The ULTIMATE Superfood Salad
Let’s be real here for a second…If a dietitian is going to actually make something called a superfood salad then we better be talking about something EPIC.
Everyone seems to have an opinion on the term “superfood”. An easy Google search for articles from credible resources will show that what validates a food as a superfood is its “nutrient density”. What is nutrient density? Well, if you think about the 30+ nutrients that we need to get in our bodies EVERY DAY then which foods have at least 3 or 4 (or more) of these nutrients can make it much less work for us to eat healthier in the long run! Yes, “healthy” really can be as simple as getting a high amount, or even enough of the nutrients you need to live and thrive!
While yes, the term “superfood” is in fact a marketing term, I can get behind the idea that ALL foods we eat should be nutrient dense! That is why I took some of my most favorite nutrient-dense foods and put them all in a bowl together!!
Crispy, crunchy, chewy, salty, sweet… this salad has it all! Not to mention the nutrients that are high in this salad are also some of the ones that are typically deficient in the American diet. It took me all of 10 minutes to through this together so let me just walk you through a few of the steps that take the most time (but are seriously so easy!)
Slicing and pitting the cherries is seriously the only “work” that you actually have to do. Everything else you just grab and throw in the bowl! I halved up maybe 20 cherries and then sliced each cherry half into 3 smaller slices like slivers you can see in the bowl on the right.
Now the fun part begins…adding COLOR!!! In your bowl of broccoli and cherry slivers, you now just throw in blueberries, pumpkin seeds, dried gogi berries, and hemp seeds! Here is the progression:
Omggg if my eyes could water like my mouth is…then they would! Maybe those are just tears of joy LOL . Alright my friends. This baby is all set except the final piece of the puzzle…our dressing!!!
I adapted this dressing recipe from another excellent one that I found on this website from Averie Cooks because it is absolutely brilliant! I did not however make the same superfood salad – hers is a bit more savory and mine is just all the sweet 😉 Once I added my dressing to the bowl, I got my hands all in there and gave it a good knead to get the juices going then transferred it into a gallon-sized plastic bag to marinate in the fridge.
Mm. Isn’t it pretty!? This bag method is perfect for the marinade to cover more surface area on the ingredients, especially since raw broccoli is a little more resistant to absorbing the liquid right away. Not to worry, give it 15-30 minutes in the fridge and it should be tasting PHENOMENAL!!!
My goodness I wish the pictures could do it justice – but seriously it is THAT much more delicious! I will be making this dish alllll summer long and probably for the rest of my life 😀
