simple make ahead detox salad

There is so much hype over the word detox. Even as you read the post you’re either cringing or doing a small happy dance hoping to find that one secret thing that will work. I’m assuming since you clicked on the word detox, you’re all for it and possibly already drooling over this delicious and colorful make ahead detox salad.

You may be surprised to hear that I am so for detoxing our body.

I’m not talking a starve, deprive and only drink maple syrup and cayenne pepper kind of way. Or even the just drink your calories from a processed tub of powder assuring you that weight loss is on the other side of choking down that thick paste of “chocolate” shake, which by the way you don’t even like.

Does this give you shivers too?

I’m talking about detoxing in a real, wholesome, nutritious kind of way that fills ups every cell in your body providing the essentials for natural detoxification.

The process your body is supposed to be completing every single day of our lives, if only it has the right environment.

While I would love to get on my soap box and tell you all about the benefits of a natural, 100% food and lifestyle based cleanse, I’ll leave that for another time. Or you can read more about it here; 9 Signs Your Toxic, 7 Truths about a Detox Diet, Why You Shouldn’t Detox Your Body.

For now we’re going to stick to the reason you came, this make-ahead detox salad.

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the simple detox guide

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the detox benefits

The cool thing about detox salad, soups and sides is that they are just full of foods that naturally allow the body to detoxify. They provide the essential nutrients to help your liver process those toxins and package them. Ultimately giving you the energy to fully excrete the toxins via your detoxification pathways.

Bottom line is, it is always important to support this process. We are constantly being bombarded with toxic chemicals on a daily basis. These toxins come from; our food, water supply, household cleaners, beauty products, work environment, air quality, medications, to name a few.

I know it is disturbing but information that we must know..

The cool thing is we can support, enhance and revitalize our body so we don’t have to worry about such things.

the detox ingredients

This easy make-ahead salad {insert all the praise hand emojis} is loaded full of detoxifying foods. Let me break a couple down to take note:

Grapefruit – The nutrient content of a grapefruit allows it to have great cleansing powers. It does this through its anti-inflammatory, immune boost and skin brightening vitamins and minerals.
Pistachios – This ingredient provides a great amount of healthy vegan protein and healthy fat. Pistachios helps to sustain and provide satiety to your body. Not to mention they improve digestion allowing your body to absorb more nutrients.
Chickpeas – Protein is a critical component in detoxification pathway. It provides support and structure to our cells and organs used to detoxify. However, animal proteins can be very difficult to breakdown. While animal products contain a great amount of nutrients themselves, sometimes it is beneficial to give your body a break and focus on vegan protein sources. One great option is the chickpea. High in protein and fiber making it a powerhouse to provide exactly what you need.
Cilantro – This fresh herb is one of the greatest detoxifying foods we have at hand. Cilantro can help the body to detoxify heavy metals and lower blood sugar levels. It also helps protect and prevent things like cardiovascular disease, cancer, and UTI infections.
Mung Beans – I wrote an entire post on the benefits of mung beans you can read here. Essentially it is one of the most healing foods in the legume family, one that is not readily used but should become a staple in your diet. It is especially beneficial in regulating your hormonal flow.

From the salad to the dressing, this make ahead detox salad is loaded with detoxifying, nutrient dense foods that can heal, rejuvenate and energize your body. Plus it is so simple and you can make ahead and pull out for a quick and easy meal all week long.

What can get better than that?

the all star

I suppose the only way to make it better is to add the healing bone broth to the mixture. You can assume that bone broth {we’re talking the real deal} can only go good with soups, BUTTTTT let me change your mind for just a minute.

While this salad is most likely going to be eaten cold, it doesn’t mean you can’t get that added boost from bone broth.

What do I mean?

Well here’s a little trick I’ve learned to make mung beans, rice, and quinoa all taste a little bit better… cook them in bone broth. Let them soak in all the nutrients and flavor increasing the nutritional value of all of those foods. I may also sneak it into salad dressings, but that is a different story.

Now don’t get me wrong, if you’re looking for the vegan option, feel free to stick with water in the cooking process, but if you’re not opposed then may I suggest you try at least partial bone broth as the cooking liquid?

