This salad is my clean-eating, detoxifying secret weapon. I invented it one Sunday after coming home from the farmer’s market with a big head of purple cabbage, and since I was on the tail end of a rather indulgent weekend, decided to just shred it up and make a healthy slaw with the ingredients I had lying around. Not only was it way more delicious than I’d imagined (thanks orange-tahini dressing!), it magically got even better in the days following, and I ended up scarfing down a bowl of clean and bursting-with-nutrients salad every day that week.
Now, whenever I’m in need of a little detox, I make a huge bowl of this and pop it in the fridge so it’s ready to go whenever hunger strikes. Keep reading for the recipe…
This is one of those salads where the whole is so much greater than the sum of its parts. Made mostly with ingredients I always have on hand (cherry tomatoes, carrots, random leafy herbs in the fridge), it’s got that crunchy creamy combo going on that I love, and eating a big bowl of it actually makes me feel instantly healthier. Seriously.
Since it can sit in the fridge for a few days completely dressed, it’s ready to go for snacking and as an accompaniment to a bowl of soup or piece of salmon. When I need to make it more of a meal on its own, I top with half a sliced avocado and extra sunflower seeds — a soft-boiled egg would be delish, too.
Did you know that cabbage can be massaged, just like kale or other hearty greens? This is a little trick that totally transforms the cabbage in this salad from scratchy to downright tender. Just drizzle the shredded cabbage with a little dressing and a pinch of salt, then get in there with your hands and really work it until it starts to get soft, about a minute. (If you’d like a demo, watch me massage kale right here.)
By the way, this salad would be the prettiest addition to spring barbecues — and since I’m a believer in the “detox to retox” philosophy, I’ll take mine with a burger and glass of rosé, please.
Sunshine Detox Salad
Serves 4
This Sunshine Salad Will Kickstart Your Detox
Ingredients
- 1 head purple cabbage
- 3 carrots
- handful of cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup mixed herbs: I like cilantro, parsley, basil, and mint, but feel free to use whatever you've got lying around.
- 1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds
- avocado (optional)
*for the tahini-orange vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 teaspoons hot water
- juice of 1 orange
- 1 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- squeeze of sriracha
- kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the dressing: combine everything in a jar and shake!
- Cut the purple cabbage into quarters and core. Shred into very thin ribbons -- I use either a mandoline or a food processor to make my life easier. Add shredded cabbage to a large bowl and drizzle with a little of the vinaigrette and a sprinkle of salt. Use hands to massage cabbage for about a minute to help it soften.
- Cut carrots into very thin coins, or shave on a mandoline, and add to the bowl.
- Halve cherry tomatoes and add to the bowl.
- Roughly chop the herbs, then add them to the bowl with sunflower seeds, a big drizzle of dressing, and a pinch of salt.
- Toss it all together, and top with avocado if you want to make it more substantial. Eat and feel clean!
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Yum! You’ve inspired me to hit the farmer’s market this weekend and add a new recipe to the weekly line-up. This looks delish!
Another great salad to add to my repertoire. I can’t tell you how often we make the Superfood Salmon Salad, but it’s a regular in our meal rotation. Your dressings are the best!
Made this today and it’s delicious! I love the nutty taste of the dressing. How long would you say the salad keeps in the fridge (without the dressing)? Thanks for sharing this!