This salad has been my go-to dinner for the past few weeks. Generally I will find or create a dish that I love, this being the latter, eat it every day for a month or two, and then switch to something else and totally forget about it. If that pattern holds true for this dish then we’ve got another 5 weeks together.
One night while craving sushi but not wanting to make or buy it, I opened my fridge with a buoyant hope that a cucumber-avocado- light –rice- no-soy- extra-wasabi would be plated and ready for me to eat. I would even forgo using chopsticks in return for such a treat.
While this story does not end with me manifesting prepared food, it did lead me to create one of my favorite dinner salads ever. Filling, slightly salty, and feverously flavorful, this salad leaves me satisfied but not stuffed.
For the SALAD:
- ½ cucumber – spiralized
- ¼ cup shredded carrots
- ¼ cup chopped celery
- ¼ cup chopped purple cabbage
- ½ - 1 cup chopped cilantro depending on your preference. I like a lot.
- ½ cup alfalfa sprouts
- ¼ of an avocado
- 1/5 block of crispy tofu (recipe here)
For the DRESSING:
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon Braggs’ Liquid Aminos
Optional:
- Garnish with sesame seeds
BENEFITS BREAKDOWN:
Cilantro is one of the best ways to detox heavy metals from your body. Over time, lead and mercury accumulate in your blood. Cilantro acts as a magnet to draw impurities and flush them out of your body. While there are cilantro detox cleanses made specifically for this purpose, make sure to do them under medical supervision as eliminating heavy metals too quickly (by releasing many into the bloodstream at once) can result in fatigue and illness.
The high-water content of celery and cucumber make them extremely hydrating (shocker, I know) and plump your skin. Similarly, sprouts pack a big punch for a little seed. If you want fresh, glowing skin the quickest path is to increase the amount of green vegetables that you consume. Just as NARS color corrector cancels red tones, green vegetables reduce uneven skin tone for a more youthful glow.
Carrots best known benefit is vitamin A which is a product of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene also helps to slow down the aging of cells due to its antioxidants. Cabbage also contains antioxidants called anthocyanins, vitamin K, C, B6 and manganese.
The tahini and avocado will help absorb the fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) in the vegetables, while the crispy tofu adds protein for satiety.
