Spinach Salad with Carrot & Ginger Dressing

Vibrant and colourful salads are my thing! 

Lets chat about fiber, fiber is a type of carbohydrate that your body can’t digest. So, instead of being broken down into sugar like other carbohydrates, it passes through your body.

Its essential that we get enough fiber into our bodies but the reality is we are not getting enough. One easy way to get more fiber into your body is to add more (lots more) vegetables to your daily eating routine. 

I have recently read an amazing book all about how our bodies metabolise sugars (glucose). In the book Glucose Revolution, author and scientist, Jessie Inchauspé writes about how glucose (sugar) is our body’s main source of energy and that we get most of our glucose from the food we eat.

The concentration of glucose in our bodies can fluctuate throughout the day, but its the sharp increases, called glucose spikes, that we really want to avoid as these spikes effect everything from our mood, sleep, weight, hormones, skin and also our immune system.

By adding fiber to the start of any meal you are essentially creating a ‘mesh’ in our intestines which slows down and reduces the absorption of food molecules including calories and reduces any glucose spikes we might have. SO FIBER is good! 

What really works for me is adding (in addition) a green starter before my main meal. 

The beauty of the salad is, it takes 15 minutes to make and you can make it ahead to eat another portion later in the day, just layer the dressing first with the ingredients on top without mixing the salad.

The absolute magic here is the DRESSING made with raw carrots, miso & ginger, it’s such a versatile dressing to have.

Equipment: 

• A mandolin will really make your life easy here, there are some good ones on the market, Mandolin .
• To make a smooth dressing you will need a high-speed blender here, like a Nutribullet. 

Make Ahead: 

• The dressing can be made ahead and will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.
• The individual chopped salad ingredients can be made ahead although I prefer my salads freshly chopped.

Notes: 

• Please feel free to add and adjust any veggie ingredients to what you have in your fridge. 
• You can also add more ginger to the dressing for an extra ginger kick. 
• A small amount of fresh turmeric will also be fabulous but remember turmeric stains (badly) and might stain your blender.
  

  Spinach Salad with Carrot & Ginger Dressing

  Quick & Easy Vibrant salad that not only looks great but is really good for you too. I love the addition of the raw carrot and ginger dressing!

  Print Recipe Pin Recipe

  Prep Time 15 minutes mins

  Diet Fibre Rich Starter, Gluten-free, High Plant-protein, High-fibre, Vegan

  Servings 2

  Calories 379 kcal

  Equipment

  • NutriBullet High Speed Blender
  • Mandolin Not essential but incredibly handy, I have a Japanese blade mandolin but a less expensive one will absolutely do the trick.

  Ingredients

    

  1x2x3x

  • 4 cups baby spinach
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 3 spring onions roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup feta
  • 4 artichoke quarters roughly chopped
  • 1 fennel bulb thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup red cabbage thinly sliced
  • 1 Lebanese cucumber roughly chopped

  Dressing

  • 100 g carrots sliced
  • 80 g cold water
  • 2 tablespoons white or brown miso
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
  • Salt & pepper

  Instructions

   

  • To make the dressing add the ingredients to a high speed blender - blend until smooth, adjust the thickness by adding more water if the sauce feels to thick for you. Taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
  • To serve, add the dressing to a bowl, top with the salad ingredients, mix well and enjoy.
  • Note: if you are going to enjoy the salad in two servings, only mix what you are having, place the dressing and salad separately back in the fridge to enjoy later.

  Notes

  Equipment: 

  • A mandolin will really make your life easy here, there are some good ones on the market, I like this Mandolin .
  • To make a smooth dressing you will need a high-speed blender here, like a Nutribullet. 

  Notes: 

  • Please feel free to add and adjust any veggie ingredients to what you have in your fridge. 
  • You can also add more ginger to the dressing for an extra ginger kick. 
  • A small amount of fresh turmeric will also be fabulous but remember turmeric stains (badly) and might stain your blender. 

  Make Ahead: 

  • The dressing can be made ahead and will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days. 
  • The individual chopped salad ingredients can be made ahead although I prefer my salads freshly chopped. 

  Nutrition

  Calories: 379kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 7gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 336mgPotassium: 1020mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 14908IUVitamin C: 59mgCalcium: 226mgIron: 3mg

  Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was by tagging @adreskitchen on Instagram!