This salad has a whole slew of flavors and textures going for it, and each bite highlights a different element—a whisper of curry here, the sweet crunch of apple there, an airy bite of crispy kale there. As you’re preparing components of the salad, it may feel daunting, but once you toss everything together your hard work will pay off. This is the kind of nourishing one-bowl meal that makes me seriously consider giving up my carnivorous ways.
serves 2 or 3 as a main, or 4 to 6 as a side
quinoa:
½ cup quinoa (I use rainbow quinoa, but any quinoa will do)
1 teaspoon olive oil
Sea salt
crispy kale:
4 cups tightly packed kale leaves, stems removed, fully dried
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt
curried chickpeas:
1 teaspoon olive oil or coconut oil
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Sea salt
other goodies:
1 small bulb fennel, sliced paper-thin (discard tough core)
1 Fuji apple, very thinly sliced, then slices halved
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt
For the quinoa: Soak the quinoa for 15 minutes in 1 cup cool tap water. Using a fine-mesh strainer, vigorously rinse the quinoa under cold running water to wash off any bitterness.
Preheat the oven to 350°F for the kale.
Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add your quinoa and toast, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water and a pinch of sea salt to the saucepan. Turn up the heat to high. Once the liquid is boiling, cover the pan and reduce the heat to achieve a nice simmer. Cook the quinoa until tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Let the quinoa sit covered, off the heat, for 10 minutes before mixing with the other salad ingredients.
While your quinoa is cooking, go ahead and make the crispy kale. Coarsely chop the leaves into bite-size pieces and scatter them onto a large baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the leaves. Use your hands to toss the leaves to coat with the oil, and sprinkle with sea salt. Crisp the kale in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
Quickly make the curried chickpeas while the quinoa and kale are cooking. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the curry powder and shallot to the pan. Let sizzle for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the chickpeas. Toss to coat. Continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes. Season generously with salt to taste.
Finally, it’s time to assemble the salad. Get out a large salad bowl, and combine the warm quinoa with the curried chickpeas, crispy kale, fennel, and apple pieces. Give everything a good toss with your hands. Don’t worry if the kale crumbles into the salad—that’s what you want. Season the salad with the splash of red wine vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil, and the lemon zest and juice. Season again with sea salt to taste.
Eat right away.