A Flavorful Salad without the Burn
I have always enjoyed a good salad. And back in the day, before I was diagnosed with the elusive Silent Reflux, I was enjoying spicy, heated, and zesty combos packed with explosions of flavor.
These days to manage my GERD, I no longer rely on hot-spicy seasoning, citrus, or vinegar to get that extra flavor punch, but rather a more subtle means of using herbs, warm and earthy spices, and even citrus-based essence (the rind, not the juice) to impart the flavors I want.
For plenty of texture and to further the flavor, I rely on fresh produce, a hint of salt or GERD-friendly spice combos like Zaatar (which provides a flavor punch using thyme, oregano, sumac (a lemony flavor), and sesame) – some do have a bit of salt. And I like to use citrus zest when available because it adds a nice citrus and sometimes a bit floral appeal (without the acidity of the fruits flesh/juice).
I also create my own salad dressings. So, whether it is a creamy herbed yogurt-based dressing or a simple combo of sea salt, olive oil, and perhaps a bit of Meyer lemon zest, I make sure it is something that won’t trigger throat burn.
Today, I chose to recreate a delightful peanut dressing using olive oil, lemon zest, coconut aminos, ginger, sea salt, and a bit of my nut butter.
And the Crunchy Kale Salad was an easy toss-together. I started with a base of kale and used what I had on hand – shredded carrot, mushrooms, edamame, tofu, and *crispy brown rice.
*Crispy Browned Rice (or quinoa):
Use the prepared grain, cooled — a great use for leftovers. You’ll simply heat a non-stick skillet, add a light coat of cooking spray and a small portion of the grain. Heat on med-low (not too high) until it starts to get golden brown. Then cool.
Crunchy Kale Salad Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups kale chopped
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 3/4 cup edamame
- 6 ounces tofu firm, sprouted
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 1/4 cup quinoa toasted
- 2.5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1.5 tablespoon coconut aminos divided
- 1 teaspoon ginger fresh
- 1/16 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Toss kale, carrots and edamame in a large salad bowl. Set aside.
- Heat pan, add 1/2 tbsp olive oil and continue until it shimmers. Add mushrooms and saute over low heat until softened and browned. Let cool.
- Add 1/2 tablespoon coconut aminos to chopped tofu. Air-fry for abut 8 to 10 minutes or until outer crispness.
- Toss sautéed mushrooms and air-fried tofu into salad mixture.
- Garnish with toasted rice or quinoa.
- Create salad dressing: Whisk remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp coconut aminos in a small bowl with sea salt, ginger, peanut butter, and lemon zest until smooth (or quadruple the recipe and use a handheld blender). Drizzle onto salad dressing.
- Enjoy!
