Yummy Salad - Gluten and dairy free! Vegan! Nutritarian style! Whole food plant based

I hate salads. There, I said it. i really do. The leaves are the main part I hate- however if i chop them really tiny they seem to annoy me less. I hate bitterness so this salad uses a lot of sweet ingredients to distract from it. The sweet chew of the sultanas, and gooey "sparkly" mini crunch of the figs paired with fresh crispy apples really add another level.


You will need to chop all ingredients to your hearts desire. Chunky, shaved, shredded, chopped, whole! What ever you like!

INGREDIENTS
2 handfuls of mixed greens (about 60g)
half a raw carrot shredded or julienned
1/4c mixed cooked/canned drained and rised beans **
1/4c homemade hummus (1/4c mixed canned rinsed beans, splash balsamic, splash water, 5 olives or so and a teaspoon of the brine, tiny sprinkle onion powder, 1 TB nooch, pinch ground black pepper, pinch garam marsala, 2 pinches dried coriander, pinch chilli flakes)
1 TB chives
1/2 apple sliced into slivers **
Sprinkle of oregano and rosemary
1 t pepitas - nice crunch
1 grated walnut
1-3 figs **
3-5 olives
1 tb sultanas **

Chop, combine! That simple! (you might want to dollop the bean dip and mix it in after the photos or dip your fork in on each mouthful- for aesthetic reasons)


I suggest eating this with an orange- so you can facilitate the iron better.

The carrot is probably the most fibrous thing in here- forcing you to chew well and absorb many nutrients from the greens- as the digestion starts in the mouth! The beans replace what "Fetta" would give...a slightly salty creaminess that bursts from their casings. I just love beans, i do. Hummus is where you can let your freak flag fly! I just add a variety of spices or whatever to the beans and blend- you can really personalise this to your tastes. I added chives for a bite of onion flavour that isn't too strong. I also added herbs to up the antioxidant content. Pepitas are the only truely "crunchy" thing in this- and due to their high mineral content NOT a waste of calories. Also they help facilitate the absorption of fat soluble vitamins in this dish- do note that only about 2.3g of fat is needed to do so- which is more than easy with the beans alone. Grated walnuts again imitate parmesan. Olives adding that salty burst here or there as well. This is a pretty balanced salad- if you soak the olives and beans first the sodium content will plummet so that is something to consider.

Taste- sweet, fatty and creamy and a hint of spice. Bitter is long in the paste!
Texture- crunchy, crispy, creamy, gooey, chewy, fibrous and bursting with moisture.