Steps To The Perfect Summer Salad

In this post I’ll share four steps to create a super healthy, easy, and tasty salad. I’ll also share one of my favourite salad recipes that is packed with healthy protein, fats, and fibre. It’s 100% plant-based and no fancy ingredients needed!

Simple Steps To Create The Healthiest Salad On Earth

1. Start With Leafy Greens 

Try different types of greens and mix them together: romaine lettuce, kale, spinach, arugula… These fibrous, chlorophyll-packed goods will literally change your life! Plant-fibre is critical for the good microbes in your gut, and it makes you feel full longer. On top of that you’ll get vital nutrients. Strong leafy greens are also wonderful source of protein. 

2. Choose Water-Rich Ingredients

Dehydration causes all kinds of negative issues, such as dry skin, brain-fog, lack of energy, and poor digestion. Eating your water is more effective than just gulping massive amounts of water: the water will stay longer in your body providing deep cellular hydration and nourishment. Plant-based foods have typically higher water content than animal sourced ones. Tomatoes, radishes, celery, and cucumbers are great examples you can easily add to your salad mix.

3. Eat The Rainbow

Fill your bowl with at least five different colours and you will have something beautiful to look at too! Each colour in nature represents specific anti-aging antioxidants and disease-preventative phytonutrients, which will increase your beauty and vitality. Try to avoid peeling foods like apples, peaches, and eggplant because their skin can be the richest source for these nutrients. As an example, lycopene is a red carotenoid found in foods like strawberries, tomatoes, apples, red peppers. Lycopene protects against various severe diseases, and helps to keep bones strong and healthy as well as helps eyesight. Anthocyanins are the pigments that give purple and blue plants their colouring, like in the case of blueberries, blackberries, eggplant, and purple cabbage. Anthocyanins delay cellular ageing.

4. Be Creative

Don’t get stuck in a rut because diversity is the key to success: to your healthiest and most beautiful you! Keep changing and rotating your ingredients with the seasons and your location. And of course remember to celebrate your cravings. Each time when you go to a grocery store or farmer’s market add at least one new whole food to your basket and experiment with it. Variation is what makes you to succeed in your healthy new way of living because diverse diet keeps your good gut microbes thriving - and no one wants to have a boring life either!

The Refreshing Summer Salad Recipe 

These are just a few examples that you can include to your salad. 

Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) 

This is one of the easiest way to get plant-based vegan protein and dietary fibre! Yet, chickpeas  are a bit on the heavier, heartier side: they are a combination of starch and protein. If you have digestive issues, it’s better to rinse and cook them well. If you have time, I recommend cooking them in batches. You can store them in a major jar (with some water) in the fridge. Use them for your salads, or make falafels and hummus. If you don’t have the time to cook, choose the ones in a glass jar or a carton to avoid exposure to chemicals.  

Kalamata Olives

Healthy fats help you to stay satisfied and plump your skin. Many recommend consuming olive oil but it’s way better to eat olives in their whole form. You’ll get plenty of glorious fibre and various minerals, like calcium (helps to keep your bones strong), iron (boosts blood circulation and oxygen delivery), and vitamin A (essential for good vision). Kalamata olives are super delicious. I absolutely love their nutty flavour.

Red Cabbage 

We should eat the rainbow. The more colourful foods you eat, the more antioxidants you will get. The trickiest colour to find is often red/ purple unless you eat lots of blueberries and blackberries. Red or purple cabbage is one of my favourites. It’s crunchy and tastes good both raw and steamed. Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin C (the purple version has 6-8 times more vitamin C than its green sister), and antioxidants, which help you to fight against inflammation and premature ageing. 

Tahini

I have this always in my cupboard. It’s basically made from ground sesame seeds and is silky smooth due to its natural oil content. Tahini offers plenty of calcium, zinc, B-vitamins, vitamin E and certain essential amino acids - which are the building blocks of protein. 

NOTE:

I didn’t add measurements for the salad recipe because I don’t normally measure or count anything. I just throw everything in a bowl and that’s it. As long as you eat real, whole foods there’s zero need for counting or restriction. Eat as much as you need to thrive on this planet!

For The Fresh Summer Salad 

Chickpeas

Cherry tomatoes 

Cucumber 

Kalamata olives 

Purple cabbage 

Carrots

Romaine Lettuce 

Kale 

For The Simple Tahini-Mustard Dressing

MAKES ABOUT 1 SERVING

1 tablespoon tahini

1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar 

1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice

1 teaspoon dijon mustard 

Water to dilute 

Himalayan sea salt to taste (optional) 

Directions:

1. Wash all produce well.

2. Prepare all the vegetables and greens: cut, grate and shred as you like.

3. Rinse the chickpeas if you bought them in a glass jar or a can.

4. Make the dressing: mix all ingredients together in a small cup.

5. Place the ingredients to a bowl and top with your favourite dressing.

Enjoy with gratitude, reflection, and peace.

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