Pomegranate Vinaigrette
This Pomegranate Vinaigrette recipe is the perfect way to dress up a winter salad! Super easy to make with only 6 wholesome ingredients. And it’s vegan and gluten-free. The sunflower seeds add extra creaminess but if you are sensitive to seeds, leave them out.
1/3 cup water
5 small pitted dates
1 T raw sunflower seeds
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1 T lemon juice
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 t Dijon mustard
Soak dates and sunflower seeds in 1/3 cup water until soft, at least 4 hours to ease blending. Once softened, blend with raining ingredients until smooth.
Kale Taco Salad
One of my favorite meals while dealing with food sensitivities. See my cooking video for this recipe here.
Short grain brown rice (you will need 1 1/2 cups cook but I like to cook plenty to have on hand)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
1 bunch kale, chopped and divided
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 chipotle chili powder
Romaine lettuce chopped
1/4 of medium avocado (about 1/4 cup mashed)
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Chop kale finely.
Chop onion and place in a pan over medium-high heat. Sauté until it starts to brown. Add garlic and sauté another minute. Add 1/2 cup water and one large hand-full of chopped kale. Cover and let steam until tender.
In the mean-time, place 1 large hand-full of the chopped kale in a salad bowl. Add avocado and vinegar. Using your hands, message kale with the avocado and vinegar until kale becomes tenderized. Add chopped romaine lettuce. ( I use a couple of handfuls but use as much as you like.)
When cooked kale is tender, add tomatoes and seasonings. Cook an additional 1 -2 minutes. Stir in cooked rice.
Toss the cooked kale and rice with the raw greens. Add your favorite red chili sauce or dressing. Try my Raisin Vinegar dressing that I describe in my Pseudo Grain Salad recipe here.
Toss in plain sauerkraut if desired for a little fermentation.
Top with chopped tomatoes, raw onion, corn or what ever else you like on your taco salad.
“Better Than Tuna Salad” Lettuce Bundles
2 1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
1 medium carrot, finely grated
2 cups finely chopped celery
4 green onions, thinly sliced (include some green)
1/2 – 1 cup Sun Seed Spread
2 T prepared mustard
2 spears dill pickle chopped
Sea salt and pepper
Romaine lettuce leaves
Sliced tomato for garnish (optional)
Drain beans well. Transfer to salad bowl. Using a pastry cutter or fork, mash beans coarsely. Mix in remaining ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon salad on a lettuce leaf, garnish with tomato, roll up, and enjoy!
Dilly Ranch Salad Dressing

1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup water
3 T apple cider vinegar
3 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t mustard powder
1/2 t sea salt
4 T chopped fresh dill
Blend all but dill until smooth. Add more water to thin if desired. Stir in fresh dill. Keep refrigerated.
This will thicken in the refrigerator and will become spreadable like mayonnaise. Thin with water, more lemon or vinegar if needed.
To increase the nutritional value of the sunflower seeds, soak them in water for eight hours and then sprout for a day. When blending with remaining ingredients, start with 1/2 cup water and add more if needed.
Mediterranean Lentil Salad

Vine-ripe tomatoes and fresh basil are key to making this salad amazing. It’s one of my husbands favorite summer meals. This recipe has been revised from my original recipe for “Lentil Salad” in my cookbook Whole Food Goodness.
1 cup lentils rinsed
2 1/4 cups water
2 cloves garlic minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cucumber cut in small pieces
2-3 medium tomatoes coarsely chopped
4 oz. chopped spinach
1/2 cup black olives, drained, rinsed and chopped
1/2 cup thinly slice red onion
1 cup fresh chopped basil
3 T balsamic vinegar
Fresh ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Bring water to boil. Add lentils, lower heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, until tender. Add more water if needed. Transfer to salad bowl to cool. When cool, add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Cranberry Relish Salad
From Whole Food American Favorites
This recipe was inspired by my love for cranberry sauce without all the sugar! If you prefer less sweet, use a more tart apple and/or less dates. Cut down on the walnuts if you need to cut back on the fat.
1 medium Fuji apple
1 cup raw cranberries
8 small pitted dates
1/4 cup walnuts
Chop all ingredients in a food processor to a relish consistency.
Creamy Potato Salad
Recipe from Whole Food American Favorites
A delicious spin on traditional potato salad
Cooked Potatoes:
3 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small chunks.
Cover with water, bring to boil, and simmer until tender.
Drain, rinse, and place in large bowl to cool.
Add:
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
2 cups sliced celery
2 14 oz. cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Dressing:
Juice from two lemons
1 T apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup raw cashews (or use sunflower seeds)
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup raw sesame seeds, un-hulled
2 t dried mustard powder
1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
1 t sea salt
Blend everything but the fresh dill in a powerful blender on high until smooth. Stir in fresh dill. Pour over salad and mix well. Chill and serve.
Note: For extra goodness, add chopped Bubbies naturally fermented pickles.
Brown Rice Pea and Spinach Salad
Recipe from Whole Food American Favorites
I often get asked about plant-based protein powders. Many of them contain rice protein, pea protein, and greens. This salad combines all of these foods in their whole-food form. A much better choice in my opinion!
1 cup short-grain brown rice
2 cups fresh or frozen peas (steam fresh peas or use them raw)
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
Sweet Mustard Dressing to taste (click to watch how to make this dressing)
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Boil 2 cups water in a saucepan. Add rice, reduce heat, and simmer on low until tender. Let cool before adding to salad. While rice is cooking, place remaining vegetables in a large salad bowl. When rice is cool, stir into salad, add dressing, and salt and pepper to taste.
Roasted Zucchini Mexican Salad
3 medium zucchini
2 ears corn
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained well
1 cup cooked brown rice (optional)
2 cups fresh diced tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (or use canned green chilies)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado, diced
Zest of one lime
Juice of 2 limes
Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Cut each half lengthwise again. Then cut in 1/2 – 3/4 inch chunks. Place in a large bowl and sprinkle with Mrs. Dash Chipotle seasoning or other no-salt seasoning of choice. Mix thoroughly with your hands until each piece is lightly coated. Spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper making sure no pieces are over-lapping. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes until they start to brown. Let cool before adding to salad.
Cut corn off ears and place in the bowl you used for the zucchini. Add remaining ingredients. When zucchini has cooled, add to salad. Mix well. Add more lime or lemon juice and salt to taste if desired.
This salad is also delicious using raw zucchini. I only use 2 zucchini and I use the dice blade of the Vidalia Chop Wizard. Cut the whole zucchini in 3 sections then lay each section on the chopper screen and chop. This makes a fun perfect shape for the salad. Mix in all remaining ingredients as above.
Simple Quinoa Salad
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1 cucumber chopped
1 cup sliced grape
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions or diced red onion
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
Juice from 1 lemons
1/2 tsp Real Salt or sea salt
1 small avocado cubed
Bring water to boil, add quinoa, cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes until tender. Let cool befor adding to salad. While quinoa is cooking, combine all other ingredients. Add cooled quinoa and mix well.
Chic peas are a nice additional to this salad to make it more filling. You could also make it Mexican style by adding black beans and using cilantro instead of parsley and mint.