I’ve been trying to be more on top of meal prep lately but my version of meal prep doesn’t involve making containers of the exact same meal. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but I prefer to make a few batches of things that can be used in different ways throughout the week to provide both convenience and flexibility.
This might look like making a batch of soft-boiled eggs, overnight oats, roasted veggies or a hearty salad that will last a few days in the fridge. I like to choose 2-4 things to make on a Sunday to save me a few steps during the week when I’m busy but still want to be able to put together balanced meals.
Even just being consistent about going to the grocery store and knowing what you have on hand for quick meals and snacks goes a long way if meal prep isn’t your thing.
One of my favorite things to prep is my Lemon-Miso Kale Salad. (I also bring this to a lot of parties/potlucks.) It holds up well thanks to the heartiness of the kale and is super versatile. I often add cooked quinoa, sliced peppers, pumpkin seeds and roasted chickpeas but you can load it up with your favorite ingredients or whatever you have on hand.
The combination of kale, lemon and miso is also great for gut health! Miso is a probiotic-rich food and the bitterness of kale and lemon enhance your body’s natural digestive capacity. Learn more about the benefits of bitter foods in this post.
Lemon Miso Kale Salad
This is a very loose recipe, so feel free to adjust the amounts/ratios of ingredients to your liking. You may need to adjust also since the size of kale bunches can vary quite a bit.
2 medium bunches kale, washed and *completely* dried
Lemon-Miso Dressing (recipe below)
¾ cup cooked quinoa
¾ cup roasted chickpeas (you can make your own like this)
¾ cup sliced mini rainbow peppers
3-4 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds
Cut kale along stem to remove the leaves. Make a stack of your cut leaves and roll into a cylinder. Cut your cylinder diagonally cross-wise into thin slices. This will give you nice little strips of kale but if you prefer you can also just tear the leaves of the stems and then tear them into bite-sized pieces.
Place kale in a bowl and massage (gently squeeze with both hands) for a few minutes until it starts to break down and feels a bit softer or more tender. Add a little bit of dressing at a time until all the kale leaves are coated but not overly so (you can always add more later!) Add quinoa, stir and taste to see if it needs more dressing (flavors will intensify a bit if you’re letting it sit overnight.) Next toss in your chickpeas, peppers and pumpkin seeds or whatever else you like.
Lemon-Miso Dressing
2 tablespoons miso paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons water
Whisk together miso, lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil. Add 1 tablespoon water to thin slightly. If dressing still seems to thick to pour add one more tablespoon of water. Use immediately or store in fridge for up to one week.
