Freshen Up Fall Salad

So this may sound crazy but for some reason I have been craving cauliflower lately. Of course it happens to be one of the cruciferous vegetables I limit how much I eat raw as they affect my thyroid. While I don’t I don’t have hypothyroidism or an iodine deficiency I was told my numbers are “borderline” and I should just limit my intake. This coming from the girl who would eat huge mixing bowls of kale, cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage. Cooking the vegetables decreases the effect on the thyroid so I can eat all the buffalo cauliflower bites I want but I was really wanting my Detox Salad Remix. I decided to tweak it into a fall version and since my husband isn’t a fan of the word detox, which I get, I decided to call it Freshen Up Fall Salad. In keeping with moderation instead of making a jumbo bowl I made a half batch, amounts listed below, and enjoyed it over a couple days. Full of whole food goodness this salad will fill, fuel, and freshen up your body! It’s one of those feel good salads. Like when you have a good green smoothie or cold pressed green juice and you just feel good! You just feel good and like your body is nourished and energized. Of course if you sit down and eat a lot of this salad you might get a full bloated feeling, I think that goes without saying. There is crunch and texture to this salad, I like to keep the florets on the cauliflower but you can chop or rice them for less texture, as well as flavor! The flavors with the fresh veggies, tart apples, dried cranberries, fresh lemon juice, hint of acid with the apple cider vinegar, and touch of sweetness and balance with maple syrup. Plus cashews because I just love them and wanted them instead of seeds. Cashews are a feel good food, the tryptophan in cashews can boost your brain’s production of the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin, which promotes a stable mood and healthy sleep. So why not add them. This is one of those salad I think everyone should make and try, and if you don’t like it I’ll eat it!

Freshen Up Fall Salad
Serves 4-8
1lb broccoli florets (about 10 cups, almost 3/4lb after cut)
1lb cauliflower florets, steams cut/ shaved (about 6.5 cups, 3/4lb after cut)
1 granny smith apple, chopped
1/4c chopped/pieces raw unsalted cashews
1/2-3/4c dried cranberries
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice, to taste
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP pure maple syrup
sea salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl mix together broccoli, cauliflower, and chopped apples. In a smaller bowl mix together lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup. Pour mixture over broccoli cauliflower mix and toss to coat. This will also keep the apples from turning brown. Add in dried cranberries and season with salt and pepper to taste. If not serving right away wait until serving to add the cashews, adding as you eat it if making a big batch to enjoy over days to keep them from getting soft. Enjoy!
Freshen Up Fall Salad, perfect for #MeatlessMonday, fall, and a new week! #SweatPink #wholefood Share on X