Who’s in the mood for an at home spa day? In addition to turning my shower into my very own spa, I find it quite relaxing to put on a honey mask and make myself a spa-like lunch. Or whatever I imagine a spa like lunch to be – let’s be honest I’ve only been to a spa once…and we didn’t eat lunch!
Anywho, at my home spa they serve big ole nutritious salads. I find when the weather warms up I want to relax and not fuss over my meals. This means I immediately shift my preferences and go from cozy oatmeal to cool smoothies for breakfast and creamy soups to crunchy salads for lunch! These days my go-to salad has been a plethora of green veggies (so monochromatic of me) that work together seamlessly and taste fresh, relaxing and delicious – hence, spa salad. Trutfhully, the fact that they taste good goether is a surprise blessing because the recipe started by me throwing together whatever I had in my fridge! I tried to stick to a color palette and wanted to see how it would turn out.
What did I find? This combination of greens provide the perfect combination of flavors and textures! It’s also very well balanced with veggies, fats, antioxidants and a touch of protein (but you could add more with chicken or beans if you’d like!). The recipe is definitely flexible so don’t get hung up on one ingredient or the other and feel free to substitute if there’s something you don’t love. Sometimes I throw on cilantro, parsley or even basil if I have it – fresh herbs are so good for you (cilantro is great for detox, a good source of antioxidants and may help protect the body against infections) and pack a flavorful punch.
This recipe only takes a few minutes to throw together – the only activity is the chopping! I like to arrange all my ingredients around the edges, plop the pesto in the middle and then mix it up at the end. I find this is the perfect meal for when I want want to pack in the veggies and nutrients but not compromise flavor!
Spa Salad
A crisp, fresh and delightfully springy salad for an easy, relaxing land spa-like lunch!
- 1-2 cups Spinach and/or Arugula (any lettuce will do!)
- 1/4 Large Cucumber, chopped
- 1/4 Large Zucchini, chopped
- 1-2 Celery stalks, chopped
- 1/4 cup Scallions, chopped
- 1/2 Jalepeno, diced
- 1/4 cup Cashews, whole or chopped
- 1/2 Avocado, diced
- 1-2 tbsp Vegan Pesto
- 1 tbsp Avocado Oil
- 1 pinch Flaked Salt
- 1/2 Lime, squeezed
- Sprinkle Fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley or basil
Mix greens and use as the base
Chop veggies and layer around the edges
Drizzle with avocado oil, add a dollop of pesto and a squeeze of lime if you want! Other delightful toppings include fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley or basil.