Crunchy greens and beans salad, with roasted beets and citrus vinaigretten

Is detoxing your body and cleansing your digestive system a part of your new year resolution? Especially after binging and gorging on food and delectable treats during the holidays! If the answer is Yes, go ahead and try this healthy vegetarian/vegan salad recipe. With the crunchy-crunch freshness of raw veggies and greens and the munch of wholesome beans, this salad is a refreshing start to the new year. Packed with the goodness of beets and a citrusy fresh vinaigrette, it’s guaranteed to float your boat and boost your immune system. A highly nutritious mingle of beets, beans, fresh veggies and citrus equals your daily dose of proteins, fiber, folate and vitamins! Delicious and nourishing for your body, mind and soul….

Servings 4

Ingredients:
Boiled chickpeas/garbanzo beans – 1 1/2 cups
Boiled kidney beans – 1 1/2 cups
Finely chopped celery – 1 cup
Finely chopped onion – 1/2 cup
Chopped green peppers – 1 cup
Chopped fresh parsley – 1/4 cup, for garnish
Roasted beetroot, diced – 1 cup

Fresh green romaine lettuce – 2 cups

For the citrus vinaigrette:

Grapefruit juice – 2 tbsp.
Lemon juice – 2 tbsp.
A drizzle of honey
Dijon mustard –  1/2 tbsp.
Extra virgin olive oil – 6 tbsp.
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the beans, I generally cook them from scratch. Soak the beans separately overnight or for 6-8 hours. Tip: to soften the chickpeas I add a pinch of soda bicarbonate when soaking them. Rinse the chickpeas thoroughly. Drain the chickpeas and kidney beans. Tip: for faster cooking, pressure cook the beans separate. Otherwise, in a pan, bring water to a boil and simmer the beans, usually takes 30-35 minutes for the beans to cook and soften. Let cool. If you are hard- pressed for time, feel free to use the canned variety.

To roast the beets: Wash and trim the top and bottom of a fresh beetroot. Preheat oven to 400 F. Rub a little olive oil on the beetroot. Wrap the beetroot in a piece of aluminium foil, to form a pouch. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 45 to 60 mins. When cool, peel skin and dice. Set aside.

In a bowl, add the citrus juices, Dijon mustard, honey. Mix and slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a glass jar. Secure the lid tight. Shake well! And the vinaigrette is ready.

Assemble salad in a big salad bowl. Place the beans along with the fresh veggies and mix well. Tear the lettuce in small pieces and combine. Since the beets always bleed a deep red colour there are two ways to add it to the salad for presentation. Either add it in, then add the vinaigrette and mix well, in which case, the beets lend a red colour to the salad. Or add the beets last, after mixing in the vinaigrette, just top the salad with them. Serve chilled or at room temperature.