Liven up your salad this week with this sensational Spring Veggies ‘n’ Greens Bowl With Strawberry Pecan Dressing! With a rainbow of colors from nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits and leafy greens, this salad is packed with benefits. For the dressing, we used one of our favorite flavors of Lifeway kefir for a creamy dressing with the benefits of probiotics + protein so your gut stays happy and your hunger is satiated. Give your body the good stuff with this recipe, then grab your forks and dig in!
The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:
Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for better gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health. Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, and even help support healthier blood sugar levels and improve levels of satiety due to how it triggers the release of GLP-1 since it is an excellent source of protein and high in bioavailable nutrition.
Lifeway Kefir contains a variety of nutrients that are vital for healthy bones and overall health: vitamin D3, K, calcium, and vitamin B12. Lifeway also offers our artisan-made Farmer Cheese, a creamy cultured cheese made with live and active cultures to support a healthy microbiome that is also an excellent source of complete protein.
Ingredients
For the Veggies:
- 1/2 cup each of fresh beets and carrots (*all washed and chopped into 1-inch pieces)
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- pinch of sea salt or pink salt
- juice of 1 lemon
For the Greens:
- 2 cups fresh arugula
- 2 cups romaine, washed and chopped
For the Dressing:
- 1 cup Organic Whole Milk Plain Kefir
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
- freshly cracked black pepper
Toppings:
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
- 4 tbsp. raw pecans (or 2 tbsp. raw pecans and 2 tbsp. raw walnuts (or seeds of choice- sunflower or pumpkin seeds)
- more pepper or salt if desired
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet or roasting pan with parchment paper.
- Add all the washed and chopped veggies into a large bowl and toss with olive oil, lemon juice, and sea salt.
- Spread the mixture onto the prepared pan and roast for 20-25 minutes in the oven until the tops of the veggies are caramelized and you can insert a fork in them easily.
- While your veggies are cooking, prepare the greens by washing and drying them. Divide amongst 2 bowls and set aside. Then mix up all the dressing ingredients in a blender. Reserve and set aside.
- Once the veggies are done roasting, remove from the oven, and divide them amongst the bowls of greens. Then add 1/2 of the roasted mixed veggies on top of each bowl and top with the dressing. Add 1/2 cup strawberries on top of each bowl and suggested nuts/seeds of choice.
