RECIPE: Make 5Church’s Baby Kale Salad
My friends and I enjoy walking over to Colony Square and hanging out in the 5Church rooftop lounge, then moving downstairs for dinner. Hands down, our favorite light item on the menu is the baby kale salad. The lounge may be called “Virtue,” but we feel virtuous when we eat this salad with its quinoa, kale and blueberries. Will they share the recipe for that vinaigrette? — Patricia Hamel, Atlanta
5Church culinary director Rodney Smith was happy to share the recipe and suggests if you’re making it at home, you could serve this salad as a satisfying lunch or side dish.
The restaurant sources its kale-lettuce mix from Alo Farms in Peachtree City. You can serve the same greens by ordering for pick up on the farm, delivery through Market Wagon or purchasing at the Candler Park Market, Grant Park Market and Nourish & Bloom Market in Fayetteville, among other locations. Their pecans are sourced from Front Porch Pecans, available through Amazon. They sell maple pecans, which would work in this recipe, or you can find other brands at your grocery store.
Smith incorporates the step of rinsing the quinoa before cooking to remove any bitterness from the grain caused by naturally occurring saponins. “And don’t forget the resting time after cooking. That’s what lets the quinoa grains release what looks like a little curly tail, and the quinoa becomes nice and fluffy.”
5Church’s Baby Kale Salad with Orange-Garlic-Chili Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup uncooked bicolor quinoa
- 1 cup water
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed
- 8 cups baby kale-lettuce mix
- 2 cups blueberries
- 2 cups orange or tangerine segments
- 1/2 cup Orange-Garlic-Chili Vinaigrette (recipe follows), plus more if needed
- 1/4 pound crumbled feta
- 1/4 pound candied or glazed pecans
- Put quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under running water 30 seconds. Allow to drain, then combine with water and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat so mixture simmers. Cook quinoa uncovered about 10 minutes, until tender. Remove from heat, cover, and let rest 5 minutes. Remove lid and fluff quinoa with a fork. Drain any remaining water. Taste for salt, adding more if needed. Set aside to cool.
- When ready to serve, in a large bowl, combine cooled quinoa, kale-lettuce mix, blueberries and orange segments. Add vinaigrette and toss lightly. Taste and add more vinaigrette if needed. Divide mixture between 4 serving plates and garnish with feta and pecans. Serve immediately.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 468 calories (percent of calories from fat, 34), 15 grams protein, 68 grams carbohydrates, 13 grams fiber, 19 grams total fat (5 grams saturated), 25 milligrams cholesterol, 674 milligrams sodium.Orange-Garlic-Chili Vinaigrette
This garlicky, sweet and spicy vinaigrette makes a fine counterpoint for the grain and fruits in this salad. Try the dressing on other grain salads or rice bowls.
- 3/4 cup pulp-free orange juice
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- In the jar of a blender, combine orange juice, marmalade, sweet chili sauce, vinegar, garlic and ginger. Blend on medium speed until thoroughly combined. May be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per tablespoon: 20 calories (percent of calories from fat, 1), trace protein, 5 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, trace total fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 60 milligrams sodium.From the menu of ... 5Church, Colony Square, 1197 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta; 404-400-3669, midtown.5church-atlanta.com.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
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