Salads are often seen as the pinnacle of health, detox, and diet foods. They can be loaded with nutrients and flavor, or they can be boring and despondent. At restaurants hidden calories, sugar, saturated or hydrogenated fats, plus cholesterol can derail your best efforts for a healthy meal (especially if meat and dairy are involved). So, what do your salads embody– fast-food, cafeteria style or works of art? Regardless, sometimes all you need is a reminder of the incredible choices out there and the motivation to experiment.
My general rule is to have a variety of colors and textures. I recommend using little lettuce and focusing more on the other ingredients. A tasty salad I like to make includes the following items in this order:
- Romaine lettuce
- Quartered slices of Persian cucumbers
- Chopped celery
- Chopped radishes
- A generous serving of avocado
- Almonds
- Raw sunflower seeds
- Sprouts
- Grated carrot
- A homemade, vegan, creamy salad dressing (see below for recipe)
I remember when I thought making your own salad dressing was kind of crazy, but once I realized what an arduous task it was to find a store-bought salad dressing with quality oils and organic ingredients that actually tasted good, I started whipping up some of my own versions at home.
Homemade salad dressings are fresher, more economical, and suited perfectly for your own taste buds. Of course, the easiest salad dressing is simply combining extra virgin olive oil with fresh lemon juice and/or some kind of vinegar (balsamic, rice, ume plum, etc.) Now, if you want something that’s creamier and more memorable, here’s what I use…
Ingredients for a homemade, vegan, creamy salad dressing:
- Vegenaise (or plain, vegan yogurt )
- Water (enough to get the consistency you want)
- Olive oil (use sparingly for a vegan, ranch dressing result)
- Garlic powder
- Thyme
- Mustard powder
- Caynne pepper
- Kelp powder (just a sprinkle)
Whisk all of these together in a small bowl. It’s safer to start with less herbs and spices and add more as desired. Occasionally, I like to replace some of the ingredients with dill, black pepper, and herbs de provence if I want to create a dressing that has a little less kick.
Feeling inspired yet? Here’s an abundance of salad ingredients to choose from and add to your homemade work of art.
Vegetables:
- Artichokes
- Beets
- Bell Peppers
- Broccoli
- Carrots (grated is extra fun)
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Corn
- Fennel
- Hearts of Palm
- Jicama
- Mushrooms
- Onions (yellow, red, sweet, etc.)
- Peas (fresh or de-thawed from frozen)
- Radishes
- Sprouts (alfalfa, onion, broccoli)
Lettuce & Greens
- Romaine lettuce
- Butter lettuce
- Field greens
- Mixed greens
- Spinach
- Collard greens (finely chopped and mixed in with lettuce)
- Kale (finely chopped and mixed in with lettuce)
Fruits:
- Apples
- Avocados
- Cucumbers (yup, technically a fruit! Persian cucumbers are my favorite.)
- Dried Cranberries
- Olives (kalamata, green, black, etc.)
- Orange slices
- Pears
- Raisins
- Tomatoes (heirloom are extra flavorful)
Nuts:
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Pecans
- Walnuts
Seeds:
- Chia seeds
- Flax seeds
- Hemp seeds
- Pomegranate seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
Grains:
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
Beans:
- Black beans
- Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans
- Edamame, tofu cubes, eggless tofu spread
- Kidney beans
NOTE: Go organic as much as possible, especially with soy, corn, celery, berries, peppers, lettuce and greens.
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