I present to you the salad I ate so often I almost made myself hate it. It’s so addicting, so easy and really foolproof. It combines the latest trends with the roots of my childhood—and that can’t be a bad thing!
Let’s just touch on a few things before you move on to the least boring salad ever. I used to think salads were lettuce, lettuce and more lettuce with a light dressing and a sprinkling of hate your body, so eat this shit, Maria. It took me a while to figure out that I was so wrong and that salads can have so many different varieties of greens and veggies. They can even have carbs. You can even have dressing that doesn’t taste like air mixed with gluten-free water—can you believe it?
Simple ingredients like olive oil do have the calories we’ve all been “taught” to be afraid of, but I promise you things like olive oil, quinoa, capers and artichokes are what your body is calling out for. Hair growth, nail strength, soft skin and more benefits are to be expected when you just enjoy the right foods, eat balanced and legit love yourself!
Did you know?
Long used by natural food companies as a food dye alternative, spirulina is a blue-green algae that may strengthen the immune system, improve digestion and reduce inflammation. Available in powdered or tablet form (use the powdered form for this recipe!), spirulina is high in potassium, copper and magnesium and is also an excellent source of certain B vitamins, as well as vitamin K.
Ingredients
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
Juice of 1 large lemon, plus extra juice for soaking onion
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 – 13.5 oz can white beans, drained
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup mini cucumber, chopped
1/2 cup olives, halved
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup capers
1/4 cup artichoke hearts, quartered
Creamy Greek “Feta” and Oregano Dressing (recipe here)
Directions
Soak red onion for 10 minutes in enough lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar) to cover. Drain. (You can reserve soaking liquid for the next time you make this recipe, use in another recipe or just discard.)
Whisk olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper in small bowl (or shake in small jar).
On large serving dish, decoratively arrange quinoa, white beans, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, artichoke hearts and prepared onion. (Refer to picture for ideas for how to arrange the ingredients.) Drizzle with olive oil and lemon mixture and dollop with a little Creamy Greek “Feta” and Oregano Dressing. For a more casual dinner, simply add all ingredients to mixing bowl and give a good stir.
If you plan on having some of this salad throughout the week, keep veggies and white beans separate from quinoa and dressing—this will help it last longer!
