Monday, July 25, 2011

Arugula and Cashew Salad

I love the flavors of this healthy summer salad. It makes a colorful presentation and has a unique taste. If you are trying to vary the greens in your diet, arugula is a good choice.

arugula salad with cashews, tomatoes, and artichokes
When my mother- in- law offered me a container of baby arugula, I couldn't refuse. It is one of our favorite greens, and I knew I would put it to good use with some of the cashews I had.


Arugula is a pungent green that looks like little pieces of wild spring lettuce. Of all the salad greens, it is one of the most nutritious. 
Being a cruciferous vegetable, it provides some of the same protective health benefits as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbages. 

arugula salad, cashews, raisins
I decided to make a salad with tomatoes, red cabbage, cashews, and raisins!

arugala and cashew salad

Arugula has a somewhat light peppery flavor and gives a salad a real kick. The raw cashews give the salad some protein and good fat, while the raisins sweeten up the bitterness of the arugula. The red cabbage adds crunch and additional antioxidants making this quite a nutrient-rich side.!

arugula, tomatoes, red cabbage and raw cashews

Salad Ingredients
2 cups arugula 
2 cups of chopped organic romaine lettuce
1 cup of chopped purple cabbage
2  vine-ripened summer tomatoes, quartered
1 chopped green tomatillo, (which has a tangy flavor)
1/2 a chopped sweet red pepper,
1 cup sliced baby Persian cucumbers
1/4 cup each of raw cashews, chopped raw walnuts (optional), and plump dark organic raisins.

Directions: 
Mix all ingredients together and toss well.

Delicious oil-free cashew dressing (link)

Easy to make mint and lemon dressing 


salad dressing with lemon and mint


I dressed the salad with my sister-in-law Joyci's original dressing recipe made with the recipe:  lemon, mint, parsley and red onion dressing
The salad was stellar and tasted as good as it looked.

With some rice crackers and hummus, my arugula salad served as lunch for two hearty salad eaters.

You could be as creative as you like making this salad and use any vegetables that are seasonal. Personally, I love to include some purple cabbage in all my salads. It not only adds some incredible phytonutrients to the mixture, but it also adds some incredible color contrast. I love the purples, greens, and reds.
It's appealing, nutritious, gluten-free, and vegan.




Enjoy with Quick and Easy Hummus Bruschetta Appetisers


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21 comments:

  1. guess what I am having for dinner tomorrow night?!

    Thx!!

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  2. This recipe wins on all counts. It is pretty to look at, delicious to eat and easy to make. Thanks for sharing such a delightful recipe and also for sharing on My Meatless Mondays.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Chaya,
      I agree it is delicious and beautiful to look at and includes so many colors which contribute great health benefits.

      Delete
  3. Delicious! I think even my picky eater will go for salad that has cashews in it.

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  4. Hmmm, this salad is perfect for summer. Gonna try this:)

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    Thanks and have a great day!

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  5. That is SO gorgeous!!! And creative! I'm always looking for new variations on plain ol' salad, and this is perfect ... :)

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  6. Cashews are my favorite! I will have to try this salad.

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  7. I love this salad Judee. I have just gotten into eating arugula and I can't get enough of that spicy peppery flavor. I am trying to grow my own now.

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  8. Hi Judee,
    I just love your Arugula and Cashew combination for a salad. It looks delicious! Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope to see you again real soon. Hope you are having a great week!
    Miz Helen

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  9. What a wonderful salad! Balanced, with all the right elements. Thanks for linking up at my salad blog hop!

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  10. This looks so colorful and mouthwatering! Love the cashew and raisin combo, always so tasty. Thanks for sharing this with Summer Salad Sundays, look forward to seeing you again soon!

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  11. I love this salad, full of many of my favourite salad ingredients and the colours look wonderful!

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  12. I like the vibrant colors in this salad. Pretty.

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    Replies
    1. Tina,
      I like color in my salad too and nutritionally that works best too.

      Delete
  13. I'm a big arugula fan and this salad looks yummy and pretty.

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    Replies
    1. Beth,
      I like to add small amounts- sometimes it can get too peppery for me

      Delete
  14. Arugula is great as a baby, but it gets too strong for me when its leaves are big! It's good in grain=based salads too.

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mae,
      I never realized that that was the reason that it was strong. I've gotten some from my farm that was strong enough to bite your head off. I gave it to a brave neighbor..

      Delete
  15. Sounds good-I love salads with tomatoes-I could not imagine one without.

    ReplyDelete

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