Christmas Day Salad
Are you scratching your head, trying to figure out what to make for all those upcoming Christmas functions? We have just the thing - an epic Christmas Day Salad (also suitable for our vegetarian friends)!
EPIC CHRISTMAS DAY SALAD
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
o 400g black beans, rinsed
o 1.5 cups baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
o 2 x 250g punnet cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
o ½ large cucumber, halved lengthways, seeds scooped out, sliced on angle
o 1 x large mango, peeled and chopped into chunks
o 1 x large red onion, halved and finely sliced
o 6-8 x radishes, sliced
o 2 x medium avocados, peeled and sliced
o 100g feta cheese, crumbled
o Handful of herbs (reserved from dressing)
Dressing:
o 1 x fresh bunch of mint
o 1 x fresh bunch of coriander
o 1 x fresh bunch of basil
o 1 x green chili, deseeded and chopped (optional)
o 1 x small garlic glove
o 100ml extra virgin olive oil or rapeseed oil
o 2 x limes, zested and juiced
o 2 x tablespoons white wine vinegar
o 2 x teaspoons honey
Method:
Dressing:
1. Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor (or very finely chop them), saving a few herb leaves for the salad. You can make the dressing up to 24 hrs before serving.
Salad:
1. Chop all ingredients as per listed ingredient.
2. Scatter the beans and spinach over a large platter.
3. Arrange the tomatoes, cucumber, mango, onion and radishes on top and gently toss together with your hands.
4. Top the salad with the avocados, feta cheese and herbs
5. Serve the dressing on the side.
Did you know?
➢ Avocado is an unsaturated fat. These types of fats help to reduce the risk of heart disease and can assist with lowering cholesterol levels.
➢ Including a vitamin C rich food with an iron rich food, can improve the absorption. In this salad, the combination of mango and tomatoes (vitamin C) with spinach (iron) will enhance the absorption of the iron.
➢ Christmas is fast approaching, which is an important time of the year to enjoy meals with friends and family!
The quality of your nutritional intake over the Christmas period need not be an extra stress.
Remember, Christmas Day is only one day of the year and not the entire month of December.