Warm Cheesy Kale Mushroom Quinoa Salad

This warm kale salad with mushrooms and quinoa is packed with unami flavours and and topped with a delicious cheesy tahini dressing. It’s a hearty vegan salad that can been enjoyed as a side or a main.

Who said salads were only meant for summer? This warm, hearty kale, mushroom quinoa salad is the perfect cold weather dish. It's filled with healthy, nourishing ingredients like sautéed mushrooms, onions, kale, quinoa, and healthy fat sources like tahini and sesame seeds. Everything is mixed with the most delicious homemade cheesy tahini dressing, which pairs beautifully with the umami flavours of the mushrooms. Seriously to die for!

You can enjoy this warm kale salad as a side dish or even a main, and it makes a great cold salad for lunch the next day too! It’s a basically a cross between a salad and a grain bowl, all in one!

This recipe is naturally gluten free and vegan as the cheesy dressing is made from nutritional yeast.

Ingredients you’ll need

• Uncooked quinoa – or any grain of choice. I think barley, brown or wild rice would be lovely too!
• Brown onion
• Mushrooms – I like button mushrooms for this.
• Shredded curly kale leaves
• Tahini
• Garlic powder + paprika – to season the "cheesy" dressing. You could also sub 1-2 cloves fresh garlic if preferred.
• Nutritional yeast
• Lemon
• Sesame seeds
• Salt + pepper

How to make this warm kale salad

• Cook quinoa: Start by cooking the quinoa, according to package directions. Note I like to rinse my quinoa first to remove that funky bitter taste.
• Cheesy dressing: Make cheesy tahini dressing by whisking together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

• Sauté onions + mushrooms: Heat a pan over medium-high. Add a little olive oil and sauté onion for a few minutes until translucent. Then add the mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes, until browned and tender. Season with salt + pepper and set aside.
• Kale: Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl massage the kale with half of the dressing to slightly soften the leaves.

• Mix everything together: When quinoa is done, add quinoa and mushrooms to the mixing bowl with the kale. Toss everything to combine well, adjusting seasonings to taste. Serve salad and top with remaining dressing and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

What to serve with this warm kale mushroom quinoa salad

If you’d like to enjoy this warm kale salad as a main meal, I recommend topping it with a quality source of protein. Some ideas:

• Hard boiled eggs
• Grilled salmon
• Shredded chicken
• Crispy tofu
• Fried tempeh

Otherwise, serve this salad as a side dish to your main meal!

How to store leftovers

• Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. The wonderful thing about kale is that it doesn’t get soggy! 
• Reheat: Warm kale salad on the stovetop over low heat, adding a tablespoon of water to add moisture if needed. Alternatively, heat in the microwave, using 30 second intervals, stirring between each until warm.
• Eat cold: I recommend eating it warm when you first make it (it’s so hearty and comforting this way), but if you have leftovers of the salad you can totally enjoy those cold.

Mushroom Nutrition Facts

Mushrooms are a source of:

• Multiple B-vitamins like niacin, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid with a 100-gram serving providing 20, 25, and 20% of your daily needs, respectively.
• Minerals, including selenium, copper, potassium and phosphorus 
• One of the few non-fortified food sources of vitamin D!

Kale Nutrition Facts

Kale is a source of:

• Vitamins A, C and K, with one cup providing 206%, 134% and 684% of your daily needs, respectively.
• Micronutrients like, manganese, magnesium, potassium, calcium and copper.
• Dietary fibre – with one cup providing 2 grams, helping to keep your gut and heart happy.

Nutritional Yeast Nutrition Facts

Nutritional yeast is pantry staple of mine, thanks to it's delicious cheesy flavour and great nutrient profile. While I do eat real cheese, sometimes I like making dairy-free sauces and I always turn to nutritional yeast to give me that “cheesy” kick.

Fortified nutritional yeast is an excellent source of:

• Multiple B vitamins like thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6 and B12. These B-vitamins play a critical role in producing energy from the foods that we eat.
• Trace minerals like zinc, selenium and manganese

A few of my other favourite nourishing salads and things: Miso Glazed Pumpkin + Kale Salad, Mini Spinach and Feta Quiche

If you try this warm cheesy kale mushroom quinoa salad recipe or have a question, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

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