Season’s Bounty Salad

This Mediterranean-influenced dish was created by nutrition students Eva El-Khatib, Becky Mears, and Megan Ántoni Placa in their Whole Foods Cooking Lab focused on raw food. A masterpiece that nourishes on all levels, the flavor is tangy without being bitter and includes the best of what the spring season has to offer…a true medley! 
 

For the Salad:

• 6 oz medley of baby greens
• 1 purple carrot, spiralized
• 1 cucumber, spiralized
• 1 zucchini, spiralized
• 1 purple carrot, julienned
• 1 orange carrot, julienned
• 1 cup red radish microgreens
• 1 cup broccoli microgreens

For the Dressing (Yields ½ cup):

• 1 tbsp + 2 tsp balsamic vinegar 
• ½ tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard 
• ¼ tsp raw honey
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 
• 1½ tsp minced flat leaf parsley
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes 
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• ½ tsp Celtic sea salt

Directions:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and raw honey
2. Drizzle in extra virgin olive oil, whisking vigorously to emulsify
3. Add minced parsley, red pepper flakes, minced garlic, and salt
4. Whisk until creamy
5. Arrange salad ingredients on platter, serve dressing on side

Some Health Benefits:

Olive Oil. A diet high in olive oil content was reported at the 2008 international conference on olive oil and health to improve lipid levels, blood pressure, blood vessel dysfunction, and molecular imbalances.[1]

Garlic. Population studies have found garlic to have a broad spectrum of positive health impacts. These include: reducing the risk of specific cancers like oral, stomach, esophageal, colon and prostate; support cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol; anti-diabetic properties by reducing blood glucose levels; as well as providing immune support through antibacterial, antioxidant, and immune functions.[2]

Lemon Juice and Garlic. One interesting study showed that a mixture of garlic and lemon juice improved blood pressure and lipid levels in people with high cholesterol.[3]

Balsamic Vinegar. Vinegars are known to have many therapeutic properties including blood pressure reduction, antibacterial activity, antioxidant activity, prevention of cardiovascular disease, and improvement in blood glucose levels.[4]

Raw Honey. Honey contains many minerals and important vitamins such as vitamin C and B complex, and it is known for its antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects.[5]

Flat Leaf Parsley. Parsley extract has been shown to have anti-diabetic effects, and also has anti-inflammatory potential.[6]

Celtic Sea Salt. This gray-colored salt contains a large variety of minerals.[7]

Red Pepper Flakes. Red pepper has many beneficial properties:  it can stimulate the metabolic rate, is heart-healthy, anti-inflammatory, can prevent the development of gallstones and kidney stones, and supports a healthy gastrointestinal tract.[8]