I amazed by what I made this morning, not sure what kind of soul went to my body, but somehow I felt like Picasso who painted my plate with salads.
I like to call this the big epic salad because I love blending a lot of different flavors, fruits, veggies, and roasted things in altogether.
This salad is perfect for any occasion, especially if there are lots of people around, because it makes a pretty large bowl, and is quite filling.
I think I’ve learned the secret to fantastic tasting salad, and that is adding roasted veggies with raw, and some fruits, a great sauce, and suddenly the mixture is just amazing. I do apologize for the immense amount of steps and ingredients, but a lot of it is spices, so it should not be too hard to gather.
If you don’t feel like having a certain veggie or fruit in the salad, feel free to leave it out, but try not to leave out the baked stuff. It’s good to serve this as soon as the potatoes are done, don’t wait because when the potatoes turn cold, it loses its amazing crunch.
As for the pomegranate seeds, I just ate the whole seeds. Otherwise, it would just take too long to find them and spit it out.
- 1 Russet potato
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon thyme
- ¼ teaspoon Himalayan/sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- A few sprinkles ground pepper
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon extra light olive oil
- A pinch Himalayan/sea salt
- ½ medium-large red onion
- 1 cup green beans
- 5 fresh shiitake mushrooms
- 1 Roma tomato
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice
- 1 tablespoons cashews
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon red wine
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Himalayan/sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 cup fresh peas
- 1 packet mixed leafy greens (I used baby spring mix 5oz, included baby lettuces, baby spinach, red and green card, arugula, mizuna, radicchio)
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- 5 large strawberries (or 8 small)
- A small handful roasted almonds, chopped
- 1 small avocado
- 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons pomegranate juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon coconut sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fresh or dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon fresh or dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon Himalayan/sea salt
- A few sprinkles ground pepper
- A pinch red pepper flakes
- A few drizzles of balsamic glaze
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Potato Crouton: Peel the potatoes, then dice it up finely. Put it in a bowl of water and soak for about 30 minutes (or 15 minutes minimum).
- After 30 minutes, drain all the water and use many paper towels to completely dry the potatoes.
- Put the potatoes in an oven tray sprayed with non-stick cooking oil, then add the olive oil, Italian herb seasoning, thyme, salt, coriander and pepper. Stir the potatoes until all the oil and spices coats it evenly.
- Bake the potatoes in the oven for about 45 minutes, be sure to take it out every 15 minutes or so to stir around so the bottom doesn’t burn.
- Roasted Veggies: Chop the green beans in half, put it in a 9×13 inch oven tray. Chop the onion in thin rings. Remove the shiitake mushroom stems and chop that into thin, small pieces. Combine the three veggies together in the oven tray.
- In a high speed blender, add the tomato, pomegranate juice, cashews, olive oil, tomato paste, red wine, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper and ginger powder. Blend on full speed until it becomes thick and smooth.
- Drizzle the sauce over the beans, onion and mushrooms, stir until everything is mixed evenly.
- Bake in the oven for about 27-28 minutes, then take it out and allow it to cool.
- Roasted Garlic: Peel the garlic clove and put it in the center of a small piece of aluminum foil. Add the teaspoon of extra light olive oil and pinch of salt, stir around and wrap the foil up.
- Put it in the oven and bake it for about 27-28 minutes until the garlic cloves have browned outside.
- Once the garlic is done, add the garlic into the roasted veggies, and allow it to cool.
- Salad: Add the peas in a small saucepan of water enough to cover the peas, cook it on high heat for about 6-8 minutes until the water starts bubbling. Taste the peas and if they’re soft, immediately drain out the water and set the peas aside.
- In a large (I mean, large) bowl, add the packet of spring mix of green leaves, then add the pomegranate seeds in. Chop the strawberries into small pieces and add that in too, then chop a small handful of roasted almonds in halves or thirds.
- Once the peas are done, drained and cooled, add that in the large bowl.
- By this time, the roasted veggies and garlic should also be ready, add that in too. If the potatoes are ready, add those in.
- Finally, chop the avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop out the flesh, then dice it into small pieces and add it in.
- Dressing: In a tiny bowl, combine the coconut oil, pomegranate juice, lemon juice, coconut sugar, oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir very well.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad, and if balsamic glaze is in its own bottle, drizzle that over the salad.
