Genie In A Bowl Salad

I love it when delicious salads just seem to magically appear! The only thing I don’t like is when I have such a great recipe, it photographs well and I’m so excited to share it but I can’t come up with a name that can even come close to the amazingness (yep it’s a word!) of the dish. So I thought what makes this salad so wonderful… to start it looks and tastes amazing, it’s packed with whole foods, quick and simple, and it’s got lots of health benefits. I could go on and on about how delicious and refreshing this salad is and how it’s one of those “feel good” salads that you can enjoy eating, feel good about eating, and feel good after. You can also think of it like your favorite smoothie, the one you have that you drink because of all the health benefits it has and how amazing you feel after drinking it. While this is a great salad for detoxifying your body it isn’t like a cleansing juice, so no worries there, and it will really fill you up.

So to start with the most important, well besides being delicious, the health aspects of it. While a majority of the recipes on my site are healthy (we like our treats too) I don’t often go into the health aspects or benefits of them. Sometimes I do but I often stray away from that as I feel everyone should do their own research, especially since I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. This is the same information you can find, it’s a new year, and this is a recipe I am just loving for so many reasons and it isn’t just another delicious salad that should be overlooked so the more reasons I can give you to try it the better, right?

Kale is high in fiber, as well as anti-cancer chemicals and antioxidants, both of which help cleanse the body of harmful toxins. Kale is also packed with lots of vitamins and minerals (which also help promote detoxification) and is anti-inflammatory. While some people might think kale is so 2015 I’m still over here saying Kale Yeah and thinking what would life be without a good kale salad or smoothie!
Apples are high in fiber (both soluable and insoluble), vitamins, and minerals. Apples have also been stated to help prevent a number of cancers, lower cholesterol, boost brain power, fight colds, and help loose weight. They help add in detoxification and help keep you full. They also are low-glycemic which means even though they do contain natural sugars won’t spike blood sugar. Plus we all know the saying, “an apple a day!”
Blueberries are very high in antioxidants and have antiviral properties to help prevent infections. Blueberries also help decrease inflammation in the body, help protect your cells from free radical movement, and are full of fiber and vitamins like vitamin C. Not that I need any reason to pop these delicious berries!
Almonds are high in fiber, protein, vitamin W, calcium and healthy fats. The fats and protein help keep you full, and fiber keeps you regular. Almonds help stabilize blood sugar, healthy fats help promote healthy cholesterol levels and cardiovascular health. They are a good source of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus which is great for bone health. I’m nuts for these delicious nuts!

Now that you meet the super stars of this salad and know their “superpowers” it doesn’t stop there. The dressing, which really you don’t need much of as you message it into the kale, which makes it softer and really changes the texture (if you haven’t tried this you have to!). The dressing is made up of basics probably already in your kitchen and staples in many of my daily dressings, but they also have health benefits! Again you don’t use much but just knowing it’s good for you and not full of ingredients you can’t pronounce like many dressings on the market makes me feel good.

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) can help balance your internal pH. This balancing act aids in detoxification as it helps your body run at a more optimal level. There are lots of old stories of apple cider vinegars magical powers and stories of how it will make you skinny. Since there aren’t any solid evidence of it does appear to help with diabetes and control blood sugar and is just the vinegar I use in a lot of my dressings.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is said to be the nectar of the gods and a healthy fat that many people use. It is full of monounsaturated fats, which l lowers bad LDL cholesterol and reduces your risk of developing heart disease. Olive oil has also been stated to lower cholesterol, prevent cancer, and have anti-aging properties to promote healthy skin.
Lemons when life gives you lemons… you make salad dressing! Lemons super star power is the vitamin C punch it packs, which is great for your immune system! Lemons are also high in
potassium and calcium, great for heart and bone health. They stimulate the release of enzymes and helps convert toxins into a water-soluble form that can be easily excreted from the body. Because of the amazing detoxifying properties of lemons, many people add them to their everyday routine by drinking a glass of lemon water in the morning. I love drinking warm lemon water to wake my system up and for its alkaline-forming compounds which helps to balance our pH.
Ginger, I LOVE ginger! It has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes and as a healing agent. Ginger is commonly used to treat various types of “stomach problems,” including motion sickness (which is why I always have ginger chew on the plane), morning sickness, upset stomach, gas, and nausea. Also used for pain relief from muscle soreness. Ginger is great for reducing inflammation and helps improve liver function (which is the main organ for detoxification), but it also helps flushes out toxins from the blood and lymph, increases your metabolism and fights disease.
Turmeric is a spice often found in Indian and Middle Eastern dishes and has long been known to have powerful medicinal properties due to its high content of nutrients, anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. It contains curcumin which is a phytochemical that been linked to a decreasing risk of many diseases like cancer and cystic fibrosis, as well as chronic conditions like IBS and Crohn’s. Curcimin also decreases inflammation, improves liver function AND boosts immunity. It also does wonders in the detoxification process. If you haven’t heard of, or used it, I highly recommend it. I use it in post workout smoothies and love Turmeric Milk.

So you have all the info what would you call this salad? Other than the obvious Kale Apple Blueberry Almond Salad, which hey it does the job but seems to dull for this salad, what am I left with other than something like Magical Salad or Superstar or Superpower Salad. Wonk, wonk… so since I still go back to how this makes me feel amazing like a juice or smoothie I thought about genie in a bottle, ok maybe the song came on my Pandora, but either way it seemed magically fitting! It magically appeared in my bowl one day, has “magical” powers that make me feel good and are good for me, so POOF! Genie In A Bowl Salad it is!

As if that isn’t enough there is another magically delicious ingredient I like to add to this salad, like I always say customize it for what you crave or want when you make it. You may have already seen it on my Instagram but I have a recipe posting Monday that I will highly suggest making extras of because they are versatile and also an amazing addition to this salad so stay tuned! I will also update this most on Monday with that addition. Update! My Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes make a great addition to this salad!!

Genie In A Bowl Salad
Makes 1 serving (easily multiplied for multiple servings)
2-3c fresh chopped kale, stalks removed
1/2 apple, cored and chopped (used a Pink Lady, I also like Granny Smith for a less sweet salad)
1/2c fresh blueberries
2 TBSP- 1/4c chopped raw almonds (I use about 10-12 raw almonds and rough chop them keeping them big)
1/2-1c Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes, optional

Dressing
Makes enough for 2-4 servings
1 TBSP apple Cider Vinegar
1 TBSP extra Virgin Olive Oil (or avocado)
Juice from half a lemon (1- 1.5 TBSP)
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp ground turmeric

In a glass container (the turmeric can stain plastic) with a tight lid, shake together dressing ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl message kale with a little dressing, a little goes a long way so you don’t need much. If packing I like to mix the salad together in a large glass bowl and pack into a glass jar. Wash your hands after messaging the dressing in the kale as they will be oily and the turmeric can make your hands yellow, it washes right off but just in case you don’t want to stain anything (think of it like beet juice). Add in chopped apples, blueberries, and chopped almonds. Enjoy!
POOF! This Genie In a Bowl Salad is #healthy and delicious! #SweatPink #vegan #superfood Click To Tweet

It’s Friday so I’m linking up with fellow bloggers for Foodie Friday, make this for lunch and go grab one of their delicious recipes to try tonight or this weekend!