My New Favorite Salad Base

I’m 50. FIFTY YEARS OLD! That brings along some fantastic things (don’t give a shit no more) and some challenges (hello menopause!). A friend of mine recommended following Dr. Mary Claire Haver who is an OBGYN and peri/menopause guru. In one of her IG stories, she mentioned a salad mix she makes which has nutritional benefits to help a peri/meno gal out. And it wasn’t just lettuce!….which I like but am not a huge fan of as I prefer salads that are just a bunch of veggies thrown together. So sign me up! This salad base might be a slight riff of what she does but it’s close. It’s incredibly versatile so I haven’t gotten bored with it even though I’ve been eating it pretty regularly for weeks. And it comes together quicker than a hot flash. Some ideas of how to use it are below the recipe. Please note I’ve been primarily vegan before dinner to help with cholesterol (it helped lower mine 40 points WOOT) so feel free to change the protein for yours or add some cheese. Paired with a playlist of what else…..all the symptoms of perimenopause/menopause!

New Favorite Salad Mix
Makes 3 Cups

1/2 bunch of broccoli, rough stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2 bunch of kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
4 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
Whatever herbs you got….I had mint, parsley, and basil

  • Get out your food processor and a large bowl
  • Process each ingredient individually (you can do the herbs and kale together) and place in a large bowl….i.e. process broccoli and put in the bowl, then the sprouts, etc.
  • Once everything is in the bowl, give it a good stir
  • Place the salad base in an air tight container, store in the fridge, and use in a few days
  • Take some out, put in a bowl, add other ingredients and your dressing of choice….that’s it!

Some ideas of how to use the base…

  • Southwestern: black beans, corn, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, onion, chipotle ranch dressing
  • Thai: baked tofu, snap peas, carrots, cucumber, red onion, thai peanut dressing
  • Greek: chickpeas, tomato, cucumber, red pepper, red onion, olives, greek vinaigrette
  • Caesar-ish: white beans, tomato, cucumber, roasted/boiled potatoes, onion, caesar dressing
  • Apple Walnut: white beans, apples, walnuts, dried cranberries, red onion, balsamic vinaigrette

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