Ayurvedic Summer Salad

Ayurveda recommends warm, cooked salads. Raw salads are considered cold, rough, and hard to digest. And they are best when eaten fresh.

This salad recipes are perfect for summer cookouts and easy family dinners and are some of the best ways to use the season’s delicious greens and nuts.

Ingredients –

3-4 cups of leafy greens of your choice

Here I have used Romaine lettuce, Spinach, Purple cabbage and Cauliflower

6 Tbs. soft goat cheese

Fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup Mixed Nuts of choice

I have used cashews, almonds, cranberries, walnuts, and pistachio

4 tbsp. Lemon juice

4 tbsp.Apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. Olive oil

Method of Preparation –

Toss the greens in a wok with 1 tsp. of olive oil and mix with the dressing (lemon juice & Vinegar) and arrange on serving plate or bowl. Drop the goat cheese by tablespoons around the platter. Grind a bit of pepper on top and garnish with Nuts. If you are allergic to nuts can use seeds like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.

Ayurveda Properties of the ingredients used -

Romain lettuce pacifies Pitta and Kapha. Cabbage is a power house of nutrients. Cooked cabbage paired with vinegar and spices is manageable by most Vatas. For Pittas, who tend to have the strongest digestive fires, it is best consumed without vinegar, but ACV can be used in moderation.

Spinach is astringent in taste and is hot in potency. It pacifies Vata, Pitta and Kapha. It possesses nutrients like Antioxidant, Calcium, Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin K etc. 

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is an ancient vinegar formulation prepared with the process of fermentation of apple juice or crushed apples. It is generally sour in taste and pale or amber in color. The ayurvedic dosha of Pitta super-hot in summer and ACV is ideal for Summer as it soothes Pitta and pacifies Vata. It also aids in weight loss.

Add more cooling foods to your diet with a bitter, sweet, and astringent taste in Summer. Green vegetables, Apples, grapes, zucchini, lettuce, cucumbers, cilantro, watermelon, any other type of melon and strawberries with a sweet cooling taste are great to add to your diet. Add your choice of veggies and fruits if you like.

The spices used is pepper which enhances digestion. This salad is ideal for all the body types (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) and can be used as a perfect go-to summer meal.