Once fall hits us, I feel like all we want are more soups and less salads. We want heart warming foods, which is understandable. But, I think we just need to use more fall seasonal produce in our salads that will make them enjoyable, even in the colder weather.
This is my Beet & Chickpea Kale Salad with Havarti. This is a delicious blend of October produce and creamy Havarti cheese. You can make a single serving of this for yourself for lunch or make a large bowl to serve for friends/family/coworkers! Please feel free to add lean protein such as grilled chicken, they are equally delicious.
I’d like to mention there is a complete source of protein in this salad. When you pair a grain and legume, they create a complete source of all 9 essential amino acids. But, if you’d like to add more protein, you are always welcome to. I create these salads to teach you how to add more greens into your life in a more flavorful way!
You’re going to need kale, arugula, havarti cheese, beet, quinoa, cucumber, and radish. So stop by your local farmer’s market and let’s start chopping.
Yields: 1
Prep time: 20 minutes (beets must be boiled - that will add another 45 minutes. You can buy prepared beets that are pre cooked if you’d like)
Total time: 25 minutes
This recipe is gluten free and vegetarian. (This can be easily made vegan without adding the havarti!)
Ingredients:
1. Handful of Tuscan kale, finely chopped
2. Handful of arugula, finely chopped
3. 2 TBSPs cubed havarti cheese
4. 1 cooked beet, finely chopped into cubes
5. 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa
6. 1 cucumber, finely diced
7. 1 radish, finely diced
8. Extra virgin olive oil
9. 1 lemon
10. Salt
11. Dried cilantro
Instructions:
1. First, make sure your beets and quinoa are prepared. If you don’t know how to cook quinoa, I have a “How to Make Quinoa Not Taste Like Cardboard” recipe on my blog, under “Back to Basics”. As for the beets, all you have to do is boil a pot of water and allow the beets to full boil until you can poke the beets through with a fork.
2. Grab a serving bowl of choice.
3. Have your arugula, kale, havarti, cucumber, and radish prepared. Add the kale in first and massage with the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 TSP of olive oil, and salt. Massage with your hands until you can’t hear the crunch of the kale anymore.
4. Add in the arugula, havarti, cucumber, and radish in.
5. Add the quinoa and beets.
6. In a small bowl, pour in 3 TBSPs of olive oil, the juice of ½ lemon, ¼ TSP of salt, and ½ TSP of dried cilantro. Mix well. Pour onto the salad.
7, Mix the salad well and taste test for more lemon or salt. Add if necessary.
