By Amie Valpone, thehealthyapple.com
Leafy greens are one of the best veggies you can eat. They’re full of nutrients and they’re easy to serve raw, steamed, or sautéed. In this simple salad, I roasted cauliflower and topped with two of my favorite detoxifying leafy greens, arugula and spinach, and a creamy tahini dressing. This recipe is naturally free of gluten, dairy, soy, refined sugar, and other inflammatory foods so it’s the perfect lunch or dinner salad to enjoy anytime of the year. Feel free to use more garlic if you like more of a kick to your dressing. In my book, Eating Clean: The 21-Day Plan to Detox, Fight Inflammation, and Reset Your Body, I talk about how certain foods cause inflammation in our body and how to add in more whole, anti-inflammatory foods like those in this recipe. The purple cabbage and heirloom tomato add a subtle sweetness along with the honey and raw almonds without having to add any refined sugar. This recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare, so you can have it on the table on a rushed weeknight meal for your family, or savor it on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 head organic cauliflower, cut into ½ inch florets
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 ½ tbsp tahini
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- 2 tsp honey or pure maple syrup
- 1 medium clove garlic, minced
- Hot water, as needed
- 2 cups arugula
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage
- 1 large heirloom tomato, diced
- 1 small English cucumber, diced
- 2 tbsp raw almonds
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Lay the cauliflower florets onto the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with the avocado oil, using your hands to coat each cauliflower floret. Season with sea salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until the cauliflower is golden brown and tender. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, honey, minced garlic, and a few teaspoons of hot water in a small bowl. Add more hot water as needed, to thin out the dressing to your desired consistency. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the roasted cauliflower, arugula, spinach, cabbage, tomato, and cucumber. Drizzle with the tahini dressing and gently toss to coat. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Garnish with raw almonds and serve immediately.
