Sprouts – the very concept of eating live, germinated plant sprouts gets our inner health nerd more excited than we’d like to admit. And why? Sprouts are the ultimate superfood, said to have the highest concentration of phytonutrients per calorie of any food on the planet! Rich in digestible energy, bio-available vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins and phytochemicals, their small size does not do them justice. We realize that sprouts are a bit esoteric – making it harder to find ways to fit them onto your plate – but we think this Super Sprout Salad is the best vehicle to do it. Paired with a creamy tahini dressing, the sprout’s natural bitter flavor is quickly softened, leaving it as palatable as can be!
Created by Aussie nutritionist Lola Berry, this salad is indicative of her quirky, bright and colorful personality. Lucky for us this dish is just the start of her long list of recipes that pack her newest book, The 20/20 Diet Cookbook. Flipping through its pages, you will be drawn in through its eye-pleasing photography, and hooked by its creative, and sometimes exotic, choices of ingredients. So start your culinary adventure with this Super Sprout Salad and a few notes from the author herself…
One look at the bright colors in this awesome raw salad and you know it’s good for you! Sprouts have loads of vital enzymes because they’re actually still growing when you pop them on your plate! And there are so many to choose from – I love mung bean, chickpea, adzuki bean and lentil sprouts, but use whatever you have on hand.
Super Sprout Salad with Tahini Dressing
serves 4
gluten-free, vegan, raw
Ingredients:
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 cups mixed sprouts
2 cups baby radishes, sliced
1 purple carrot, sliced*
1 orange carrot, sliced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp unhulled tahini
1/3 cup lemon juice
salt
freshly ground pepper
*Tip: If you can’t find purple carrots, just use two orange ones
Directions:
Toast the cumin seeds in a small frying pan over a medium heat for about 2 minutes, moving them around the pan so they don’t burn. When they start to give off an aroma, remove from the heat. Place the seeds in a mortar and crush them to a fine powder using a pestle.
Place the sprouts, radishes, carrots, cherry toms and herbs in a large serving bowl. In another small bowl place the garlic, olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, salt and pepper and whisk to combine.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss it with the tips of your fingers (it’s the best way!). Dust with freshly ground cumin and serve. Serve this to a mate and make their day!
