Recipe: Nutty Quinoa Kale Tabbouleh  

Regularly eating foods rich in antioxidants can help lessen the burden of oxidative cell damage in the body caused by free radicals. And recent research has found a food that is surprisingly high in these helping hands—like the pistachios in this kale tabbouleh recipe below.  

Conducted by scientists at Cornell University and published in Nutrients, the study showed that pistachios have a very high antioxidant capacity, among the highest when compared with values reported in research on many foods. That includes fruits and vegetables commonly known for their high antioxidant status.  

The study authors believe the lofty antioxidant activity of pistachios may be owing to their content of vitamin E, carotenoids, phenolics and flavonoids. That makes this riff on tabbouleh a plateful of antioxidant yum. 

1 C quinoa  

1 (14 oz) can navy beans, drained and rinsed 

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced 

3 C finely chopped kale 

1 C finely chopped fresh parsley 

1/3 C golden raisins  

1/3 C unsalted shelled pistachios 

juice of 1 lemon 

3 T extra-virgin olive oil 

½ t salt 

Place quinoa in a saucepan and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook covered until grains are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and spread quinoa out on a baking sheet to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, toss together quinoa, navy beans, tomatoes, kale, parsley, raisins and pistachios. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Toss lemon dressing with quinoa mixture. Makes four servings. 

See also: Recipe for Health: Mediterranean Bean, Quinoa and Kale Stew