Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe

Happy Meatless Monday I have a salad recipe to share that will make incorporating meatless meals into your week a tasty joy. This is a perfect salad to bring for lunch or to enjoy with your meal or as your meal. You can add anything you would like and experiment with all kinds of different fruit and veg combos.

Our eleven year old  niece Isabella left yesterday. She was visiting us from Florida  for a week. We had so much fun that our home and our hearts felt empty when she left. We  made jewelry, played card games and laughed for a whole week.  We tried new foods together, made the most luxurious vegan dark chocolate, peanut butter  ice cream  and made a salad that we could not get enough of, Isabella’s Chop Salad. The chopping of the veggies and lettuce is what makes this salad crave-able. You wouldn’t think it would make such a significant difference in the enjoyment factor, but it does. The small pieces are some how irresistible.

Isabella’s Chop Salad

By: Isabella

Ingredients

This makes enough salad for 6 servings. The leftovers without dressing will keep until the following day.

4 C finely chopped  Romaine lettuce

1/2 C finely diced avocado (1 small Hass avocado)

1/2 C finely chopped broccolli

1 C Granny Smith apple julienne into slivers

1/2 C  cucumber julienne into slivers

1 1/2 tsp very finely diced fresh jalapeno

2 1/2 tbsp finely chopped Cilantro

Juice of 1/2-1 lemon

Salad dressing of your choice. We used a ginger dressing and it paired beautifully with the apple, jalapeno and avocado.

*Note-According to Isabella, the critical part of the Chop Salad is not so much what you put in, but how well you chop it before you put it in. So throw in anything you love, chop it nice and small and enjoy. We enjoyed it with apple then tried it with  pink grapefruit and it was delish both ways.

Make it Happen

~Starting with your Romaine, layer all remaining ingredients in an attractive bowl.

~Spritz with lemon juice, then serve with your favorite dressing.

We had this salad four times in as many days. The minute we returned from taking Isabella to the airport  we made a big Chop Salad in celebration of the amazing time we shared with her. We learned so much from her kindness, generous spirit and infectious laugh. Then, she taught us how to create her favorite salad, which is now our favorite too.

Have a delicious day.

Tags: chop salad, chop salad recipe, compassionate eating, Meatless Monday recipe, plant based diet, plant strong, trying vegan, vegan experience, vegan side dish, vegan wannabe