This salad is my go-to lunch right now. It’s packed with delicious flavors, textures, and nutrients to power you through the afternoon with tons of energy and no afternoon slump. I often pair it with a super simple fruit and kefir smoothie for a little extra protein and probiotics.
The base of the salad are broccoli microgreens. I feel super fortunate to have access to locally grown broccoli microgreens, I get to support an innovative local farm while eating a super nourishing food. Microgreens are amazing little buggers, they’re grown in soil and are the immature shoots and tiny leaves from various leafy green vegetables. Unlike many believe, they are not the same thing as sprouts which are germinated without soil and do not yet have leaves. Microgreens have anywhere from 6-40 times greater micronutrient content than their mature counterparts, broccoli microgreens vs mature broccoli for example. In the case of broccoli microgreens, compared to mature broccoli, they have around 50 times more sulfurophane, a potent anti-cancer compound! Broccoli microgreens are also delicious and have a fun, playful texture.
Next in this salad, is have something I call Kimkraut (a term inspired by Sandor Katz, author of The Art of Fermentation). Kimkraut is a combination of the fermented foods, kimchi and sauerkraut, as it borrows flavors from both. I make my kimkraut with red cabbage, beets, apple, and ginger, but it can be made with many different types of vegetables. Kimkraut (or kimchi, sauerkraut, or any other naturally fermented vegetable) provide tons of vitamin C, fiber, and beneficial gut-bacteria, particularly lactic acid bacteria which help fight off gut infections, improve lactose digestion, control some types of cancer and lower serum cholesterol levels(1).
I like to round out the salad with a little avocado which provides creamy monounsaturated fats, sunflower seeds for a little protein, fat, and a nice salty crunch, Annie’s Goddess dressing, and some lemon hummus for a bit more protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates.
- 1 cup broccoli microgreens
- ½ cup kimkraut (or comercially prepared beet-based saurkraut)
- ¼ avocado, sliced into small pieces
- 1 Tbl salted sunflower seeds
- 2 Tbl Annie’s Goddess Dressing (would also be good with a simple homemade vinaigrette)
- 2 Tbl Lemon Hummus
- Put microgreens onto a large plate and top with kimkraut, avocado slices, sunflower seeds.
- Drizzle with dressing and top with hummus and fresh cracked pepper. Enjoy!
*Not all calories are equal.