Mexican Kale Power Salad

I had such a hard time thinking of a name to call this dish. It has a little bit of everything (veg, meat, grains) and is jam packed with protein, fiber, and nutrients. Thus, the salad was given the name “Mexican Kale Power Salad”. It really lives up to its name. It helped power me through a late night rollerblading session and through a long work shift. The salad is fresh, crisp, and perfect for work week lunches (you all know those recipes are my fav).

A combo of marinated, grilled chicken, leafy kale, corn, quinoa & avocado will leave your taste buds screaming for more. I paired the salad with a honey-lime dressing which is turned out AH-MAYZING! So delicious you could drink it. (Okay, maybe not, but still delicious). What I love about the dressing is that a little bit goes a long way since it is so flavorful.

For the salad you will need:

2 bunches of Kale- washed & chopped

2 ears of corn on the cob

1/2 cup dry quinoa

1 small/medium avocado

4 chicken breast

1 small yellow onion

1 bell pepper/ 7-10 mini bell peppers

1 cup cherry tomatoes

Chicken Marinade:

1.5 tablespoons olive oil

1 lime juiced

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon mexican seasoning

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

salt & pepper to taste

Honey Lime Vinaigrette Dressing

1 lime, juiced

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon ground mustard

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon coconut sugar

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Another close up of the salad 🙂 I should have taken more pics during the cooking process, but I was too focused on getting food on the table!

Directions:

First, mix together all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade and pour it over the chicken. I used frozen chicken, so I just poured it over the frozen chicken in a big ziplock bag and put it in the fridge to thaw. Allow the flavors to marinate for at least 1 hour before cooking the chicken.

Next, make the dressing. Simple measure & add all of the ingredients to a measuring cup, bowl, cruet, etc. Make sure to melt the coconut oil before adding it to the dressing. Whisk everything up super well and put it back in the fridge. Separation will occur in this dressing due to the oil.

For the salad: Cook the quinoa according to the package directions and allow it to cool. Then, chop up the small onion and put it on a skewer stick (or could leave the onion raw- your choice) to grill with the chicken. I then began boiling the corn on the cob and cranked up the grill! While the chicken and corn are cooking, chop up all of the veggies. Make sure to massage the chopped kale with a bit of lemon juice to soften it. When everything is done cooking, arrange the salad to your liking! I went for a more deconstructed look, but you could always just pile everything on there- go Big or go home!

This dinner makes 4 generously large servings! Lots & lots of kale & other veggie goodness 🙂 You could also make this without the chicken or sub it for shrimp according to your dietary preferences.

Yes this meal will definitely be making its way into my favorite dishes rotation- so delicious.

Do you prefer deconstructed salads or like to mix everything together? I’m definitely a deconstructed girl for photographing purposes, but then I mix everything up real good. What is your favorite healthy store-bought dressing? Lmk in the comments! (always looking for new healthy dressings!)