Yes, I am aware that it’s still only February, and that half of the country is still digging their way out of the snow, but this summer glow salad is too good not to share! Stuffed to the brim with vitamins and nutrients, this unique salad will leave you absolutely glowing from your head to your toes. I don’t know about you, but after what seems like an eternity of dull and dry winter skin and hair, I could use a little boost in the ‘glow’ department, and couldn’t think of a better, more vibrant way to get it! Within this salad, you will find a good dose of vitamin c, fiber, healthy fats and even protein. What you won’t find, however, is any lettuce of any kind, which is a great way to mix it up from the regular routine.
With the help of my spiralizer and julienne peeler, I created this rainbow of deliciousness pretty quick. Trust me, if you have either one of these tools (or both!), this recipe is a breeze to put together. For 1 large salad, you will need 2 small zucchini, 1/2 of a red pepper, 1 cup finely shredded purple cabbage, 1/4 of an English cucumber (sliced and quartered), 1/4 cup of organic frozen mango chunks, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1/2 of a ripe avocado and 1/2 of a green apple. This salad can easily be cut in half or doubled to meet your needs, and the measurements for each fruit and vegetable do not need to be followed to a T. Just eyeball it to fit your taste buds, and feel free to add in some additional fruits or veggies that you think would be complimentary. When it comes to the dressing, however, that’s a bit of a different story. I would try not to veer off on this recipe too much, as the flavor combination of this salad can be temperamental to even the smallest of changes. I think the dressing is what makes this salad come together so perfectly, so changing it around will definitely result in a flavor that I cannot vouch for. Aside from the flavor aspect, the dressing for this salad packs a good punch of protein, which rounds out the nutritional profile of this plant-based meal.
- ***Salad:***
- 2 small zucchini; cut into strips with a julienne peeler; cut in half
- 1/2 of a red pepper; coarsely chopped
- 1 cup purple cabbage; finely shredded with spiralizer or by hand
- 1/4 of an English cucumber; sliced and quartered
- 1/4 cup of organic frozen mango chunks; thawed
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro; coarsely chopped
- 1/2 of a ripe avocado; cut into cubes and drizzled with a little lemon juice to keep from browning.
- 1/2 of a green apple; cut into thin, half-moon strips with a spiralizer, or cut into matchsticks by hand
- ***Almond Butter Ginger Dressing:***
- 2 Tbsp. raw almond butter
- 1.5 Tbsp. liquid aminos
- 2 Tbsp. coconut nectar
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
- In a small dish, set out your mango to defrost while you prepare your other vegetables.
- With a julienne peeler, peel your zucchini into strands, going only until you start to reach the inner seeds on each side.
- When finished, cut strips in half and place on a paper towel, lightly patting down to absorb excess moisture.
- Place prepared zucchini into a large mixing bowl.
- Either by hand or with your spiralizer (using the flat blade), finely chop your cabbage into thin strands until you reach a full cups worth. Add prepared cabbage into your mixing bowl with your zucchini.
- If using a spiralizer, switch to your small triangle blade. Make a cut into one side of your apple going half way through to the core, careful not to go any further.
- Place apple on the spiralizer and rotate to make thin, half-moon shaped apple strips. If doing this without a spirazlier, you can hand cut your apple into matchsticks.
- Add apple strips into your mixing bowl.
- Coarsely chop your red pepper and cucumber, adding them into your mixing bowl when finished.
- Gently mix together all of the vegetables in your mixing bowl before placing them onto a large plate.
- Once plated, top with thawed mango chunks, chopped cilantro and avocado cubes. Drizzle avocado cubes with a little bit of lemon juice to prevent browning if desired.
- In a small dish, whisk together almond butter and liquid aminos until smooth.
- Add in lime juice, coconut nectar, minced garlic and fresh grated ginger, and whisk to thoroughly combine.
- Top salad with your desired amount of dressing, and finish off with a dash of red pepper flakes, freshly ground black pepper, raw sunflower seeds or sesame seeds.
Online Sunshine
May 26, 2014 at 9:42 pm (10 years ago)I am not a clean eater, but was looking for a low carb summer dinner and your recipe was the one I chose. I do not have almond butter, coconut nectar or liquid aminos, so I used peanut butter, agave nectar, and soy sauce. My husband and I were skeptical about how this was going to taste but it really worked well! I felt the dressing needed time to really allow the flavors to mesh so I made it first. Anyway…just wanted to say thanks for sharing this.
Danielle
May 27, 2014 at 9:21 am (10 years ago)Happy to hear that you liked the final result, and thank you for sharing your substitutes