Chop Chop Salad w/ Cilantro Dressing

This is my favorite salad I’ve ever made. You probably know by now that I’m a huge fan of cilantro and add it to a lot of my dressings and salads. I wanted to make a salad that was similar to my favorite salad from a place I like to go for lunch. I’m really happy with how this dressing turned out and honestly, this salad is so filling and is full of healthy fats, protein, and fiber. I also love the addition of the pumpkin seeds in this salad to give some added crunch but mostly because when nuts or seeds are added to salads, it makes the nutrients in the vegetables more bioavailable to your body, therefore you absorb more of the vitamins and minerals. The fun thing with salads is you can add as many different vegetables as you would like to give different flavors, texture, and color.

Ingredients:

2 cups arugula

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup diced jalapeño

1/4 cup sliced green olives

1/4 cup diced green onions

1/4 cup chopped watermelon radishes

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 avocado, sliced

1 cup cilantro

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

5 garlic cloves

1 lime, juiced

Directions:

1) Place the cilantro, olive oil, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, black pepper, garlic, and lime juice in a blender and blend until thoroughly combined.

2) Toss all of the vegetables together (I like to give the arugula a rough chop before I toss because I like more of a “chop chop” salad) and pour 1/4 cup of the dressing over the top. Stir and toss to make sure its thoroughly coated and enjoy!

With love,

Ashley