Whenever I tell someone that I love healthy food, the first thing that they inevitably ask me is, do I eat veggies only. And my answer to that is, "NO" like a BIG NO. Healthy food does not always need to signify a big bowl full of veggies!! Everything and anything can be made healthy by choosing the right stuff in the right proportions and same implies to salads as well, they do not always need to be bland and simple. For me personally a salad is considered to be good only if, it has the right substantial blend of flavours, textures, and a really good dressing.
Though I love eating greens, let’s call a spade a spade, it can get quite boring at times if we don't spice them up a bit. Do you agree with me ?
So lets jump to my take on my favourite salad. I kind of mixed the Mediterrenian and Greek styles together to make a nutritious healthy bowl of goodness which taste incredible !!
Here's some nutritional facts: This salad has a whole wheat rotini pasta which is full of fibre and protein and can provide you with your daily dose of carbs, feta cheese used has a high nutritional value and protein content and is amongst the healthiest cheese available in the market with good fats, chickpeas make for a good source of protein, all other vegetables used make for good source of vitamins, minerals and water. Olive oil used in dressing consists of a ton of good fats!!
To make it vegan, just skip the feta cheese and to make it gluten free, you can use gluten free pasta available in the market!!
Recipe:
For Salad
In a large mixing bowl take 1 cup of cooked whole wheat rotini pasta, 1 cup of cooked chick peas, 1/2 cup of halved cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup of cucumbers diced, 1/4 cup of sauted tiny broccoli pieces, 1/2 cup of diced mixed coloured green peppers, 1/4 cup of feta cheese, 2 tbsp of chopped parsley, 1/4 cup of sliced black pitted olives, 3 to 4 basil leaves and 1 tbsp of roasted pine nuts which is optional if you prefer having something crunchy in your salad.
Toss everything together.
Salad dressing (Lemon Balsamic vinaigrette)
This dressing is quite easy to make it’s a zesty mix of olive oil, lemon, garlic, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, italian herbs & seasonings.
Using a mortar pestel, Smash 3 garlic cloves, add in 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp red chilli glakes, 1 tsp crushed black pepper, 1 tsp Italian seasoning and sea salt to taste.
Mix everything properly and your tangy and tasty home made salad dressing is ready.
Finally pour the salad dressing and toss it well to coat the cold pasta salad. Season further as per your taste requirements. You can make it in advance and store it in refrigerator for 2 good days which is the best part of this salad for me hehe.
Hope you guys have a wonderful day ahead!! Buhh Byee!!