Citrus, Kale, and Grain Salad
This Citrus, Kale, and Grain Salad is an amazing winter salad that is a combination of roasted oranges, red onion, and sweet potato-which provide sweet and fresh bursts of flavor, massaged kale, and roasted barley and quinoa, which adds depth and bulk.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups uncooked pearled barley
- 1.5 cups uncooked quinoa
- 4 cups torn kale small bite sized pieces
- 3 oranges
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 1 red onion
- 1 + 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, separated
- 1 + 1/2 teaspoons Himalayan Salt, separated
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Lay out quinoa and barley on separate baking sheets (the barley will take a little longer to roast). Roast for 10 to 15 minutes. The quinoa will likely start to brown first so take it out and let the barley go a little longer. Remove from the oven and let the grains cool to room temperature.
- While they cool, bring 4 liters of water to boil along with 8 teaspoons of Morton Kosher Salt. Once the water has reached a roiling boil, add the quinoa and barley and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until al dente. Drain in a fine mesh sieve and layout on baking sheets to cool off.
- While the grains cool off, cut away the skin and pith from the oranges with a pairing knife. Then cut into 1/4th inch slices and then halve or quarter them.
- Tear and massage the kale with a little olive oil and salt. Set aside.
- Peel and slice the sweet potato into 1/4th inch slices. Then halve or quarter them.
- Peel the outer layer of the onion off and slice in half vertically. Then cut them on the diagonal into inch wide wedges.
- Add the sweet potato and onion to a roasting pan and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Spread out evenly.
- Toss the oranges with a 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add them to the roasting pan as well.
- Roast at 350 for 40 minutes, tossing again after the first 20 minutes. Add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and cook for another 10 minutes.
- While cooking, in a large bowl or platter, toss together the cooled grains and kale. Toss the roasted veggies in with everything else and serve. Sprinkle with a little more Himalayan Salt and a small drizzle of balsamic vinegar if desired.
Notes
The grains can be roasted, boiled, and cooled on a different day. The method makes it possible to cook lots of different grains at once. If you do those on a different day, then the prep time is only 10 minutes and the cook time is 50.