Coconut Quinoa and Kale with Tropical Pesto
Total Time
35 minutes
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Rating
4.9 out of 5 stars
(24)
Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed under running water in a fine mesh colander for a couple of minutes
- 1 cup light coconut milk
- 1 small bunch of kale, stems removed and leaves chopped (for a total of about 4 cups chopped kale)
- ⅓ cup chopped red onion
- ⅓ cup large, unsweetened coconut flakes
- 2 cups cilantro, packed
- scant ½ cup raw, unsalted cashews
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ cup olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ lime, juiced (or more, to taste)
- pinch red pepper flakes, optional
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Preparation
Chef’s notes
Cilantro-cashew pesto adapted from the tropical pesto in Flavors of Belize, the cookbook. Salad inspired by my trip to Belize, courtesy of McNab Design and several generous sponsors.
I’m not a big fan of white quinoa (I find it bland), so I always recommend using a rainbow blend or red or black quinoa.
The recipe didn’t specify to toast the cashews first, so I didn’t, but toasting the nuts before blending them into the pesto would add an extra dimension of flavor.
This salad keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days, but I think it is best served fresh. Either eat it cold or gently reheated.
*Where to buy coconut flakes:
Look for them in the baking section at Whole Foods, health food stores or well-stocked grocery stores. The brands I see most often are “Let’s Do Organic” (green package) and Bob’s Red Mill.