The value of bone broth is next to none. In fact, one could argue that bone broth {collagen} only from grass-fed animals is one of the greatest sources of vital nutrients, minerals and amino acids our body needs to detoxify, regulate, heal and digest.

I’ll tell you again, it contains ESSENTIAL nutrients so many of us are missing.

Truth be told, I’ve recently learned through blood work that my body is at a critical state, on the fence you could say. One of the things it needs to push it to health is more easily digestible protein, amino acids, vitamin B12 and minerals.

The one thing that has all of those is….

drumroll….

Bone Broth!

keep it simple

While I would love to tell you I have a freezer full of mason jars stocked with homemade bone broth, I’d be lying. I know I dream about being a homesteader, to me there are just some things that are easier for me to purchase, one being 100% grass-fed bone broth.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good homemade bone broth, but I’ve struggled with getting the perfect flavor.

And I’m partial to chicken bone broth. Which healthy chicken bones are hard to come by around here.

So if you’re like me and just need a good source you can buy and get shipped right to your door step, I would highly recommend my friends at Fire and Kettle. They just came out with a 100% grass fed, organic chicken broth and I’m swooning over it.

In fact, I’m craving it!

Make sure you check them out now {they have 20% off chicken broth happening now} and order some here to try.

If you’re into making it, then keep making it and find all the ways to use it. I promise your body will thank you and your skin, nails and hair will never be more beautiful.

the detox salad

So here’s my final thoughts. We MUST find ways to enhance detoxification in our body. It really is as simple as providing the right detoxifying foods like this salad.

The better news is this salad can be made ahead and eaten all week long.

It’s as easy as roasting some chickpeas and radishes, making the creamy green dressing, slow cooking mung beans in broth and chopping all the ingredients together.

Dump, pour, store, eat.

On the other side of eating is energy, health, vibrancy, satiety and so much more!

Here’s to powering up with this detox salad.

take it a step further

If you want to take your health a step further and really get a handle on this idea of detoxing. Make sure you download my FREE detox guide below that will give you all the tips, tricks and hacks you need to take your body to a new level.

TO LOSE WEIGHT, GAIN ENERGY, FEEL MORE ALIVE, EXPERIENCE HAPPINESS, JOY AND SATISFACTION. ALL WITHOUT GOING ON ANOTHER DIET, STARVING YOURSELF AND DRINKING YET ANOTHER DISGUSTING AND HIGHLY PROCESSED PROTEIN DRINK.

This isn’t just the quick fix, this is the final fix and I want you to look no further.

Make-Ahead Detox Salad

PREP TIME

20 MINS

COOK TIME

20 MINS

TOTAL TIME

40 MINS

Author: Alexa Schirm

Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS

1 cup mung beans
3 cups bone broth {water}
1 cup purple cabbage, chopped
1 {15 oz} can chickpeas
1 {8 oz} packaged sliced mushrooms
1 cup radishes
½ cup pistachios, shelled
1 avocado
1 cup fresh cilantro
1 yellow bell pepper
1 {15 oz} jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 bunch green onions
1 grapefruit
2 oz goat cheese {optional}, crumbled
DRESSING
1 avocado
1 cup packed cilantro leaves
2 garlic cloves
juice of one lime
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup pistachios
½ cup bone broth {water}
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons coconut aminos {soy sauce}
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast {optional}

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook mung beans in 3 cups bone broth {or water}. To do so put both in small saucepan over low-medium heat, bring to a boil. Once boiling turn to a simmer, cover and let cook 20 minutes or until mung beans have absorbed liquid and have softened. Remove from heat and let cool.
Roast chickpeas using this recipe.
On the same pan add sliced mushrooms and sliced radishes. Roast along with chickpeas until tender.
To make dressing place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Add more broth or olive oil until desired consistency.
Meanwhile, chop cabbage, cilantro, yellow bell pepper, artichoke hearts and green onions.
Toss in a bowl.
Top with roasted chickpeas, mushrooms, radishes, pistachios and toss again.
Top with sliced avocado, peeled and sliced grapefruit, goat cheese crumbles {optional} and drizzle with dressing.
Toss and enjoy.
To store, keep dressing off and add the day of eating.

Food Challenge

simple make ahead detox salad