Power Salad with Lemon Chia Seed Dressing
Updated March 26, 2019
Power Salad with Lemon Chia Seed Dressing-this salad is vegan, gluten-free, and packed with healthy ingredients! It is great for lunch or dinner!
If I am lucky, I can get both boys down for a nap during lunch time. I usually have two hours to get things done. These are my power hours…and I am not talking about a power nap. Somedays I am tempted, but I always have too much to get done and I am not a good napper anyways.
During nap time, I run around like a mad lady cleaning, doing laundry, and catching up on blog work. My first priority is always lunch though. I am still nursing Maxwell and I am always hungry! Lunch time never comes soon enough! My current favorite lunch is this Power Salad with Lemon Chia Seed Dressing. It is packed with healthy ingredients and hits the spot every time!
I need all the help I can get in the energy department these days. My boys are exhausting:) This salad is the perfect energy booster! It is loaded with power foods! I start with a bed of spinach and add all of my favorites: roasted sweet potatoes, quinoa, almonds, apples, chickpeas, avocado, and red cabbage. I drizzle a simple Lemon Chia Dressing over the top for flavor and more power! I love chia seeds!
I love everything about this salad! The textures, flavors, and colors are amazing! Plus, it is easy to make. I like to roast a big pan of sweet potatoes and make a big pot of quinoa on Sunday so I can put together my salad in no time during the week. If you have other veggies or fruits you need to use up, feel free to invite them to the salad party! The more the merrier!
If you are looking for a healthy salad for the new year, try my Power Salad with Lemon Chia Seed Dressing. It will give you super powers! I might just turn into the Hulk or Iron Man one day! Caleb would love that:)
Power Salad with Lemon Chia Seed Dressing
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 4 cups packed spinach
- 1 large sweet potato peeled, chopped, and roasted
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 1 large Gala or Fuji apple diced
- 1 cup chopped red cabbage
- 1 large avocado sliced
For the Lemon Chia Seed Dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons golden or white balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey or agave nectar use agave for vegan
- 2 teaspoons chia seeds
- Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine spinach, roasted sweet potatoes, quinoa, chickpeas, almonds, apples, red cabbage, and avocado.
- For the dressing, combine olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, honey or agave, and chia seeds in a small bowl or jar. Whisk until well combined. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Drizzle the dressing on the salad and toss well to coat. Serve!
- Note-to roast the sweet potatoes, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place chopped sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet, drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Roast until tender, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. I like to make the sweet potatoes and quinoa ahead of time so the salad is easy to put together during the week. This salad is very adaptable! Feel free to add your favorite veggies and fruits to the mix!
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