Category: salads

Spring and early summer when the fresh berries are ready to be picked or when the farmer’s market is overflowing is the perfect time to make this strawberry quinoa arugula salad, yum!

This bright salad is full of goodness, crunch and sweetness that surely satisfies. It is easy to pull together and great for using up leftover quinoa. Make up the tahini dressing ahead and then toss everything together when you’re ready to eat.

The quinoa adds complete protein and fiber, while the sunflower seeds and tahini add a dose of good fats and essential minerals. The bright strawberries add vitamin C, antioxidants and natural sweetness that pulls all the ingredients together into a luscious satisfying bowl.

You can definitely substitute ingredients for what you might have on hand. Try almond butter for the tahini, pumpkin or hemp seeds for the sunflower seeds, spinach or baby kale for the arugula, and blueberries for the strawberries.

Enjoy!

Usually, it’s the dressing that adds the calories, sugar and unhealthy fats to a salad or dish of yummy veggies. So why not make this herb dressing and add additional nutrients and a flavorful punch to almost any dish.

You can use about any mix of greens and herbs that you have on hand, pick up at the farmers market or are growing outside your door. Blend them together with a few more ingredients and you have yourself and wonderful accent for a soup, grilled veggies, hummus, dip or salad.

Give it a try and let me know how you like it and your favorite way to use it.

This cleansing root salad is great to incorporate both in the spring when all the cleansing young greens are sprouting up and, in the fall, when the root veggies are fresh out of the ground. We usually think of spring cleaning our homes, but we could benefit our bodies with a little focused cleansing as well.

Taking a specific time period to eat light and fresh meals will ease digestion and allow your body to put more energy toward cleansing, detoxing and repairing cellular damage. Of course, cleansing can be done in a myriad of ways, but I like to encourage people to start slowly by eating fresh whole plant-based foods and smoothies before jumping into a juice or liquid cleanse. Cleansing too quickly can cause adverse reactions. High nutrient dense foods are needed for the detox pathways in the liver, but also for tissue repair. Root veggies, especially beets, are wonderful for supporting the liver along with the bitter greens that are prevalent during the spring. For more about cleansing, see this article.

The greens I like to use in the spring are dandelion, arugula and cilantro, while in the fall, I incorporate kale and/or Swiss chard. You can use several kinds of root vegetables in the salad, I recommend using at least two kinds. The dressing is light and tangy, making the salad really refreshing.

This root salad also has a good shelf life, so it works great in meal prepping for the week. Add this to cooked quinoa, eat it as is or use it as a filling for wraps. It stays well for a week in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Print Recipe

Cleansing Root Salad

A delicious crunchy raw salad that promotes cleansing and provides nutrient dense veggies.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: arugula, beets, cabbage, carrots, dandelion, kohlrabi, lime, radish, turnips

Servings: 8

Author: Chef Kim

Equipment

• food processor
• grater

Ingredients

• 4 cups Mixture of root vegetables: carrots, turnips, radish, beets, kohlrabi, jicama
• 1/4 head Cabbage
• 1/2 bunch Kale or dandelion or arugula greens.
• 1 Shredded apple, if desired.
• 1 tsp dried herbs of choice, Italian blend, dill or cumin, Herbs d' Provence

Dressing

• 3 T lemon or lime juice or cider vinegar
• 6 T water
• ½ tsp maple syrup or honey if desired

Instructions

• Peel and shred the root veggies you choose to use. Add to a mixing bowl.
• Shred the cabbage and chop the greens. Add to bowl.
• Add the shredded apple.
• Season the salad with salt and pepper and your choice of dried herbs. Mix well.
• Toss with the dressing.

For the dressing:

• Combine the lime juice, water and maple syrup, whisking well to combine. Pour over vegetables and greens.
• Eat as is or use as a filling in collard wraps, tortillas or lettuce boats. Mix with cooked rice or quinoa.

This Creamy Green Bean recipe can easily take the place of the beloved, but not so good for you, green bean casserole. By using a creamy cheese alternative for the cream sauce and adding in some sautéed shallots, all the flavors come together just right, your tongue will thank you. Bring this along to your holiday family gatherings and please the crowd.

If you like cranberries, this is like candy on a spoon! This cranberry orange fig relish is tasty on the thanksgiving table, but it’s also nice to have on hand for a compote over banana nice cream or coconut yogurt or spooned over oatmeal or roasted sweet potatoes. I’ve even used it in a tart over sliced pears, yum!

The orange and figs in this recipe give it a nice sweetness that compliments the tart of the cranberries. This is much better than the cranberry jelly in the can and so much better for you, providing lots of vitamin C from the cranberries and oranges, which is important this time of year.

Try it and let me know how you like it!

I love this time of year when squash, apples and cranberries are abundant. So I wanted to share a couple colorful salads that are great this time of year and delicious enough to adorn your Thanksgiving table.

Bringing salads into the options at Thanksgiving benefit all who partake, because the phytonutrients will actually help the body handle the richness that comes from other traditional foods. Did you know there is a spike of heart attacks on Thanksgiving Day? Bringing in phytonutrients found in these two salads may help lower that risk. Eating colorful foods improve heart health. Each color imparts a specific phytonutrient and they work together for optimal body function.

The first salad is a mixture of roasted squash and cranberries tossed with shaved Brussel sprouts and kale and topped off with a tangy sweet mustard dressing.

The second is a raw salad combining nuts, cranberries, apples and fennel marinated in a sweet orange dressing.

This Mediterranean salad is very filling, especially if you add the chickpeas or make it alongside Walnut Falafels. I think the lemon and garlic dressing ties it all together.

This is a play on a bulgur salad I used to make. Now that I am gluten-free,  I use quinoa, oat groats or brown rice to make it. Making it all veggie by using cauliflower rice is a great tasting option as well.

The dressing is also one you could easily whisk together at the beginning of the week to have on hand for green salads throughout the week.

This recipe makes enough for 5 main dishes, or is a great one to make during your weekly prep time and then portion out for the week. It holds up well and would last covered and sealed for up to 5 days. It’s a wonderful one to portion into jars for the week and then pack in extra greens on top so that you have a salad meal ready to go. Easy grab-n-go, so you’re not tempted by the drive through.

It also makes a great summer dinner for the family. I hope you enjoy it.