Are you wanting to get some dark leafy greens into your diet? Raw chard, perhaps? Yes, you can eat raw chard. However, chard leaves can be a little tough. It’s a problem. But this recipe has you massage the leaves in oil and lemon, which softens them! And when soft, you can add them to salads! Problem solved.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch chard
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup gluten-free brown rice pasta spirals
- 1/2 small cucumber, half-moon sliced*
- 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon fine ground Himalayan salt
- 1 tablespoon slivered almonds, to garnish
Directions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well, then set aside to cool.
- Wash the chard and remove and discard its stems. Tear the leaves into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl along with the olive oil and lemon juice. With clean hands, massage the leaves for 1 minute or until the chard becomes softer.
- Add the pasta, sliced cucumber, garlic if using, and salt. Gently toss to coat.
- Divide between salad plates and garnish each with a desired amount of slivered almonds. Serve, and enjoy!
Variations:
- Replace the chard with lacinato kale (sometimes called dinosaur kale due to its bumpy leaves — which many imagine to resemble dinosaur skin).
- Replace the slivered almonds with Baked Seeds or golden raisins.
- For added flavor, drizzle over the top a desired amount of homemade Vegan Ranch Dressing, or your favorite store-bought vegan and gluten-free salad dressing.
Yield: Makes 4 servings
* To cut half-moons, place the vegetable on a cutting board and use a chef’s knife to cut both ends off the vegetable, then slice lengthwise in half. Place one of the two halves flat side down on the cutting board, hold the knife perpendicular to the vegetable and slice. Repeat making slices of the same desired width, until both halves are fully sliced into half-moons.
Leave a Comment