Chopped Power Salad

Packed with flavor, texture, and nutrients, this salad is the perfect go-to meal and is sooo delicious. It's a complete meal in itself and contains tons of vegetarian protein, good fats and healthy carbohydrates to keep your energy up through the day. The chopped texture is a variation of the typical salad and makes it more fun and easier to eat. Enjoy!

Chopped Power Salad
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time:  10 min
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 2 heads leaf lettuce, cleaned and chopped into small pieces
• 1 can garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 5 artichoke hearts packed in water, rinsed, dried and quartered
• 5 scallions (aka green onions) - root end removed, white part + 4 inches green part finely chopped
• 1 avocado, medium diced
• 1 large or 2 small tomatoes, seeded and diced 
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 tbsp good quality blue cheese crumbles
• 2 tbsp raw, hulled sunflower seeds

Dressing

• 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp raw honey or raw agave nectar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• Pinch of black pepper

Recipe
Combine dressing ingredients in a large salad bowl and whisk together. Add salad ingredients and toss to coat.

The goal is to have all of the ingredients be about the same size, about 1/2 inch cubes. Also, give the lettuce a good chop - salad is always easier to each with chopped lettuce. I even chop my ready-to-go organic mixed greens that come in the big containers.


Make once, eat 2 or 3 times. 
The recipe above is an extra large batch that I make for lunch and eat later in the day for a snack or dinner, then again for lunch the next day. If eating more than 4 hours later, make the dressing on the side and only dress what you eat as you go.

Omit the blue cheese crumbles to make this salad vegan.