Blended Salad

[Lunar*Fey]

I want to try blended salads instead of always green smoothies. I love green smoothies but I want to eat more of my fruit alone as it definately digests better. Can anyone help me make a good blended smoothie with the ingredients I have? I could always bike and get some spinach I suppose...but the near by grocery store is soo small and expensive. but I could.

Any way, here is what I have (that could possibly go in)...
*baby spring salad mix
*turnip greens
*some parsley (which I have found I don't really like but can tolerate)
*tomatoes (a couple small whole and lots of cherry tomatoes)
*1 red bell pepper
*kelp granules
*avocado

Is there any yummy blend I can create with ONLY those?? I would like it to have proper food combining as well as my digestion isn't too good.

thank you!

[dreamrawalwz]

Maybe Tomatoes, bell pepper, avocado, and some spinach to make a soup? It will make the soup a weird color though.

[Lunar*Fey]

thanks Tracey. I can't imagine tomatoes and avocado together though, sounds unappealing to me. hmm maybe I should just stick with a regular salad, but I know I digest much better with blended and get much more. I'm afraid the spring salad mix will be too bitter, but I don't really mind bitter so i don't know lol. maybe I'll just blend some avo up with some greens and water and see what happens. I can add as I go? arr I don't know.

[Jordann]

:D I am seriously the QUEEN of blended salads! :D I've even got a meat-eater hooked on them!

My traditional blend is usually tomatoes, cucumber and red bell pepper. Then lemon or lime juice and tons of greenery. Lettuces or spinach or cilantro or parsley, usually all of them though ;) It's wonderful with an avocado blended in. Or fennel. Or other herbs. Or omit the cuc. Or omit the bell pepper. Or add jalapenos. Or Or Or :p

Once you get a good base going, you can add nearly anything to them. I love 'em. They look pretty gross, but the taste is all that matters to me :D Maybe you'll become a convert too. But I know blended salads are not for everyone.

I just love how many greens I am able to eat without chewing for an hour to get through a big enough salad!

[Lunar*Fey]

Thanks Jordann :) I hope I like them as much as you do! I love salads so I don't see why I wouldn't but you never know. Can you have it without avocado? I just don't know about mixing avocado with tomatoes and cucumbers and peppers....
I think tonight I'll just try greens, a little avocado, and some kelp granules and see what happens...if its no good I'll add some other things.
I;ll probably try what you said as well though :)

[dreamrawalwz]

with the tomatoes and avocado I make sure they're firm (the tomatoes) so it has more of a bite to it. The ratio is a lot more tomato so ti's a creamy tomato soup when the avocado is blended in. Let us know what you end up doing and how it tastes.

[sevenbravo]

My lunch today was:
One head of organic red leaf lettuce
8 large leaves of red chard
a cup of pineapple
one whole apple (peels removed)
one banana (no peel either ;) )
4 mejool dates
enough almond milk to make it blend (maybe a 1/4 cup)
Blend in the blender...

This made a 32 oz green smoothie. Very filling, satifying, and very easy to digest (for me anyway). I am hooked on blended smoothies. A salad this large would take a long time to eat and the blended salad is already half digested.

Lunar Fey....I have issues with digestion too but fruit and blended greens give me no trouble!!

[Jordann]

Lunar*Fey,
Certainly you can totally do it withOUT the avo ;)

I find it I will be hungry 30 minutes later if I don't add something heavier to these babies though.

Raw refried beans is a great addition, and do it kinda tomato-mexican based, with tons of lettuces or spinach - this one is a favourite rendition for me...

Or I also often do ground almonds or ground sesame with some lemon juice and water to make a paste and mix that in, it gives it some body, makes it more creamy, and just gives a bit more in the flavour dept. Ground cashew with lime juice is great too.

Or olives, if you like olives. Tomatoes and bell peppers are wonderful with black olives, or do it cucumber, greens, herbs, maybe fennel or something with green olives.. or just mix in all the olives!

I honestly NEVER get tired of blended salads, and although up until now I've usually kept them strictly non-sweet fruits and vegetables There are ENDLESS variations.. the only problem is having to shop either every 2 days, or else get 5 cucumbers and 5 bell peppers and 10 tomatoes all at once (and since I walk/bus everywhere, I don't like lugging all that plus the usual 20,000 lbs of fruit! :p )

---However, the green smoothie/salad sevenbravo mentioned sounds like a super combo :p

I find it the best way to eat, like sevenbravo said, a head of lettuce (or more!) because I feel SOOOO much better eating lots of greens, but if I don't blend them, my digestion is slower. MUCH slower.

From my experimentation, having a large blended salad 6 or 7 days a week has definitely been a factor in when I'm doing well 100% raw. So from personal experience, I can't recommend them enough! :D

[meinleben]

jordan
do you blend it in a vita mix...or would the vita mix blend it down too much?? also have you put dulse in there?? i am so into dulse right now...

i already at just now...but tomorrow its my first blended salad because of your inspiration...i will report back....no oils right???

i am thinking:
tomato
cucumber
avocado
bell pepper
romaine lettuce
dulse granules

[eachpeachpearplum]

:D I am seriously the QUEEN of blended salads! :D I've even got a meat-eater hooked on them!

My traditional blend is usually tomatoes, cucumber and red bell pepper. Then lemon or lime juice and tons of greenery. Lettuces or spinach or cilantro or parsley, usually all of them though ;) It's wonderful with an avocado blended in. Or fennel. Or other herbs. Or omit the cuc. Or omit the bell pepper. Or add jalapenos. Or Or Or :p

Once you get a good base going, you can add nearly anything to them. I love 'em. They look pretty gross, but the taste is all that matters to me :D Maybe you'll become a convert too. But I know blended salads are not for everyone.

I just love how many greens I am able to eat without chewing for an hour to get through a big enough salad!

Is all of this done in the VM or do you juice some first then toss in the VM???

[meinleben]

does one drink a blended salad...sorta like a green smoothie....or does one put a blended salad into a bowl and eat it with a spoon....sorta like soup??

[spicyfull]

Drink up.......Tomatoes and Avocados and the base for some form of Salsa, Guacamole, any way you fix it it is very good...........

[Jordann]

I use a cheap Black & Decker food processor. I sometimes like blending it really smooth, but most often like it somewhat chunky, so there is still some chewing involved! I put it in a big bowl and eat it like, stew...?

Yeah, dulse is great in there, or arame or nori.... these are the only 3 sea vegetables I've had the pleasure to try so far.

I have also tried it before drizzling olive or flax oils on top, which is delicious too, (but right now I'm experimenting with not using any oils, just whole foods)

I don't have a VitaMix, and think I like it best chunky anyhow. Otherwise it would be so soupy and drinkable, there's gotta be at least one meal where I use my jaw muscles! Cuz I make so many fruit smoothies :rolleyes:

[TP]

i've had my blended salads in the both the VM and the FP and I like them from the FP better.. I like them chunkier like Jordann...

I also really like broccoli in my blended salads.. I like the texture it has the way it gets chopped really fine..

[Lay-Lay]

sounds like you have plenty to work with. Enjoy!

[Feebee]

Oh wow, good idea! I never thought of blending a salad before. Sometimes I just *can't* eat another bite of greens.....so this will make it easier! :)