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Simple Green Salad | Nutrition Stripped
Eat Well Nov. 20. 2018
Salads

Simple Green Salad

Nov. 20. 2018
Salads
McKel Hill Kooienga, MS, RDN, LDN

McKel Hill Kooienga, MS, RDN, LDN

Founder of Nutrition Stripped and the Mindful Nutrition Method™

Meet the Simple Green Salad, because we all still need to eat our greens even on Thanksgiving.

This time of year, it can be so easy to skip over the salads in favor for the sweet potato casserole or the mac and cheese but challenge yourself to get a good mix of all of those things you love, including a simple green salad.

Additionally, it’s important to make sure you’re eating enough fiber for the day to keep your blood sugars balanced (with the possible influx of holiday food!), and to give your digestion the fiber and bulk it needs to stay regular, which can be a stressor for so many people who travel for the holidays.

What’s So Nutritious About Greens?

Greens are incredibly nutritious and an easy way to add fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to your diet.

When it comes to making a simple green salad, there’s really no “wrong” way to make them! You can use whatever dark leafy greens you like combined with seasonal fruit and this simple olive oil and vinegar dressing.

Dark leafy greens are excellent sources of vitamin K, A, C, magnesium, manganese, calcium, and phosphorus. In addition to the micronutrients, dark leafy greens are a great source of fiber, low in fat, and low in protein.

Stripped

Endive

Endive is a great source of fiber, and it’s rich vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E, folate, beta-carotene, riboflavin, iron, magnesium, calcium, and potassium.

Add that to the pears in this recipe, which are incredibly digestive-friendly and packed with their own gang of vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, B vitamins, calcium, potassium and phosphorous and you have a winning combo.

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds not only taste great but have been shown to help with general antioxidant support, most notably from vitamin E. Most diets, the Standard American Diet, in particular, are low in minerals — pumpkin seeds are loaded with minerals and are great to incorporate often.

Pumpkin seeds, oils, and extracts have unique anti-microbial benefits, from the lignans in these seeds. Pumpkin seeds have also been studied with anti-cancer benefits, cardiovascular benefits, decreasing blood pressure, benefits with benign prostatic hyperplasia (i.e. prostate enlargement).

The Recipe

Serves 6-8

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Ingredients

For the dressing

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons of lemon juice)

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fresh thyme

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Fresh black ground pepper

Remaining salad ingredients

1 head romaine lettuce, roughly chopped (or whatever green you enjoy most! Kale, arugula, and watercress are delicious)

2 endive, leaves separated then roughly chopped

1 pear, cored and chopped

1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Optional add-ins:

  • 4-6 fresh green beans, chopped
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1/2 cup roasted butternut squash

Instructions

Step 1

In a large mixing bowl which will also double as your presentation bowl (so choose wisely), combine all the dressing ingredients. Using a fork or a whisk, combine these ingredients together at the bottom of the bowl.

Step 2

When you’re ready to assemble and toss the salad, add all the remaining salad ingredients to the bowl. Then just gently toss, the dressing is at the bottom of the bowl just until you’re ready to serve. This way it helps prevent mushy greens because the dressing isn’t coating the salad greens yet.

 

Enjoy!

Add optional garnishes such as fresh herbs, more pumpkin seeds, and black pepper.

Have Leftovers? Here’s What To Do With Them:

As always, store in an airtight glass container that we recommend from the NS Shop for up to 7 days. If you make an extra large batch of the dressing, just make it separate and store it in a glass mason jar with a tight lid for later use, up to 1 week.

Can’t wait to see you try it!

Did you know that you can submit your own photo of whatever recipe you make from NS? Scroll down to the bottom right and you’ll see a section for you to show off your creations from home!

Can’t wait to see how you make these and share your meal with me! Tag us on Instagram @nutritionstripped #nutritionstripped

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