Mediterranean Salad with Kale & Quinoa

Sometimes I feel like lunch is my enemy. I sit down every weekend and plan out meals for the upcoming week. Breakfast is easy and practically takes care of itself, and I put a lot of thought into dinner. But I just kind of gloss over lunch, maybe because it’s just me and a couple of little ones at home in the afternoon. And every single day when lunch time rolls around, I scratch my head and think, “What now?” And I end up eating either whatever I’m serving my kids or whatever I can find in the fridge/freezer/pantry. So basically, either completely unsatisfying or completely unhealthy. But this mediterranean salad is going to save me from the lunch time blues. It’s my new favorite toss-together lunch idea, and it is satisfying AND healthy AND completely delicious.

My husband ordered a similar salad from Panera Bread a few weeks ago, and we both fell in love with it after the first bite. I decided to try and recreate it at home, and discovered that this tasty mediterranean salad is ready in a snap. A bed of chopped leafy greens makes a base for veggies, quinoa, and delicious mediterranean toppings. And an herby, homemade Greek dressings tops it all off. It’s fresh, light, and full of great flavors and textures. Good-bye, sad lunch!

Mediterranean Salad with Kale & Quinoa

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

This delicious and healthy salad tastes just like my favorite salad at Panera Bread. The dressing recipe is adapted from All Recipes. The instructions are for a single serving, but it's easy to make more for the whole family.

Serves: 1

Ingredients

for the greek dressing

• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¾ cup red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 1½ teaspoons onion powder
• 1½ teaspoons dijon mustard

for the salad

• 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 cup baby kale
• diced cucumber
• ½ cup cooked and cooled quinoa
• kalamata olives
• finely minced sundried tomatoes
• roasted, sliced almonds
• crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

1. Combine all dressing ingredients in a pint-sized mason jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously until dressing is combined. Shake as needed before serving.
2. To make the salad, layer the ingredients on a plate in the order listed. Where no amount is given, add as much or as little of the ingredients as you wish. Drizzle with 2 Tablespoons greek dressing, and enjoy!

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