There are a few things that are quintessentially summer—
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- Beach days
- Camping trips
- Lake swims and rope swings
- Picnics
- BBQs
- Mojitos
- and, well, salad
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Okay that last one may be a little bit of a stretch for some, but you get where I’m going with this – salad + summer = the perfect match.
I am a salad fiend, and am regularly on the hunt for new healthy recipes to serve to my family and friends. On my most recent search I came across a too-good-not-to-make recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook, It’s All Good. When it comes to a salad recipe, I have a few criteria’s that it has to meet—
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- It needs to be healthy, no surprise there
- Nutritious, also probably no surprise
- Nutrient-dense
- Flavourful
- and filling
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One of the best ways to transform salad from some limpy greens on your plate to a meal you can’t wait to gobble up, is what you put in it – and Gwyneth’s power chopped salad recipe is loaded with all the right stuff. Crispy romaine, peppery arugula, crunchy protein-packed chickpeas, fresh tomatoes, deliciously sweet beets and nutrient-dense hard-boiled eggs, this salad has it all. Including a dressing you’ll want to lick off your plate… I know because I had to stop myself from doing it.
Give it a go and let me know what you think! In my humble opinion, it’s the perfect summer salad. 🙂
Enjoy!
Nicole
Power Chopped Salad with Creamy Parsley Dressing
From Gwyneth Paltrow’s It’s All Good
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 hearts of romaine, finely shredded
2 handfuls baby arugula, roughly chopped
14 ounces chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 vine ripened tomatoes, diced
2 cooked beets, peeled and diced (boiled or roasted)
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
Instructions:
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- Place romaine and arugula in a bowl and toss with ¼ cup of dressing so the lettuces have a light coating.
- Divide the mixture among 4 plates or on a large platter.
- Over the top of the lettuce, evenly scatter the chickpeas, tomatoes, beets and hard-boiled eggs.
- Drizzle each portion which another tablespoon or two of the dressing and serve immediately.
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Creamy Parsley Dressing
Makes about 1 ¼ cups
Ingredients:
Leaves from 1 bunch organic Italian parsley
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup organic Veganaise
3 tbsp water
½ tsp coarse sea salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender until completely pureed. Keeps well in a jar with a fitted lid for up to one week.