Harvest Salad

This (or a variation of this) has been my lunch of choice lately. There are SO many ways to bring this salad to life. The main things to keep in mind: blend of raw & cooked for a light but hearty feel.

When it comes to the cooked portion, I like to switch this up to: steaming some veggies, roasting or sautéing others.

Remember, the options I give are meant to spark your own ideas! Get creative with the produce in season & available near you.

I like to cook up a big batch of ALL the veggies, and then mix and match throughout the week. It’s a lot faster/easier to throw together when there’s already a lot pre-made.

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Ingredients:

Raw Base: choose two

1. Spinach

2. Kale

3. White cabbage

4. Micro greens

5. I personally like to pair spinach & micro greens, and kale with white cabbage for texture purposes alone.

6. But you do you! Just make sure to massage your kale. Otherwise, that shit can be tough.

Cooked Veggies: choose 3 - 4

Remember, these are suggestions, you can use ANY veggies that are plentiful and in season around you.

• Brussel sprouts

• Purple cabbage

• Cauliflower

• Broccoli

• Asparagus

• Bell peppers

Grain: choose as many as you want

• Quinoa

• Rice

• Couscous (this is not GF)

Added Protein: I don’t do this, but some people like an extra somethin’ somethin’

• Chickpeas (fried are bomb)

• Black beans

• Pinto beans

• Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, hemp, chia, etc)

Toppings and Spices:

• Olives (been super into chili stuffed green olives)

• Garlic

• Onion

• Paprika

• Chili powder

• Sea salt

• Black Pepper

Dressing or Dips: I usually choose one, but sauce it up!

• Green Goodness

• Hummus

• Salsa

• Spice Up Your Life

• Tahini

• Smokey Cashew Queso

• Apple Cider Vinaigrette

• Squeeze of lemon & olive oil drizzle

• Whatever else your heart fancies!

Instructions:

1. Alright, so I’m not going to walk everyone through how to roast and steam and sauté. But I will share the way I usually prepare each veggie type, based on my taste and texture preferences. Feel free to mix it up! Roast one week, steam the next, etc.

2. Choose raw base of 2 (or more greens). If you choose kale as one, massage that tough little bugger.

3. I prefer to lightly steam asparagus, broccoli and cauliflower so there’s still some crunch to them. If you’re more of a mushy person, steam longer.

4. I like to sauté purple cabbage with a dash of olive oil, heaps of ground garlic, white onion powder and chili powder. If you’re sensitive to spice, sub chili for paprika. I like to sauté until it’s soft, but not soggy.

5. I also sauté the bell peppers. I prefer these to be spicy, since the pepper itself is so sweet. Again, a dash of olive oil with heaps of garlic and onion powder. I use chili, but you can sub for paprika. I also like to add fresh cilantro to the bell peppers mix once it’s off the stove.

6. I’m all about small cuts of brussels and sweet potatoes (cubes of potatoes and fourths of brussels), tossed with little to no oil and ground garlic, onion, paprika or chili. I like both to be a little crispy rather than soggy, that’s why I go light on the oil. Roast at 350 F for about 30 mins.

7. Once you’ve picked your cooked veggies, then add onto bed of raw greens (I usually choose about 3-4 options).

8. Add your grain, or grains.

9. Add proteins if you want/need.

10. From here, I chop up some big ‘ole fresh green olives and sprinkle on top. I add a few more shakes of garlic powder.

11. Slather with dressing/topping of your choice. I’ve been a Green Goodness addict lately, but if I want something heavier than I opt for hummus or cashew queso.

    ENJOY!