Ayurveda does not always advocate the use of raw foods (especially for Vata types); however, in the right context and with the proper ingredients, any meal made with whole food ingredients can be made to heal. Raw foods tend to be cold, dry, rough, and hard to digest causing some people gas, bloating, and constipation. This balanced salad recipe makes good use of healthy oils and warming ingredients to help counteract these qualities, making it a suitable option for all body-types in the spring and summer season.
Salads offer us a healthy meal option that is quick and easy to make. This nutrient-rich salad recipe offers us an incredible amount of vitamins A, B, C, E, and K; along with iron, calcium, zinc, omega-3s, antioxidants, fiber, and so much more. Utilizing healthy oils, vinegar, lemon, and black pepper will help to reduce the dry, cold qualities of the salad, making these nutrients easier to digest and absorb.
Summertime Salad Recipe
Click here for a printable copy of this recipe.
- Doshic effect: Vata↑↓**, Pitta ↓, Kapha ↓
- Gluten-Free
- Vegan/Vegetarian
- Serves: 2
- Prep Time: 15 to 20 minutes
**Those with a strong Vata imbalance (i.e. chronic constipation, insomnia, or severe anxiety) should avoid this recipe and all raw foods until balance is found; otherwise it is suitable for Vata types during the hotter seasons and in moderation.
Materials
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Large bowl
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped butter leaf or romaine lettuce
- 2 cups chopped baby spinach leafs
- 6 artichoke hearts, chopped
- 8 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped (omit for Pitta)
- 6 cucumber slices, quartered
- 1/3 cup chopped red pepper
- 1 avocado, cubed (omit for Kapha)
- 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (use lime for Pitta)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups hummus, divided
- 1/4 cup sprouts, divided (omit for Vata)
Directions
1. Wash and chop the lettuce, spinach, artichokes, olives, cucumber, and red pepper. Place them in a large salad or mixing bowl.
2. Cube the avocado and add this along with the sunflower seeds to the large bowl.
3. In a small separate bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper together. Stir this mixture well and then pour it over the salad mix.
4. Toss the salad until all of the ingredients have been evenly distributed.
5. Serve the salad onto serving plates. Typically this amount should serve about two large salads.
6. Top each plate with 1 cup of hummus, and then 1/4 cup of sprouts. For the hummus, you can use the variety you enjoy, although homemade hummus is always preferred!
**Try our balsamic and lime hummus recipe or our coconut curry hummus recipe.
7. Enjoy this salad as a healthy lunch or dinner meal throughout the hotter months.
Click here for a printable copy of this recipe.
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