Combine ‘dry basics’ like shredded red cabbage, arugula, shredded kale, baby spinach, baby herb greens, torn romaine leaves, shredded carrot, sliced radishes, and whatever you like that lasts well in the refrigerator for approximately 4-6 days. Consider using organic when possible. Store this in a couple of large 1-gallon zip lock bags or a few large rectangular food storage containers. Take out what you need each day for your lunch or dinner main-dish salad. For me, that is about 8-9 cups. Using a mezzaluna or Kwik-kut (both available from Amazon for under $12.00) chop in a wooden or glass bowl until reduced by about a third, and uniformly well chopped. I use a 4 qt. Anchor Hocking Glass Mixing Bowl ($12.99 on Amazon or at Target).
Spread the chopped greens on the bottom of a 9” soup/salad bowl with shallow sides. Now the fun begins. Over the top of the greens, in whatever pattern pleases you, add:
- A protein source like Curried Tofu, Raisin, and Almond Salad*, Roasted Corn Black Bean Salad*, or at least 1/2 cup canned beans, rinsed, drained, then seasoned any way that you prefer. If you don’t eat beans use a cooked grain like quinoa, wild or brown rice, or oat groats.
- Raw or cooked vegetable and fruits, cubed or sliced–think the colors of the rainbow– like jicama, sliced sugar snap peas, red or orange bell peppers, red and golden beets, cooked corn or peas, canned artichoke hearts, cucumber, red onion, zucchini, etc.
For fruit all stone fruits work like peaches, plums apricots, as well as apples, pears, pineapple, mango, cantaloupe, pomegranate—the sky is the limit.
- A starchy vegetable, like cubed cold cooked sweet potatoes like Hanna Yams, Freida’s Stocks Purple Sweet Potato, or Japanese Sweet Potatoes. Or cold or warm cubed cooked Yukon Gold or Purple waxy potatoes. Cook butternut or Kombucha squash.
- Whatever leftover that you have in your refrigerator that would work on greens.
- An important flavor component of the salad is the salad dressing.*
This salad changes every day, and never gets old. It can be chopped in the morning and brought to work. Some people toss the salad with dressing before eating. I prefer to dig in and eat most of the greens first, while adding a bit of dressing as I eat, and then mixing what is left, what I call the fun stuff. This salad is highly individual, variable, delicious, and the best thing that you can do for your body on a daily basis. Another flavor enhancement is flavored balsamic vinegar.