Spring Summer Salad
As the seasons change, so do our vegetables. I recently saw a sign in a gardening store window reading, ‘Spring is when we seed and Summer Is when we weed,’ a message that inspired me to dedicate my next few Tasty Tuesdays to amazing salads and dressings. I’m psyched! Now is when our flowers, vegetables, and herbs begin to bloom. The gardening has begun!
Summer is when we need to make more time for outdoor fun and keep things light, simple, and chill. This salad is both impressive and easy to create - you can prepare these super nutritious bowls in 1, 2, 3!
The first rule of thumb when cooking is to make sure you have plenty of essential ingredients (and veggies) in the fridge ready to go. It’s all about the dressing, right? This dressing can be used beyond your salad – drizzle it over roasted veggies, grains, or proteins. Win-win!
As a health and wellness coach focusing on foods that heal, this recipe fits the bill. The ingredients are all focused on liver and hormone health. Both the vegetables in this salad and the ingredients in this herbal dressing are nutrient-dense and will help your liver detox, rest, and digest.
Eat the Rainbow – “Let Food Be Thy Medicine” - Hippocrates
Recipe
2 carrots – shredded
½ long English cucumber cut in quarters sliced thin
2 radishes – sliced in halves or sticks
Few romaine lettuce leaves – chopped
Bunch of sprouts – optional
Instructions
-Combine all vegetables in bowl
-Serves 2-4 people, unless you’re a salad lover and can eat the whole thing. Enjoy!
-You might want to double the recipe!
Make it your own! You’re the creator in your kitchen.
Herbal Pesto Dressing
1-2 cups cilantro – chopped
1 cup fresh basil – chopped
1 cup parsley – chopped
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 freshly grated lime zest
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon or lime
1 garlic clove
1 tsp salt
Instructions
-Place the cilantro, basil, and parsley in a food processor
-Add all the remaining ingredients to the food processor and pulse until the pesto is smooth
-Add more olive oil or water if the mixture is too dry
-Transfer the pesto to a mason jar or canister with a tight lid – the dressing will keep well in the fridge for 10 days
Genia’s Spoon Me Tips
When it comes to veggies, I usually find that roasting, blanching, and steaming them makes it easier on my gut. However, the vegetables and herbs in this recipe have been good to me. And, with a 5-star dressing, this salad becomes my Summer staple.
Please understand that this recipe is not a Bible of ingredients – add or remove certain veggies to make it your own. You can even include grains or roasted veggies in your bowl for a full-course meal (grains: millet, quinoa, amaranth, white rice – easier to digest).
The dressing can be topped nicely on any protein, such as sardines, salmon, or eggs. I love making egg salad in the warmer months with this pesto dressing for more decadence.
Please omit the garlic if you’re having gut issues such as bloating, candida, yeast overgrowth, or sibo (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth).
Much Summer Love,
Genia