Lunch · 15 min · italian

Kale & Quinoa Caesar

Kale does the heavy lifting here, with quinoa rounding it out. An Italian lunch that takes 15 minutes, start to finish. The macros do the talking: 23g protein, 37g carbs, and 11g fat in every 336-calorie serving. Leftovers keep well, so it doubles as next-day lunch without any extra work.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 2 cups Kale
• 3/4 cup cooked Quinoa
• 1/4 cup Parmesan
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 clove Garlic

Steps

1. Rinse the kale, then pull the leaves away from the tough center stems and tear them into bite-size pieces. Discard the stems — they stay chewy no matter how long you cook them.
2. Put the kale in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle over a pinch of salt, and squeeze and rub the leaves with your hands for about a minute. They will darken, shrink, and turn silky — that is the cue they are ready.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the Greek yogurt, Parmesan, lemon juice, and the garlic clove (minced or grated fine) until smooth. Add a splash of water if the dressing feels too thick to pour.
4. Add the cooked quinoa to the bowl of massaged kale. The grains should be fully cooked and still slightly warm or at room temperature so they absorb the dressing.
5. Pour the dressing over everything and toss with tongs or clean hands until every leaf is coated. Taste a leaf and add more salt or lemon juice until it pops.
6. Let the salad rest for 5 minutes so the kale softens a little more in the dressing, then plate it up. A shower of extra Parmesan on top never hurts.

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