, drain and rinse them before adding.
- Dice the avocado and add to the bowl along with the cooled quinoa and dressing. Toss all the ingredients together and top with crumbled goat cheese.
For the Dressing:
- In a food processor, or whisking by hand, blend 1 avocado, 2 tablespoons goat cheese, extra virgin olive oil salt, pepper, and 5 tablespoons lime juice (about 2 medium limes.) Option to add chopped cilantro. Makes about 2 cups.
Notes
Salad will keep 1-2 days. If preparing in advance, leave out the avocado and wait to dress the salad until you are ready to serve. Because the ingredients are so fresh and light, it is recommend to eat the day you make it but it can be served the following day if sealed in an airtight container.
- Category: Salad
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