Power Veggie Lunch Salad
Lunch is definitely my least favorite meal of the day to prepare. Unless there are some easy leftovers, I have a hard time deciding what to make! Sandwich are a rare meal for me, because bread is certainly not low carb, even if it’s gluten free. This lunch salad is filling, bursting with healthy nutrients, and easy to make. You can pack it for work, or make and eat it at home.
Lately I’ve been craving raw purple onions, so let’s talk about how good they are for you! You probably already know that they’re really high in vitamin C, which is best preserved when eaten raw, as in this lunch salad. Onions are also high in fiber and low in calories, which makes them great for weight loss. I think my favorite nutrient in purple onions (or any purple fruit/veggie) is anthocyanin. Anthocyanin is an antioxidant, which helps with everything from blood sugar to heart health. Here’s more information about anthocyanin.
One other thing I’d like to highlight about purple onions (and any other veggie from the allium family) is that they are good at fighting cancer, partly because they contain quercitin. Quercitin inhibit the body’s ability to create new blood vessels (angiogenesis), which cuts off the blood supply to cancer cells. Many cancer drugs have been designed to mimic this action, but I figure why not eat our way to health before we need that kind of intervention!? By the way, mushrooms also have compounds in them that prevent unnecessary blood vessels from growing. This salad will help your body in so many ways…that’s why I called it the Power Veggie Lunch Salad! For more interesting nutritional information, I highly recommend the book Eat to Live
Before we get to the recipe for the salad I want to invite you to join with others who are making healthy changes. I’d love to walk alongside you in your journey towards wholeness and health! Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full!” Freedom from food addictions is part of having a truly full life.
- 1/2 Cup Mushrooms
- 1/2 Cup Red Potatoes (thinly sliced)
- 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 Tsp Freshly Ground Pepper
- 2 Cups Organic Baby Greens
- 1/2 Cup Tomatoes (sliced)
- 1/4 Cup Purple Onions (sliced thinly)
- 1/4 Cup Hummus
- 2 Tbsp Raw Pine Nuts
- 1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinaigrette
- To prepare the mushrooms and potatoes, melt the coconut oil over medium heat and toss in the veggies. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and cook until they're soft and a bit brown.
- Combine the rest of the vegetables for the salad on your plate, then top it with the mushrooms and potatoes. Place the hummus on top of that and sprinkle your salad with the dressing and pine nuts. Enjoy!
You can serve this salad right after cooking the potatoes and mushrooms, or wait until they cool. It'll be good either way! Make sure to slice the potatoes fairly thin, so they cook at the same rate as the mushrooms.