Lunch Meal Prep- Loaded Salad
A salad loaded with plant-based protein
Peace & Love everyone,
Today, I’m excited to share one of my most popular salad recipes.
It’s packed with a mix of textures, flavors, and plant-based complete proteins.
To really take this salad to the next level and get the full experience, I highly recommend making homemade croutons and toasted sunflower seeds as toppings.
The main sources of plant-based protein in this hearty salad recipe are:
Quinoa -8g/ 1 cup
Chickpeas - 15g/ 1 cup
Hemp seeds - 10g/ 3 tbsp
Additional toppings: sunflower seeds + sprouted homemade croutons
Not to mention, some of these plant-based proteins are complete proteins.
A complete protein is a food that contains all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own. These amino acids are vital for various bodily functions, including muscle repair, immune system support, and enzyme production.
Quinoa and Hemp seeds are a complete plant-based protein.
Adding sweet potatoes was a new twist to this recipe, and did you know that sweet potatoes also provide protein? Just 1/2 cup of cooked sweet potato contains 3 grams of protein!
It may not seem like much, but when you consider the plant-based ingredients listed above that are added to this salad, the protein content adds up quickly!
This recipe can be found in the 30-Day Plant-based Challenge guide on pg.19 “Spinach & Arugula Fixin Salad” recipe.
And in the Wholesome Plant-based digital Cookbook on pg. 47
Let’s assemble the salad!
I’ll also share a delicious salad dressing recipe to pair perfectly with it below.
Step 1: Cook quinoa and cut sweet potatoes into bit size pieces. Bake sweet potatoes if you are adding sweet potatoes.
Step 2: Drain and rinse canned chickpeas.
Step 3: Start by soaking and rinsing the mixed greens, cucumber, and any other ingredients for the salad. In this version, I used a mixed greens and herb mix, but I highly recommend using a combination of spinach and arugula, as in the original recipe.
Step 4: Chop veggies for salad.
Step 5: Once quinoa and sweet potatoes have cooled, time to assemble salad.
Step 6: Start by adding the mixed greens to the meal prep containers, then add cooked cooled quinoa.
Step 7: Top the salad with your veggies. In this version, I’ve added chopped cucumber and fire-roasted peppers.
Step 8: Then top the salad with chickpeas, hemp seeds, avocados, and olives. This is one option. Be sure to squeeze some lime over the avocado to prevent it from browning.
Second option: Add sweet potatoes instead of olives.
Step 9: Prepare salad dressing to add to the side of the salad.
Step 10: Once the salad dressings are prepared, store them in 2oz or 5.5oz containers with lids. Keep the salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 days to maintain freshness.
Alright, let me share this amazing salad dressing recipe that pairs perfectly with the salad—it's light, refreshing, and adds just the right touch!
Plus, the turmeric in it has anti-inflammatory properties and is great for boosting your immune system.
You can also use any vinaigrette or salad dressing you would like for this meal prep.
Add toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds to this recipe, along with homemade croutons made from sprouted Ezekiel bread, for an extra boost of protein and fiber.