I eat a lot of salad. Like, a lot a lot. I have one most days for lunch and usually a side with dinner. People will ask me, “Do you ever get sick of salad?” And you know, I really don’t. Sure, sometimes (especially when it’s this cold!) a salad just won’t cut it and I need something that’s gonna stick. But most days I find myself looking forward to my salad (call me crazy). It’s almost like the more green things you eat, the more your body craves them. They’re addicting. It’s like your body’s speaking up for itself saying “hey, I needed that, you should eat more of it!”

When I make salads with dinner they usually get thrown together in the three minutes before we sit down to eat. Sometimes there’s rhyme or reason to the combo, other times not so much. My approach to salads is anything goes! And the more the merrier. Lettuce is just one ingredient mixed in with all sorts of stuff.

I love salads with crunch, which I got with the apples and cabbage here. And the pecans and pumpkin seeds make it heartier. I added some hemp seeds for protein. Yes, hemp, as in the hemp bracelet you had in 1995. Turns out the seeds from that same plant are one of the best and most complete sources of plant protein around. They’re also one of the easiest for our bodies to digest, absorb and assimilate. Three tablespoons have 10 grams of protein.

I’ve listed everything I used, but don’t feel like you have to go by this exactly. I didn’t use measurements because I really did just throw things in a bowl. Just wanted to give you the gist. You could pare it down to greens, apple, pecan and red onion, and you’ll still have something totally crave-able on your hands.

Apple and Pecan Salad

mixed greens
red cabbage, shaved
apple, chopped
pecans, chopped
red onion, cut into thin crescents
currants
pumpkin seeds
hemp seeds

For the dressing:

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper