If you’re looking for a simple salad to make for lunch, that’s also filled with high quality fats and great vegetables, this is one of my favorites.
This salad incorporates high quality, healthy fats from the avocado and extra virgin olive oil, with a fresh component using a small cut, raw cauliflower, and cucumber.
Check below the recipe for all the great benefits you’ll get from these ingredients.
Raw cauliflower salad with garbanzo beans and avocado
Ingredients
Salad components
- 1 small cauliflower or half of a larger one
- 1 avocado
- 1 cucumber
- 1 can of garbanzo beans
- 1/2 fresh red pepper
- 1/2 small red onion
Dressing
- 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the cauliflower into small pieces (0.5 in or less) and add to a large bowl
- Cut avocado into 0.5in pieces and add to bowl
- Quarter the cucumber lengthwise and then sliced into triangles and add to bowl
- Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans and add to bowl
- Chop the red pepper and add to bowl
- Chop the red onion and add to bowl
Making the dressing
- Add the fresh squeezed lemon, EVOO, and salt and pepper to a small bowl and stir or whisk together. You can also just add it directly to the salad to reduce the # of bowls you're using.
- Add dressing to the salad and toss together
Nutrition
Nutritional benefits of this recipe
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable that is high in Vitamin C, K, and B vitamins. Cauliflower is hearty, but relatively low in calories and filled with good fiber for your gut.
Read more about some of the benefits of cauliflower.
Avocado
Avocado is also a great source of vitamin C, K, and B vitamins and even has more potassium than a banana. Avocados are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, an essential fatty acid which is great for your heart health.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The Mediterranean diet is one of the best known healthy diets in the world. EVOO is a staple of the diet because of its anti-inflammatory properties, and of course delicious taste.
Extra Virgin is the least processed version of olive oil, and the healthiest. Olive oil contains modest amounts of vitamin E and K. The phenols in extra virgin olive oil are antioxidants that can fight free radicals in your body to promote health.
There are a host of benefits including reducing blood pressure, and improving skin and hair health (source).
Cucumbers
Cucumbers are great for hydration as they are mostly water and contain electrolytes your body needs. Cucumbers contain both potassium and magnesium, essential electrolytes, and a necessary balance to sodium. There are beneficial nutrients and fiber in the cucumber skin, so eating it with the skin on is recommended.
This recipe was featured in my weekly nutrition newsletter, specifically this newsletter.
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