I got the idea for a big salad from Ted’s Montana Grill. They have a Big Sky Grilled entree salad that I get. I get the bison or beef burger on my salads. However, I completely modify the other ingredients. I basically build my own salad with romaine, onion, and avocado. I also take my own dressing with me. So, my husband and I decided to start building our own giant salads at home. We use serving size bowls to make these.
Feel free to experiment with my ingredients listed below and add or subtract items to your liking. The two key ingredients for me that make this salad great are the beet noodles and my salad dressing recipe. Click on those links for the details for how I make them. In case you are thinking, “Ew gross, beets!” I can tell you that a great friend of mine didn’t like or eat beets at all prior to trying them like this in a salad. I took her some organic beet noodles to try on her salad. I’m happy to report she LOVED it and plans to definitely have them again. The raw apple cider vinegar based dressing and the beets as well as the other ingredients pair very well. In my opinion, the beets don’t have a very earthy flavor once they are all mixed into the salad. Beet noodles are seriously my new favorite salad ingredient and a must in my salads at home. Beets are also packed with vitamins and minerals. Have you seen all the beet supplements on the market now both liquid and powder? Wouldn’t you rather eat your nutrition when possible?
For the dressing, I’ve tried some other pumpkin seed oil brands. The one in my photo below is still the best one I’ve tasted, and I recommend it for the salad dressing. If you don’t have a Whole Foods where you can buy it, I’ve found it online here and here. The Plum Market is the best price I’ve seen in the aforementioned links. This is currently not available on Amazon or Walmart.com (where it used to be sold). I haven’t seen it at Sprouts or Earthfare. I’m not sure if it is sold at other grocery stores.
In case you are wondering why this recipe doesn’t have mixed greens as the salad base, simply put, I just don’t like them. I literally feel like I’m eating grass. LOL! Yes, I sound like I’m three years old. Even though I eat incredibly healthy, some things I just can’t do. Mixed greens are one of them. Feel free to try the salad with that base. On occasion my husband uses organic mixed greens for his. Organic mixed greens are a very healthy addition to any salad.
My favorite protein to add is grass fed ground beef or a grass fed burger. I’m unable to eat chicken right now, but that’s my husband’s protein of choice in his salads. He uses slow cooked chicken on his.
By the way, this can all be prepped ahead of time and taken to work or for a picnic lunch anywhere, especially if you use boiled pasture raised eggs as your protein. You don’t even need an oven or microwave. I hope you’ll give this a try and that you enjoy it as much as I do!!
- - Approximately ½ cup organic beet noodles (see the link to my recipe for how to make them in the text above)
- -Approximately ¼ cup chopped sweet Vidalia onion or other onion variety (I'm an onion lover, so tone down the onion if you need to do so for your taste.)
- -1/4 cup organic, raw sprouted pumpkin seeds (I prefer Go Raw seeds.)
- -Approximately 1 large bunch of organic romaine lettuce or approximately 2 and ½ cups chopped (substitute organic mixed greens or organic spinach if you prefer)
- -3/4 to 1 cup of your choice of protein (grass fed beef, organic chicken, organic turkey, pastured pork, pastured bacon)
- - One small to medium chopped avocado
- - Boiled and chopped organic pasture raised eggs (optional)
- -Pumpkin seed oil dressing (see my recipe in the link provided in the text above)
- Rinse the organic romaine lettuce with filtered water.
- Then, place leaves in a large stainless steel bowl or glass bowl. Fill with filtered water.
- Leave for approximately 5-10 minutes. Then, repeat the process to wash the leaves 2 more times to remove all dirt, bugs, etc.
- Gently squeeze out the excess water with a towel.
- Using a spiralizer, make the beet noodles. See my recipe in the link in the text above for how to make them. Store any leftover noodles in the fridge in glass Tupperware.
- Wash, peel, and chop your onion.
- Place the lettuce, onion, beet noodles, pumpkin seeds and avocado in a large serving bowl.
- Warm your protein in the oven or microwave (unless you prefer it cold) and add.
- Add pasture raised eggs (optional ingredient) if desired. That can be your only protein or an additional one.
- Prepare your dressing and add. See the link to my recipe in the above text.
- Chop the salad with a sharp knife and mix all the ingredients and dressing together.
- Dig in and enjoy!!
