Today’s recipe is a fall favorite: Detox Salad. Arugula, kale, and beets are naturally detoxifying to the liver and offer phytochemicals to help nourish from within. These vitamin and fiber-rich vegetables combine with immune-supporting onion, zucchini, and butternut squash to create a hearty, gut-friendly salad recipe with a creamy, probiotic dressing made with Lifeway kefir.
Cultured Dairy: The Nutrition Benefits You Actually Need to Know
With increasing research linking the correlation between probiotics, gut health, and immunity, it’s no secret that the integrity of our gut is vital to our health. Although additional factors such as stress, antibiotic usage, and individual health conditions can contribute to the condition of our gut, a focus on healthy food choices is one of the easiest ways to support the microbiome.
Several studies have shown a strong association between the gut-brain-microbiota. Probiotics introduced to the gut have been found to support immunity, improve allergies, and improve digestion.
Studies have shown that reduced diversity of healthy gut bacteria during early years is associated with an increase in food allergies during school-age years. In addition, kefir made from whole-fat milk helps absorb key nutrients such as Vitamins A, D, E, and K. Vitamin K is important because it helps your bones absorb calcium. It’s important to know that kefir contains a special trio: vitamin D, K, and calcium – all three crucial elements to support bone health. Our Farmer Cheese is also a great source of all these nutrients, just in a different format for all the cheese lovers out there.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh arugula
- 2 cups shredded kale, de-stemmed
- 1 beet, sliced into cubes
- 1 cup butternut squash cubes
- 1/4 cup onion, sliced into cubes
- 1 zucchini, sliced and cut into cubes
- Dressing:
- 3/4 cup Plain Lowfat Kefir
- 1 tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
- 1/8 tsp. raw Himalayan sea salt
- 1/2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
- 1/8 cup sunflower seeds, raw carrot shreds
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a pan with parchment paper. Add the beet cut into cubes, the butternut squash cubes, onion pieces, and the zucchini cubes onto the pan and dry-roast for 30 minutes until caramelized and cooked.
- Meanwhile, add the raw kale and arugula to 2 serving bowls, divided evenly amongst each. Blend up the dressing ingredients in a small blender or food processor, and then toss with the kale and arugula to soften and let the salad "set up".
- Once veggies are done roasting, add them on top of the greens in each bowl, and top with fresh carrot shreds and sunflower seeds. Enjoy!
