Asparagus Greek Chopped Salad

Asparagus is such an unexpected ingredient and a really delicious addition to a Greek salad. Spring is the best time for fresh, beautiful asparagus, and it tastes absolutely wonderful in this recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE ASPARAGUS

½ lb asparagus

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and ground black pepper

FOR THE SALAD

1 cup cherry tomatoes — cut in half

½ medium red onions — sliced

1 cup yellow bell pepper — chopped

1 cup cucumber — chopped

1 cup Kalamata olives

1 tbsp feta cheese — chopped

FOR THE DRESSING

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 clove of garlic — minced

Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

See the entire recipe and directions at Primavera Kitchen.

Oil-Free Strawberry Vinaigrette Recipe

This is a wonderfully fresh and wholesome salad dressing that's easy to make!

• 1-1/2 Cups Fresh Strawberries
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Pepper
• 1/8 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 Cup Water

See the entire recipe and directions at My Vegan Cookbook.

Raw Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Raw apple cider vinegar is amazing for your health!  It's full of enzymes and nutrients and promotes an alkaline state.  It helps to aid digestion and many people have found it to help with weight loss.   This recipe is an easy way to add some raw apple cider vinegar to your diet (we recommend Bragg's, it's the best)!

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons raw honey, as needed for sweetness
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

To see the entire recipe and directions at Detoxista.

Natural Salad Dressings: Sweet Asian Dressing and More

I had a customer ask for some healthy salad dressing recipes, since she was allergic to soy (and many prepackaged dressings contain soy).  In doing some research I came across this webpage, which has a full list of healthy, natural salad dressings which are easy to make and don't require exotic ingredients.  I'm partial to the Sweet Asian dressing which I've reposted below, but she has several others on the site which sound delicious!

Sweet Asian Salad Dressing

1/3 cup olive oil

3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons honey

Pinch of dried ginger or 1/2 tsp fresh zested ginger root (preferable)

Spices to taste

Read the complete recipe and directions at Wellness Mama