Image by F. Becker Hospitality December 29, 2024
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The formula for a perfect mindless meal? Greens plus grains plus flavor, a sentiment that chef Franklin Becker took to heart when he created this Greens & Grains Salad for The Botanist at the new Manhattanville Market in Harlem, New York. Tossed with a vegan, nut-free pesto, it’ll pack tons of micronutrients into your lunch hour (or dinner, or whenever).
The greens in question go beyond just kale (though there are two varieties of this leafy green in the mix) to include zucchini ribbons, which add another texture and some extra nutrients 1 like manganese and vitamins A and C. For grains , it’s a mix of quinoa (one of our go-to’s!) and puffed kamut. Whole grains like these are higher in fiber and phytochemicals and may actually help support healthy blood sugar more effectively 2 .
The dressing, if you want to call it that, is a pesto made with sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts and nutritional yeast instead of cheese, so it’s nut-free and vegan . If you’re a meal-prep fan, this recipe yields a whole batch of pesto—just scale the ingredients for the salad appropriately so you can have everything set for a ready-to-go lunch. Greens & Grains Salad
Makes 1 serving Ingredients
60 grams sunflower seed pesto (recipe below)
100 grams cooked quinoa (red or white or mixed)
50 grams toasted pumpkin seed 10 grams puffed kamut (Whole Foods) 30 grams white rice flakes (Asian food market) 60 grams zucchini ribbons 8 grams marigold 60 grams Portuguese kale 90 grams lacinato kale (Tuscan black kale) 10 grams virgin olive oil 6 grams lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste Method> To make the quinoa: In a saucepan place quinoa, add 1 teaspoon of salt, cover quinoa with an excess of ½ inch water. Place on a medium flame and cook until the quinoa absorbs the water. Fluff with a fork. Cool on […]
This Vegan Greens & Grains Pesto Salad Combines Our Favorite Superfood Groups
