I’ve been really trying to focus on keeping my meals plant-based lately. I used to just consider “plant-based” to mean the absence of meat, but I’ve dramatically changed my personal definition of that term. It’s pretty easy to be a vegetarian or vegan and never eat any whole plant foods! Trust me, I should know (and I’ll talk about that more in my next vegetarian update). What I’m talking about is a diet made mostly of pure, natural, clean fruits and vegetables. I’d venture to guess that most of us don’t see nearly enough of those!
This vibrant salad contains red cabbage, carrots, red bell peppers, and kale. To make a meal salad out of it, it would be amazing with some sliced pears or oranges and a yummy grain like bulgur or quinoa! For lunch today I added some lightly browned tofu to my hefty serving.
Once you have all the vegetables prepped (which is like a one minute job in a food processor), the whole thing comes together really quickly and easily!
- 3 c. red cabbage, shredded
- 1 c. carrot, shredded or grated
- 1 c. kale, chopped
- 1 c. red bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 2 T. rice wine vinegar
- 1 t. + 6 T. sesame oil
- 1 T. honey
- 1 T. shoyu or soy sauce
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 t. ginger paste (or minced ginger root)
- 1 t. peanut butter
- 2 T. toasted sesame seeds
- Massage the kale in your hands with 1 t. sesame oil for 5 minutes, or until the kale turns deep in color and tender.
- In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, carrot, massaged kale, and bell pepper.
- Set the bowl aside.
- In a food processor or blender, combine the 6 T. of sesame oil, honey, shoyu, garlic, ginger, and peanut butter until smooth. Taste and add more shoyu to taste.
- Toss about 2/3 of the dressing and the toasted sesame seeds into the vegetable mix. Taste and add more dressing if needed.
- Enjoy cold or at room temperature.
The combination of the sesame seeds and the asian dressing adds a great flavor to the vegetables in this salad. This dressing would be good on anything, and it’s got a short and sweet ingredient list! In other words, there’s no reason to feel anything but good when you eat this salad. Plus, just look at the COLORS!
From the vegetables you’re getting a powerhouse of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. Superfoods united.
It gets even better as the dressing absorbs into the salad, so it will stay good in the fridge for a couple days. I’m looking forward to having it again for lunch tomorrow–maybe with some fresh fruit on top next time.
Dinner tonight is veggie enchiladas! They’re in the oven right now and my mouth is already watering.
-Lauren