Summer is made for salads…at least for the two of us. With the fluctuating and confusing weather going from hot to crazy hot to randomly Fall like, we’ve kept it simple. Basically, less cooked foods besides the occasional roasted veg that happens on those below 70 degree days. I mean, I’m going to have my roasted sweet potato because that crunchiness is not replicated on the stovetop. It’s not the same!!!

To get creative and eat outside the box, salads have become entire meals loaded with everything you could possibly need. Protein, check. Healthy fats, check. Crunchy things, check. Greens, check. Delicious dressing, check check and check. Basically any REAAAAALLLY good salad needs at least something crunchy, creamy, salty, sweet and it needs a really freakin good dressing. It’s a must!

Hubby and I really love that miso ginger dressing that coats every crevice of lettuce at a sushi spot or Hibachi grill. Besides the actually hibachi veggies, the starter salad is WHERE IT’S AT!

If you don’t feel like making your dressing (it’s okay, this is normal human-ness, sometimes I’m lazy af too), there is a creamy miso ginger dressing over by the sushi section at Whole Foods (it’s so damn good). It’s going to run you about 5-6 bucks but it’s worth it if you’re feeling lazy. Or you can give that Newman’s branded sesame ginger dressing a shot. Easy to find. Easy on that budget too 😉

Crunchy Af Asian Persuasion Farmers Market Salad

Total time legit 5 minutes unless you feelin’ slow today

Serves 2 HUGE bowls worth (aka 2 hungry peeps at dinner)

What you need:

• 1/2 cup shredded purple or green cabbage (feel free to add equal parts of both if you desire more color)
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cucumber (try a lemon cucumber if you can find it), sliced
• 1-2 heirloom tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup broccoli florets
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1/4 cup cashews (roasted in the pan for 2-5 minutes)
• 1 avocado, diced
• Optional: black sesame seeds, scallions, cilantro, massaged kale, sunflower sprouts. Basically endless options to switch it up, the most important aspect here? The dressing is what gives that something extra 😉

For the dressing

• 1 large teaspoon ginger paste (or freshly minced ginger)
• 3 tablespoons mellow white miso paste
• juice of one lime
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, smashed + minced
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut aminos (or tamari-bascially soy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 4 tablespoons rice vinegar

How you make it:

1. In a small bowl (or at the bottom of your salad bowl) mix together ingredients for the dressing. If you’re being lazy (and it’s totes okay to be), pour about 1/4 cup dressing diluted with a splash or two of water, into the bottom of the bowl.
2. Combine salad ingredients on top of dressing and mix until thoroughly coated.
3. Garnish with cilantro, scallions, sesame seeds. Whatever looks and sounds delicious to you!

Beeeteedubs, you can totally add lettuce to this recipe or just switch it up. There is no wrong way to do this 😉

Peace, love and NO Beef!

G