Mexican(ish) Kale & Quinoa Salad

The new year and a new semester and the students return to Zoom and I return to the kitchen table, which is now so thoroughly my office that I have given it a name: the Department of English and Soup, a one-woman department with two areas of expertise. The spring semester begins with "The Catcher in the Rye" for my freshmen, which I have been teaching for thirty-five years and which some people think is dated and which I think is as relevant as it ever was, because lonely teenagers who feel like frauds surrounded by phonies is not a period piece, it is a permanent condition of being sixteen, and Holden Caulfield, for all his insufferability, gives them permission to say: I don't understand the world. I don't fit in. I don't know what I'm doing. And a teacher who says, "Neither did Holden, and a genius wrote a book about it, so maybe your confusion is not a flaw but a feature" — that teacher is doing her job.

The vaccine eligibility is expanding. David says I should be eligible by February — teachers and people over sixty-five and caregivers of vulnerable adults. I check all three boxes. I have never been so enthusiastic about checking boxes. The needle is coming. The needle is the bridge between this quarantine life and the life I want back — the life with grandchildren in my arms and students in my classroom and family at my table. The bridge is being built. I am walking toward it.

I made a bean and kale soup — a hearty, protein-rich, iron-rich soup that is the food of January, which is the month that requires the most fortification because January is long and dark and the holidays are over and the next holiday is not until March, which is an unreasonable distance away, and the soup has to carry you. Beans, kale, tomatoes, garlic, a Parmesan rind, chicken broth. Simple. Sturdy. Like January itself. Like me.

The bean-and-kale soup carried me through the darkest week of January, but by the time February edged into view — the vaccine expanding, the bridge being built, Holden Caulfield back on my syllabus where he belongs — I wanted something that kept all that fortifying iron and protein but let in a little more light. This Mexican(ish) Kale & Quinoa Salad is that dish: the same sturdy leafy green, the same protein from beans, but brightened with lime and cumin, the kind of bowl that says we’re not out of winter yet, but we can see the edge of it.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth
1 large bunch curly or lacinato kale (about 8 oz), stems removed, leaves finely chopped
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Optional: pepitas, cotija cheese, or hot sauce for serving

Instructions

Cook the quinoa. Combine quinoa and water (or broth) in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and let cool for 10 minutes.
Massage the kale. Place chopped kale in a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Using your hands, massage the kale for 1 to 2 minutes until it softens and darkens slightly. This removes bitterness and makes it tender enough to eat raw.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until fully combined.
Warm the corn. If using frozen corn, place in a small skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warmed through and lightly golden at the edges. If using fresh, do the same. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Assemble the salad. Add the cooled quinoa, black beans, corn, cherry tomatoes, and red onion to the bowl with the massaged kale. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat everything evenly.
Finish and serve. Gently fold in the avocado and cilantro just before serving to keep the avocado from browning. Taste and adjust salt or lime juice as needed. Top with pepitas, cotija, or a dash of hot sauce if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate (without the avocado) for up to 3 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

Mexican(ish) Kale & Quinoa Salad — The Soup’s Bright Cousin for When January Finally Starts to Break