I made this beautiful salad for my family last night and it was so grounding, filling, satisfying, and delicious I thought I would share it with you. You can swap out anything not on your list of what you eat. You can also reduce the amounts in the ingredients list. I have four children (who are now grown and gone) and I still cook for an army so I can put away left-overs and not have to cook another day. It’s very versatile that way. Please note…it is NOT quick and easy and has way more than 7 ingredients 😊.
Ingredients for main salad:
- 1 organic yellow onion chopped
- 1 TBSP minced garlic
- Two heads organic broccoli chopped
- 6 organic carrots chopped
- 1 head organic fennel thinly sliced
- 1 head organic cauliflower chopped
- ¼ cup organic chicken broth
- 2 organic zucchinis chopped
- 2 organic yellow squash chopped
- 16 cherry tomatoes halved
- 3 organic avocados peeled, pitted, and diced
- I bunch organic cilantro chopped
- 2 organic limes juiced
- 2 chipotle peppers in Adobo Sauce (these are in cans from Embasa that I get in the Mexican section of the grocery store)
- 1 TBSP ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
- Sea salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 2 boxes lentil or chickpea pasta cooked per package directions and drained (has protein!)
- 1-pound free range chicken breasts cooked in slow cooker for 4-6 hours on high with garlic and onions and covered with chicken bone
- broth. Pull it apart with 2 forks when it’s cooked through and set aside.
Ingredients for salad dressing:
- 2 organic red bell peppers sliced and seeded
- 1 head of garlic peeled, and cloves separated
- 1 yellow onion quartered
- ½ cup Avocado oil for drizzling and for blending
- 2 organic limes juiced
- 2 chipotle peppers in Adobo Sauce (these are in cans from Embasa that I get in the Mexican section of the grocery store)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 TBSP organic raw honey
- Sea salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Roast the red bell pepper slices, garlic cloves, and quartered onion drizzled with avocado oil on a baking sheet at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until the edges of the peppers are browning and the onions and garlic are turning yellow. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool until time to make the rest of the dressing.
Cook the chopped onions for the main salad in avocado oil until translucent. Add the minced garlic and chopped carrots and cook with the chicken broth in covered pan until the carrots are tender. Add the chopped broccoli, sliced fennel, chopped cauliflower, juice from the limes, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, pepper, and diced chipotle peppers and cover and cook over medium heat until the cauliflower is al dente. May add more chicken broth or water to steam the vegetables if needed. Add the zucchini and yellow squash and cover and cook until tender but not soggy. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Next put the roasted red peppers, onions, and garlic in a high-speed blender and add ½ cup avocado oil, the juice from 2 limes, 2 chipotle peppers (only 1 if you don’t like spice), the honey, cumin and salt and pepper. Cover and blend on high speed. Set aside.
Now toss the cooked and cooled pasta with the pulled chicken, cherry tomato halves, and diced avocados in a large salad bowl. Add the sautéed vegetables and toss with the dressing in your blender. Garnish with the chopped cilantro. Enjoy!