Vibrant detoxifying salad with raw brussels sprouts, leeks, dried cherries, pecans and black sesame seeds

Spring is a natural time to cleanse away toxins and rejuvenate the body. It’s the season for new beginnings, renewal and growth. The changes in the nature are also affecting our physiology. Our body senses a new opportunity to cleanse itself and because we are naturally synchronized with the seasons, at this time of the year our cravings shift from heavy comfort foods to lighter, less processed, colorful plant-based meals.

With more appetite for veggies and fruits, sense of inspiration and awoken energy, losing weight could be a less complicated task than in other seasons. We tend to eat more fresh salads prepared with raw and crunchy veggies and seeds. The crunchiness is an extra bonus, especially for those who try to reduce calories intake. The extra chewing the crunchy foods require gives us a chance to register the taste better and helps us faster achieve the sense of fullness.

Now it’s a great time to make the food vibrant with colors and flavors. The colorful foods are not only visually pleasant, but also great for our health. The pigments that give vegetables and fruits their colors are antioxidants, substances that lower the risk of cell damage in the body. So, eating colorful foods is essential for our well-being. Try to include at least three colors in every meal. Add shredded red cabbage, sliced carrots or red bell peppers to green salads. Enhance their taste with berries, dried fruits or seeds. Try new veggies that you have never tasted before and discover new flavors that you may like to add to your diet on a daily basis. I discovered fennel only weeks ago. I was aware of that veggie a long time before, but had never tasted it thinking that I wouldn’t like it. Now it’s become one of my favorite plants to add to salads.

All ingredients in this salad are rich in nutrients and vitamins and help with detox. The black sesame seeds sprinkled on top will not only add a delicate crunchiness to the veggies, but have also a valuable ability to clean our bodies from heavy metal toxins, which in higher concentrations may be dangerous to our health.

Vegan, gluten free

Ingredients:

• 5-6 raw brussels sprouts, shaved or thinly slice 
  
• 1 small leek, cut into 1 in. long thin strips
• 4-5 radishes, sliced
• 1/3 cup red cabbage, shredded
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced with a peeler
• 10-12 pecan, lightly toasted and halved
• 1/8 cup dried sour cherries or cranberries
• 2 tsp black sesame seeds
• salt, pepper
• pinch of cayenne
• fennel greens, chopped (optional)

Dressing:

• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp olive oil

In a medium bowl combine brussels sprouts, leek, carrot and red cabbage. Add toasted pecans and dried cherries. Add salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. To prepare dressing, combine all ingredients and whisk them until blended. Toss dressing with salad and sprinkle with black sesame seeds and, if you like, fennel greens.