Curry Green Salad (Vegan, Grain Free Options)

My sister and I went to Pita Jungle the other day for lunch.  I think as far as chain restaurants go they have a lot of options that include a lot of vegetables which is nice to see.  I had a simple kale green salad with za’atar spiced salmon and my sister had her favorite curry chicken salad.  She mentioned that I should try to recreate the salad so that she could make it at home more often.  How can I say no to that?

I must say that I had a bite of the salad myself and absolutely loved the flavors.  It has become one of my favorites to make at home.  If you have not tried curry before it is a spice blend based on South Asian cuisine.  You will find many different blends but they are traditionally made up of coriander (cilantro seeds), cumin, turmeric, and fenugreek as the base.  Curry spices are recognized by Ayurveda holistic medicine as being beneficial to proper digestion.  Many of these spices are also well known for fighting inflammation.  All the more reason to find ways to incorporate them into your diet and this curry green salad is perfect.

In my practice I work with a variety of people and everyone has different nutritional needs.  I try to create healthy and delicious recipes that can work for any population that I coach.  This salad is a great example of how dishes can work for everyone if you know how to tweak them.  I enjoy this recipe anyway I can get it!

Grain Free||  Add roasted chicken and omit the rice or substitute for cauliflower rice.

Vegans and Vegetarians||  Keep the rice and omit the chicken but add garbanzo beans for extra protein.  The rice can be substituted for your favorite grain like barley, wheat berries, or farro (if you are not avoiding gluten).

Dairy Free||  Make sure you use a dairy free base for the dressing such as coconut yogurt or soaked cashews would work well too.

Gluten Free||  The salad works well as is with gluten free rice and roasted chicken.  The rice can be substituted for quinoa or millet.

Any way you enjoy it I promise you it is so delicious!

Print

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 2

Author Sara

Ingredients

• Curry Dressing
• 8 ounces plain coconut yogurt
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Water as needed
• Salad
• 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
• 2 ribs celery chopped
• 1/2 cup cucumber cubed
• 1/4 cup red onion peeled and sliced thin
• 1/4 cup cilantro minced
• 2 tablespoons peanuts or raw cashews
• 2 tablespoons raisins or 1/4 cup red grapes halved
• 1 cup rice cooked

Instructions

1. In a small bowl mix the dressing ingredients together adding water if too thick.
2. Assemble the salad together using the rest of the ingredients.
3. Top with the dressing right before serving.
4. Serves 2 for entrees or 4 as a side.

Recipe Notes

*choose organic ingredients when possible.