Roasted Tomato Kale Early Summer Salad
I’m ready for tomato season, but it’s just not quiiiiite here yet. So instead, we’re roasting the tomatoes until they’re soft, jammy, and caramelized. Combined with massaged kale, quinoa, chickpeas, and feta cheese this is one of my favorite salads to have at the beach, on a picnic, or as a not-sad desk lunch.
It’s fully starting to feel like summer from a mindset perspective. I want to eat all my meals outside, spend more time drinking rosé and picnicking with friends, and am constantly daydreaming about getting my beach read on.
On the Happier podcast, Gretchen Rubin and Liz Craft suggested designing your summer — basically, just getting really intentional about what you want your summer to look and feel like. I did this last year and loved that I had a list of summer-specific things to default to when planning my days and weeks in the summer months. Here’s what’s on my list this year:
- Reading outside more
- Regular casual dinners with friends at home and in the park
- More time near the ocean
- Extra coffees on our balcony
- Finish Women of Will
- Finish Salt Fat Acid Heat
- Make more stone fruit and berry desserts
Simple and attainable, right? I love the idea of setting intentions for slowing down to really enjoy the season.
Roasted Tomato Kale Salad
Roasting tomatoes brings out their natural sweetness and adds a special element to this main course-worthy salad. This is a great one to make ahead for a bbq, potluck, or for lunches throughout the week.
Ingredients
- 12 oz (340 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
- Olive oil
- ½ cup quinoa
- 1 cup water
- 1 medium bunch of kale , cleaned, de-stemmed, and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup purple cabbage , sliced thinly ot shredded
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas , drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup feta cheese , crumbled
- ¼ cup fresh parsley , roughly torn or chopped
Dressing
- ½ medium shallot , finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- salt & pepper
Instructions
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Heat oven to 375°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spread tomatoes out on the tray and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes until softened and collapsing. Once oil of the oven, drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside to cool.
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Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 10-15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Let stand for another 5-10 minutes.
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Combine dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake to combine everything, adding a little water if it needs thinning.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine kale and 2 spoonfuls of dressing. Massage the dressing into the kale for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Once quinoa and tomatoes have cooled, add them to the bowl with the kale, along with with cabbage, chickpeas, crumbled feta, and parsley. Add another spoonful of dressing and toss everything together to combine. Serve right away or store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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