Rainbow Salad

‘Salads are so lame.’
That was what my meat-loving brother said when I offered to make him salad last night. Indeed, in the eyes of many, salad is often regarded as a boring dish that people will eat only when they are on a diet. But in my opinion, salads are far from boring, and are not just for people who are on diets. Who says you have to suffer through salads?

5 Reasons Why I Love Salads

1. They are easy to prepare. You don’t need to have any talent to make salads. Before I first learnt how to cook, salads were my go-to lunch or dinner because they were the only things which I made that tasted beautiful. Besides this, you won’t have any pots to scrub after your meal.
2. They are so healthy, they make me poop. Everyone knows that fresh fruits and vegetables are good for our bodies; they are loaded with vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber (which is good for pooping). We have been reminded countless times to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, but are we really doing it? I find myself struggling to meet this quota when I do not have a bowl of salad for either lunch or dinner. When this happens, I struggle to poop too.
3. They help me fight the ‘Zzzz’ monster. I hate feeling bloated, sleepy or lethargic after a heavy meal.  Salad is always my perfect choice when I need to get some work done after my meal ; it taste great, fills me up, and doesn't make me feel sleepy.
4. They make me feel like an artist when I am making it. Salads are fun to make and allows me to showcase my creativity. It is really a pleasure to mix and match different fruits and vegetable to make a colorful salad. Because it is fully customizable, you can add in almost anything you want (e.g.  chicken, seafood, beef,  ham, eggs, nuts, cheese, beans, avocado, tofu, dried fruits, grains, noodles…).
5. It tastes great! 

Anyway, I ended up making this Rainbow Salad yesterday to satisfy my salad craving. I experimented with goji berries, and I though it gave the salad a unique and  tangy flavor. The goji berries also went really well with the crunchy cashew nuts. I would certainly be adding more goji berries and cashew nuts to my salads in future.

Rainbow Salad
Inspired by Homemakers.com
Serves 2


Ingredients
4 kiwi fruits, chopped
4 tbsp red onion, chopped
1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled
2 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp goji berries, soaked
4 tbsp roasted cashew nuts

Dressing
Juice of 3 limes
3 tbsp light olive oil
2 tbsp honey

Directions

1. Run vegetable peeler down the length of the carrot, shaving off ribbons.
2. Combine kiwi fruits, red onion, red cabbage, carrot ribbons, raisins, goji berries and cashew nuts in a salad bowl.
3. In a small bowl, whisk lime juice, honey, olive oil until they are well mixed.
4. Pour dressing over salad. Toss salad to make sure dressing is mixed in. Serve. Enjoy!

Do you like salads?

What do you think makes a good salad?


For more gluten-free recipes, visit Gluten-Free Wednesdays