Spring is finally here! It’s time to ditch the stodge and up the crunchy, raw veggie count in your daily meal plan – and there’s no better time to do it than lunchtime. Healthy eating is so much easier when you can plan and do all the work beforehand. Not that this lunch-bottle chop salad takes much work. Anything veggie-fresh you happen to have in your fridge can go into this salad. Start with a layer of plant protein like chickpeas or red kidney beans. Pour over vinaigrette made with our Cape Herb & Spice Lemon Pepper Shaker Seasoning, then layer the rest of the veggies. The legumes will bathe in the vinaigrette, getting nicer the longer the salad stands, whilst the rest of the ingredients stay crisp. Come lunchtime simply turn the whole bottle over onto a plate, grab a fork and dig in.
Place the olive oil, vinegar and Lemon Pepper Shaker seasoning in a bottle. Give it a shake to emulsify. Spoon the chickpeas or red kidney beans into the vinaigrette. Now layer over the chopped veggies of your choice. Screw the lid on and keep in the fridge until used. Remove from the fridge 5-10 minutes before you intend to eat this salad as olive oil solidifies at low temperatures and needs time to warm up a bit. Turn over onto a plate and lunch is served.
Recipe concept & photography by Lizet Hartley. Get more of her recipes on her blog at http://www.melkkos-merlot.co.za