With the abundance of fresh produce around this time of year, I get super excited about spring salads. This one is overflowing with phytonutrients and flavors from a combination of greens, herbs, aromatics, and spring veggies. The almond flour “breadcrumbs” add a crunchy contrast in texture and the light Dijon dressing brings together the perfect bite.
It also includes a little sheep’s milk cheese, which works for me in moderation. If you prefer to avoid all kinds of dairy, you can simply omit it or replace with your favorite nut cheese instead.
A few ingredient highlights: Beets are great for increasing nitric oxide production, an essential process for good cardiovascular health, and arugula contains an isothiocyanate called erucin, which has been found to have powerful anti-tumor and anti-cancer activity. When you eat like this, food truly is medicine.
Wishing you health and happiness,
Mark Hyman, MD
Ingredients:
Salad
- 3 small golden beets
- 3 small red beets
- 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup sugar snap peas, strings removed and thinly sliced
- 2 Persian cucumbers, diced into bite-sized chunks
- 2 spring onions, green and white part, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup fresh mint leaves
- ⅓ cup fresh dill sprigs
- 3 ounces baby arugula
- 3 ounces gem lettuce, or any other preferred lettuce
- 4 ounces sheep’s milk feta cheese, crumbled
“Breadcrumbs”
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or ghee
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and microplaned
- 2 tablespoons almond flour
- 1 tablespoon flax meal
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
Dressing
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and microplaned
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Himalayan salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Method:
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the beets until tender when pricked with a fork, about 15 minutes. Drain the beets, allow them to cool slightly, and peel the skins. Trim the ends off and dice into bite-sized chunks.
2. Prepare the “breadcrumbs”: Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and once hot, sauté for 30 seconds then add the almond flour and flax meal while stirring continuously for 2 minutes until golden brown, avoid burning. Remove from heat, add onion powder, salt, and lemon zest. Set aside to cool.
3. Prepare the dressing: Put all of the ingredients into a jar, close the lid and shake until combined.
4. Assemble the salad: Toss all of the salad ingredients together with the dressing in a large bowl until evenly coated and combined. Garnish with the “breadcrumbs” sprinkled on top and serve.
Nutritional analysis per serving (based on 6 servings) Calories: 235, Total Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Fiber: 6g, Protein: 7g, Carbohydrates: 14g, Net Carbs: 8g, Sodium: 590mg, Sugars: 7g