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There’s something so easy breezy about a ribboned veggie salad – perhaps it’s the way the carefully peeled ribbons look on a platter or the ease of digesting the thinly sliced produce – either way, there’s nothing like sitting down to a beautiful meal that tastes just as good as it looks. Last week, you loved the carrot ribbon salad so I thought I’d use my favorite vegetable peeler (See below in SHOP the RECIPE. This one is amazing and so not like the old school peelers that never worked for me) again to share a tasty salad that doubles for lunch and dinner.
This salad can be served chilled or at room temperature as it’s equally as delicious either way. It’s the perfect end-of-summer dish that reminds us to savor the simple flavors of vegetables and the subtle yet sweet touch of fennel seeds.
SHOP the RECIPE
Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Jalapeño and Shallots
Ingredients
- 3 large zucchini peeled and ends trimmed
- 1 medium shallot diced
- 1 small jalapeño thinly sliced
- 1 handful fresh parsley finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds
- 1 large lime juiced
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp. fennel seeds
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- pinch cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Lay the strips of zucchini on a flat surface such as a cutting board. Use your hands to roll each strip one at a time (lengthwise) to make a cylinder or oval shape. On a serving plate, arrange the zucchini in the prepared small rolled up shapes. Add the shallot, jalapeño, parsley and pumpkin seeds.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and mix well to combine. Drizzle over the zucchini salad and serve. Season to taste with more sea salt and pepper, if desired.
- Store leftovers for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
This article may contain Amazon or other affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase by clicking those links.
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I haven’t eaten a grapefruit since I was a kid. For many reasons. One being that I couldn’t eat fruit for the last two decades because of yeast overgrowth in my gut (candida) and another being that I pretty much lost my appetite for anything sweet during my 12-year health journey.
That said, I’ve finally started to get my sweet tooth back, which feels like I’m living again – learning how to bite into juicy apples and tart cherries and sweet grapefruits. It’s been divine to say the least.
Grapefruit has a special place in my heart. It was the “dessert” my parents served my sister and I growing up. My father would peel the grapefruit, and my sister and I would wait with anticipation for who would get the next peeled segment. It was pure joy and so much fun. It also made me appreciate the natural sweetness for desserts and, hence, why I really don’t have a sweet tooth.
This recipe is the perfect end-of-summer escape for you to dive into in your kitchen. It’s literally a garden in a bowl and I think you’re going to love it.
Put on our Kitchen Playlist, turn on the air conditioning or your fan, and have fun. That’s what all of this is about. Enjoy yourself and enjoy these last few weeks of the summer heatwave.
SHOP the RECIPE
Carrot Grapefruit Salad with Avocado
Ingredients
- 4 cups baby kale
- 4 small radishes
- 3 large carrots peeled lengthwise
- 1 large ruby red grapefruit peeled and segmented
- 1 large ripe avocado peeled, pitted, and diced
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- sea salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 handful torn fresh parsley
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a large shallow serving bowl, combine the kale, radishes, carrots, grapefruit and avocado. Drizzle with the olive oil and season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and crushed red pepper flakes. Serve at room temperature.
- Store leftovers in a sealed container for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
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I made this delicious summer salad a few weeks ago on our Instagram stories and so many of you loved it, which is why I decided to share the full recipe right here for you.
This heirloom tomato salad is quite simple to toss together. I’m a fan of the orange heirlooms because they are so sweet, but you can use any color tomato you desire. I’ve also used pecans to give this salad a touch of sweetness; however, feel free to use walnuts or sunflower seeds if you’d like more of a savory salad.
Lastly, the tahini drizzle is quite simple and so delicious. I love adding a dose of healthy fats to my recipes to keep me satisfied and to add a nice touch of robust flavor. Here is the brand of tahini I suggest using, although you can make your own tahini by toasting sesame seeds and then placing them in a food processor until they form a creamy paste.
SHOP the RECIPE
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Tahini Drizzle
Ingredients
- 1 head dandelion greens thinly sliced and ends trimmed
- 1 drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
- sea salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 large heirloom tomatoes sliced
- 1 large yellow summer squash diced
- 1 handful fresh parsley torn
- 2 Tbsp. tahini well stirred
- 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
Instructions
- Sautee the dandelion greens in a large skillet with the olive oil, stirring often, over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until wilted and tender. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving platter.
- Add tomatoes, squash and parsley on top of the dandelion greens.
- In a small bowl, combine the tahini and cumin with sea salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle over the tomato salad. Add another pinch of sea salt and a few twists of freshly ground pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Store leftovers in a sealed glass container for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
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WHY WE LOVE THEM
Before I get into what inspired me to create these meatballs, I must say that I have fond memories of eating meatballs when I was a kid with my Italian grandparents who made THE BEST meatballs. Since I know a lot of you are vegetarian, I only include optional meat alternatives in my recipes, which is why these are meat-less. Don’t worry, they’re still delicious.
HOW WE MAKE THEM
PREP TIPS // The easiest way to prep these cute little beanballs is to make sure you have all of your ingredients laid out in front of you before you get started (including tools like your food processor and baking sheets, which I have below for you in the SHOP the RECIPE so you can see which tools I use for myself). I like to keep the chickpeas a little bit chunky in these balls so if you don’t want super soft beanballs, let the chickpeas stay a bit chunky!
INGREDIENT SWAPS // You can easily swap out any beans of your choice; however, I used chickpeas in these beanballs because they’re loaded with protein and they have so much more flavor than other beans, in my opinion. You do what you want to do!
THREE easy STEPS
Here’s how we made these Chickpea Beanballs with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce in three simple steps.
STEP 1 // Preheat your oven and prepare your baking tray with parchment paper.
