Kale stems are notoriously tough and fibrous, so you’ll need to remove them before cooking. An easy way to do this is to hold a piece of kale by its stem in one hand. Then, using your other hand, rip the leaf away from you, starting at its base. Compost kale stems.
You will use the nutritious, leafy beet greens in this recipe, so don’t toss them once you’ve cut off the beets’ stems and stringy roots. You will roast the beets, so be sure to scrub them well with a vegetable brush. Set the beet greens aside to be sauteed with the kale.
This warm salad goes really well with roasted chicken or pork chops, and can be made ahead of time and served at room temperature. Store leftovers in a lidded glass container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Ingredients
- 6-8 small/medium beets and their greens (or 1-1½ pounds),
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup tri-color quinoa (or any quinoa variety)
- 1 cup water, plus 2 tablespoons
- 8 cups Dinosaur (Lacinato) kale (1-1½ pounds), roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar glaze
- ½ cup crumbled goat cheese
- ¼ cup unsalted toasted sliced almonds
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Uniformly dice beets. Rinse and pat dry beet greens. Roughly chop beet greens and set aside.
In a medium glass bowl, add diced beets, olive oil, sugar, and salt, and toss to coat.
In a single layer, arrange beets on the parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 35-40 minutes. Toss beets after about 20 minutes to ensure they roast evenly.
While beets are roasting, prepare quinoa. In a small saucepan with a tightly-fitting lid, bring water and a pinch of salt to a boil over medium heat. Add rinsed quinoa and cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 12-14 minutes or until the water has mostly evaporated and quinoa is cooked. Fluff. Remove from heat and set aside.
While quinoa is simmering and beets are roasting, add olive oil to a 6-quart Dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add half of the chopped kale and half of the beet greens. Add 2 tablespoons water, salt and pepper, and lower heat to low to medium heat. Stir together.
Add quinoa and the rest of the greens. Stir until incorporated. Cover, and cook for about 4-6 minutes. Check after 4 minutes. If the greens have wilted, remove from heat. If not, continue cooking for another 2 minutes and then remove from heat.
Pour warm kale, quinoa and beet salad into a large serving bowl. Toss. Drizzle with Balsamic vinegar glaze. Sprinkle with goat cheese and toasted almonds. Serve immediately.
