Curried Quinoa Salad with White Beans + Kale

In a medium pot with a lid, combine the quinoa, water, curry powder, and about 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil and stir, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover partially. Simmer for about 14 minutes, then stir and simmer another 3 - 4 minutes until the water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, drain the beans. Turn off the heat under the quinoa and add the beans to it. Cover the pot. Let sit for about 5 minutes longer to plump up and warm the beans through.

Wash and dry the kale. Slice into thin ribbons, even through most of the stems (you may prefer to slice off the bottom inch or so of the stems if they’re really thick or woody). Place in a large bowl and drizzle with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt.

Use your fingertips to massage the kale until it reduces in volume by about half and takes on a darker green color.

Dice the bell pepper, slice the cucumber into half moons, and de-seed the pomegranate (you can use whichever method works best for the pomegranate but my favorite is holding it underwater to separate the arils from the membrane so nothing gets covered in red juice). Toss with the kale.

In a small bowl or mason jar, combine the balsamic vinegar, remaining salt (about 1 teaspoon), dijon, honey, and black pepper. Shake or whisk. Mince the green onion and add. Then add the remaining olive oil (about 6 Tablespoons) and shake or whisk to combine.

Toss a few Tablespoons of dressing with the kale and veggies.

Plate kale and veggies in large bowls, top with quinoa and beans. Drizzle a little dressing over the quinoa to taste. Leftovers are great all tossed together.