STEP 2 // Combine all ingredients in a food processor and use your hands to form ball shapes. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown.
STEP 3 // Remove from the oven, top with the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and EAT!
LISTEN // STEP-by-STEP DIRECTIONS
Listen below for Amie’s tips that are not mentioned in this article as well as quick directions on how to make this recipe step-by-step.
SHOP the RECIPE
These items may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using these links.
HOW WE EAT THEM
SERVING SUGGESTIONS // These beanballs would be delicious served with a dinner salad like my Easy Roasted Carrot & Apple Salad or in the place of meatballs on my Easy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta. I love storing any leftover sauce in the cute glass containers shown above in SHOP the RECIPE. You can use the parchment paper above to wrap the leftover beanballs and store them in the refrigerator.
OPTIONAL ORGANIC ANIMAL PROTEIN // If you’re a carnivore, you can serve these beanballs with some organic chicken on the side. If you like your chicken roasted, poached, sautéed or baked, we have step-by-step directions for our favorite ways to cook organic chicken: How to Cook Chicken.
STILL HUNGRY? For more of our anti-inflammatory recipes, check out our 30 Day Reset, which is only available for a limited time.
Chickpea Beanballs with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. filtered water
- 1 Tbsp. ground flaxseeds
- 2 slices Canyon Bakehouse gluten-free rye bread
- 1 15.5 oz. BPA-free can chickpeas, drained
- 5 large leaves fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup well shaken full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup raw walnuts, chopped
- 1 ½ tsp. sea salt, divided
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 recipe Roasted Red Pepper Sauce for serving
Instructions
- Mix ground flaxseeds and water; let sit for 10 minutes to make the 'egg' binder.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine flax 'egg' with the rye bread, chickpeas, basil, coconut milk, walnuts, 1/2 tsp. of the sea salt, ground cumin, pepper, and chili powder. Blend in a food processor until well combined but let the chickpeas stay chunky for texture when you bite into these beanballs. Then, using your hands, form the 'dough' into 2" balls and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush olive oil on top of each ball and sprinkle with remaining sea salt.
- Bake for 35-40 min or until golden brown.
- Meanwhile, make the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.
- Remove the beanballs from the oven, set aside to cool for 5 minutes then serve warm, with our Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.
Nutrition
RECIPE COPYRIGHT // This recipe was created by Amie Valpone of AmieValpone.com. Please do not reprint this recipe without our permission. If you’d like to feature this recipe on your website, please rewrite the directions and link to this recipe as the original source. Thank you.
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What IS a massaged kale salad anyway?
Massaging kale is just an easy way of making the leafy greens tender by massaging olive oil and lemon juice into the leaves with your hands along with a sprinkle of sea salt. No cooking needed but one bite and you’ll think these greens have been steamed or sautéed because the massaging motion creates such a tender, flavorful leaf!
This is an easy way to make a salad in under 5 minutes when you don’t feel like cooking or following a long recipe. We’re sharing the most basic way to create your own massaged kale salad so that you can add your desired ingredients such as walnuts, almonds, organic chicken or protein of choice, beans or any other ingredient you’d like to make a full meal. This quick kale salad is a great option for a simple lunch or dinner side dish.
Any kale salad you make can be served with our vast array of veggie-based anti-inflammatory recipes and Amie’s cookbook.
HOW to MASSAGE kale
WHAT YOU NEED // We suggest always buying organic ingredients, especially kale since it’s part of the Dirty Dozen, the highest sprayed foods with pesticides/herbicides that will negatively affect your liver over time. Here are The Benefits of Eating Organic.
- 2-3 cups of organic kale leaves (1 head of curly or flat dinosaur kale)
- 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- 1 tsp. sea salt
HOW TO MAKE IT //
STEP 1: In a large bowl, combine the kale leaves, lemon juice, oil and sea salt. Discard the stems.
STEP 2: Using a massaging action similar to kneading dough, massage the kale with your hands for 2-3 minutes until the kale is a dark green color and tender to touch. Add the juice of a lemon with the lemon juicer (below in our SHOP) and a pinch of sea salt.
STEP 3: Transfer the salad to a large serving bowl (the wooden one we use is below in our SHOP).
HOW TO ADD FLAVOR // The above recipe is the base formula of a kale salad, you can add any flavorings that you desire.
The Dairy-Free Cheese recipes in Amie’s cookbook, Eating Clean, are ideal for kale salads because they add a dose of protein to every serving. If you’re not in the mood for dairy-free cheese, add a pinch of flavor with chili powder, fresh lemon zest or orange zest (see the microplane zester below in our SHOP) to your kale salad.
We use the tiny pinch bowls for sea salt and other spices so we can add a pinch here and there as needed (see below in our SHOP). These little bowls are ideal to have on hand in your kitchen for easy access. It only takes a few seconds to add to your bowl and it creates so much flavor from just a pinch!
HOW TO SERVE IT // We love using large wooden salad bowls because they look so beautiful on the table. The one we’re using right now is below in our SHOP. We have a ton of dressings that you can use from our Creamy Almond Dressing to our Lemon Tahini Dressing. Feel free to mix and match on different nights to see what dressing you like best and add that to your kale salad.
STEP-by-STEP AUDIO DIRECTIONS
Listen to Amie walk you through how to massage kale step-by-step.
ADDITIONAL TIPS // Store leftovers in the refrigerator in a sealed container (see below for the glass container we use) for up to three days. You can revive the kale salad with some fresh lemon juice, if desired, when serving leftovers.
SHOP the STORY
STILL HUNGRY? For more of our anti-inflammatory recipes, check out our 3 Month Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan, which is only available for a limited time through summer.
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