It’s super nourishing AND it’s bursting with flavor: this superfoods salad will have you licking the bowl clean.
Believe it or not, this recipe was inspired by a salad I purchased at LAX airport. I was looking for something really healthy after a week of indulgence (not easy at an airport) and found a “super foods” salad that looked relatively appealing. It was, but I felt I could make it better in my own kitchen.
This salad tastes not only super nourishing but is also bursting with flavor–so much so that we scraped the salad bowl clean. Six O’Clock Scramble recipe tester Debbie Falkow said, “The textures were great together, and I loved the creaminess of the dressing. Each bite had a different mix of flavors and crunch.”
Serve it with multigrain tortilla chips (we like the ones made by Food Should Taste Good).
Prep + Cook = 30 minutes
4 servings, about 1 3/4 cups
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 6 oz. frozen shelled edamame (1 cup) (make the whole 12 oz. package if you want a healthy snack tomorrow, and measure out 1 cup of cooked edamame to use in the salad)
- 1 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, juice only, about 2 Tbsp.
- 2 Tbsp. orange juice, preferably fresh, or use pomegranate juice
- 1 avocado, use 1/4 in the dressing and dice the remaining 3/4
- 1/8 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped, or use parsley
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and halved
- 1 head (6 oz.) Boston, butter or bibb lettuce, or use chopped kale, baby arugula or spring mix
- 1/2 orange bell pepper, cored and diced
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted sunflower seeds, or use pecans or pistachios or nuts of your choice
Instructions:
Cook the quinoa in 1 cup water for about 10 minutes or until the water is just absorbed. Fluff it and remove it from the heat.
Meanwhile, cook the edamame for 5 minutes in about 4 cups of boiling water, adding 1 tsp. of salt to the water to flavor the beans.
In a small food processor or blender or using an immersion blender, puree the oil, lemon juice and orange juice, 1/4 avocado, cilantro, 1/4 tsp. salt, and garlic.
In a large salad bowl, combine the lettuce, bell pepper, quinoa, edamame, remaining avocado and sunflower seeds. Pour the dressing over everything and toss gently. Serve it immediately.
Do Ahead or Delegate:
Cook the quinoa and the edamame, juice the lemon, juice the orange if using fresh, chop the cilantro, peel the garlic, prepare the dressing and refrigerate, core and dice the bell pepper.
Tip:
“Superfoods” is a term to define a category of foods that are dense in nutrients, vitamins and minerals and have been found to be very beneficial for health and well-being. Check out this list of superfoods and try to find ways to incorporate them into your meals and snacks as often as possible.
Scramble Flavor Booster:
Add 4 tsp. of dried cranberries, 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds or a diced orange, use the kale or baby arugula for the greens.
Side Dish Suggestion:
Serve with the chips on the side.
Nutritional Information per Serving (% based upon Daily Values):
Calories 355, Total Fat 25g, 38.5%, Saturated Fat 3.5g, 16.5%, Cholesterol 0mg, 0%, Sodium 158.5mg, 6.5%, Carbohydrate 26g, 8.5%, Dietary Fiber 6.5g, 26.5%, Sugar 1.5g, Protein 12.5g
There’s more where this came from.
If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to check out everything we offer over at my meal-planning service, The Six O’Clock Scramble.