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Mexican Kale Salad with Chili Lime Cashew Dressing and Guacamole

This Mexican Kale Salad is a delicious plant based meal topped with a creamy chili lime cashew dressing, black beans, quinoa, tomatoes, and guacamole! It's super satisfying and vegan too!

Course Lunch, Main, Salad
Cuisine Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Author Molly | Spices in My DNA

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 1 bunch curly kale, de-stemmed and finely shredded
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • juice of 1/2 a lime
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa (about 1/3 cp dry)
  • 3/4 cup baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup diced red onion
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

For the dressing

  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
  • 3/4 cup water (plus more if you like a thinner dressing)
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • zest of half a lime
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • pinch of cayenne
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

For the guacamole

  • 2 avocados, pitted
  • juice of half a lime
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Begin by preparing the kale. Add kale to a large bowl and add olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Massage the kale for a few minutes until it becomes softer and reduces in volume. Set aside.

  2. Make the dressing. Add cashews, water, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, chili powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper to a high powdered blender or food processor. Purée until super smooth and creamy. If the dressing seems too thick, add a tablespoon of water at a time and blend until you reach your desired thickness.

  3. Make the guacamole. Combine avocados, garlic, chopped red onion, and cilantro in a small bowl and mash with a fork until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt to taste.

  4. To assemble the salad, add ¼ cup of dressing to the kale and mix to coat. Add black beans, quinoa, red onion, half of the scallions, and half of the cilantro to the kale and toss. Portion into bowls and top with tomatoes and dollop of guacamole. Drizzle with extra dressing. Top with remaining cilantro and scallions and serve!