Kale & Grain Salad with Lemon Miso Dressing

It’s salad season, y’all. Inspired by my favorite cookbook, Run Fast, Eat Slow, this salad features a satiating mix of whole grains, kale, crunchy veggies, salty & creamy cheese, roasted nuts, and a tangy, game-changer lemon-miso dressing. Perfect for Sunday meal prep, as this recipe lasts in the fridge for several days. Throw on a grilled chicken breast and you’re ready to roll.

Whatever satisfies the soul is truth. -Walt Whitman

While marathon training last year, I used my Run Fast, Eat Slow cookbook so frequently that most of the pages are now food-stained or permanently wrinkled from steam or some kind of mystery sauce. Over the years, I have acquired quite the collection of cookbooks. Most end up on my bookshelf collecting dust. However, I find myself referring to this cookbook often enough that it now takes up a piece of precious real estate on a corner of my kitchen countertop. Here’s why this cookbook is my one of my all-time favorites:

• All recipes are made with REAL food.
• There’s no calorie counting or macro counting; it’s about taking in the nutrients your body actually needs.
• You DO NOT need to be a runner, or marathon training, in order to appreciate these recipes.
• The authors (Shalene Flanagan & Elyse Kopecky) emphasize the importance of fat, yes, fat, including full-fat dairy and unsaturated fats such as avocados and nuts. You won’t find any skim milk or non-fat recipes in this cookbook! (According to Ron Swanson, “skim milk is just water that’s lying about being milk.”)
• The recipes are delicious and versatile!

As y’all know, I finished my first full marathon last year – all 26.2 miles. Once I started getting into the long runs, I soon realized how important nutrition would be for finishing strong. Let’s not mince words – I love beer, wine, cheeseburgers, and tacos as much as anyone, but I could no longer stuff my face with these things and then wake up the next morning feeling ready to run 18+ miles. Alas, I ordered Run Fast, Eat Slow on Amazon, and I now had an arsenal of healthy, satisfying recipes to get me through the long training days – that is, until the Saturday long run commenced so I could enjoy my celebratory cheeseburger and beer (thank you Juicy Lucy of Asheville). Even better, at Christmas my parents got me a copy of Run Fast, Cook Fast, Eat Slow. Boom!

The best part about this salad? You can toss in whichever veggies or grains you happen to have on hand! Farro or wheatberries would both be great, but I kept it simple this time with whole grain jasmine rice. There’s no need to be strict about measuring ingredients with this recipe – I usually just eyeball it. I recommend sticking with harder/drier veggies such as radishes, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, etc., as tomatoes can add too much water and make things soggy. And let’s face it, when is soggy ever a good thing?

Kale & Grain Salad

Shug

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Total Time 30 mins

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup whole grains
• 1 bunch kale (about 6 cups)
• 2 cups seasonal veggies chopped or grated
• 1/2 cup feta or goat cheese
• 1/2 cup roasted nuts or seeds
• 1 handful chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions

 

• Cook grain of choice according to package directions.  Set aside in a large salad bowl to cool.
• Add the kale, chopped veggies, cheese, and nuts/seeds to the salad bowl.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

  Add the lemon miso dressing and toss!  Salad is excellent leftover, and keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

For the veggies, I used radishes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and carrots.

Lemon Miso Dressing

Shug

Print Recipe

Total Time 5 mins

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic finely diced
• 2 tbsp white miso paste
• salt & pepper

Instructions

 

• Combine the oil, lemon juice, garlic, miso, salt & pepper together in a glass jar or salad shaker.  Shake vigorously, breaking down the miso paste with a fork if necessary.  Store in the fridge.

Happy Spring, y’all! Enjoy!

xoxo

Shug