Recipe & Photos by Rocio Graves of Let it Be Cosy and Sima Morrison
Written by Julie Magnussen
There’s nothing that says ‘Spring’ more than a vibrant salad filled with the season’s freshest ingredients. After a long winter of heavy, grounding foods, our bodies naturally swing the pendulum back to lighter fare as the weather begins to warm and sprouts begin to pop up. We partnered with one of our favorite chefs, Rocio Graves of Let It Be Cosy, to create the perfect salad mixing light elements and grounding elements to nurture our transition from winter to spring.
April marks the beginning of watercress season and we couldn’t be happier! Adding watercress to your salad repertoire is one of the best things you can do for your body. This light leafy green is easily looked-over but it’s packed with a spicy, peppery flavor and has been rated by the CDC in a study as the most nutrient-dense of 50 fruits and vegetables studied.
Because April is infamous for its variable temperatures and weather patterns, we love making dishes that satisfy both the winter and spring temperatures. We’ve included the grounding nature of sweet golden beets and the earthy heartiness of portobello mushrooms to satisfy the body’s need for dense foods on cooler days. You can also mix-up the ingredients to use red/chioggia beets or some oyster mushrooms to lighten the density of the dish while still keeping that oh-so-satisfying umami bite. Because we love feeding our bodies with the nutrients it needs while keeping it easy in the kitchen, we found some delicious almond yogurt to keep our creamy dressing free of dairy but not free of decadence. Try this dressing with your favorite yogurt!
Vibrant Salad
2 big handfuls of fresh watercress
1 medium golden beet, thinly sliced
2-3 radishes, roughly chopped
200-250 grams (about 2 cups) sliced portobello mushrooms
1 Tbl coconut oil
1/2 sliced avocado
a handful of walnuts
100 grams (about 4oz) pan-seared wild salmon
Dressing:
200 ml (about 1 cup) almond or coconut yogurt
1-2 Tbl fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
a drizzle of cold-pressed olive oil
Start by heating up the tablespoon of coconut oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Throw in the sliced mushrooms and leave them to brown on each side without stirring around too much. When brown and crispy on both sides, remove from heat and sprinkle with sea salt.
Assemble the watercress, sliced beet, chopped radishes, sliced avocado, sautéed mushrooms, and walnuts in a serving dish. Set aside.
For the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, sea salt, and olive oil into the almond yogurt with a spoon. When completely combined, spoon over the salad and enjoy!
* If adding salmon, cook the salmon the same way you cooked the mushrooms. You want it to be golden crispy on the outside and pink on the inside. When ready, leave to cool, then pull apart into small pieces with your fingers or a fork
Julie Magnussen is a photographer and content creator for health and wellness businesses. She has spent the last 15 years studying and practicing holistic health modalities as a nutritionist for Whole Foods Market, a Plant-Based Private Chef, and the owner of Healthy Julie. Julie now finds herself expressing her passion for everything health through her words and camera lens. She earned her Bachelors Degree in Science in Health Psychology and is a Certified Holistic Health Practitioner.