Everyone knows that a salad is a healthy meal or side dish, and we all wish we could eat more of them without getting bored. I love eating salads, but with the standard combo of lettuce, tomato, etc., it can definitely become a chore to eat salads day after day.
This is why I always try to make them more interesting, like this hot and cold salad. It’s chock full of seasoning veggies, but half are roasted to caramelized perfection and then added to a bed of greens with more crunchy veggies like cucumbers. It’s got enough variety when it comes to texture and flavor that it makes it almost too easy to get your veggies in.
For the hot, I chose celery, radishes, and asparagus. These are hearty enough to withstand a high-heat oven and are all delicious on their own. For the cold, I chose tender baby spinach, sweet cherry tomatoes, and crunchy cucumbers. There’s a lot of contrast going on here, and it is the good kind. Some sunflower seeds for a bit of nutty crunch, and a simple blend of Ava Jane’s Kitchen Avocado Oil and lemon round this out beautifully. It’s the perfect way to launch your way into summer.
Ingredients
- 6 asparagus spears chopped
- 3 stalks celery cut into bite sized pieces
- 6 radishes halved
- 2 teaspoons Ava Jane’s Kitchen Citrus Salt and Pepper seasoning
- 3 tablespoons Ava Jane’s Kitchen Avocado Oil divided
- 10 ounces baby spinach
- 10 cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 cucumber sliced
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Toss the asparagus, celery, and radishes with the seasoning and 1 tablespoon oil. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet.
- Roast for 10-15 minutes, stir and continue roasting for another 10-15 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.
- Put the remaining vegetables and sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Drizzle with the remaining oil and lemon juice.
- Remove the vegetables from the oven and add to the cold veggies. Toss to coat.
- Serve immediately.