Crunchy n’ Sweet Salad

For dinner tonight I was really craving nuts and sweetness, having had a full-on day of yoga classes, body-surfing and a private session on the beach (yay!) I didn’t want to sit down and scoff an expensive and heavy meal of nuts and dried fruits as I’ve done in the past! So I decided to incorporate what I was craving into a healthy salad and voila.. it was delicious, nutritious and satisfying whilst still giving me the crunchy texture and sweet flavour I desired.

The fat in the almonds makes the salad highly satiating. After eating this I felt like I’d eaten a healthy dinner and dessert in one go. Not that that will stop me from having dessert.. there’s a green coconut in the fridge with my name on it

Makes 2 servings, or 1 big salad if you’re hungry!

3 handfuls mixed greens
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped
1/2 a medium red capsicum, chopped
1/2 a medium carrot, grated or sliced thinly on the mandolin
1/2 cup raw almonds
1 tablespoon agave nectar
3 tablespoons chopped dates or raisins
2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
2 tablespoons diced sweet red onion
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
Sea salt and fresh pepper to taste (I use Herbamare herbal sea salt)

In a small bowl, place the almonds, agave nectar and sea salt. A nice alternative is to use honey and soy sauce instead of agave and salt. Let the almonds soak the marinade up while you chop up the rest of the ingredients.

Mix everything together in a big salad bowl, adding the candied almonds last, and serve. Crunchy, delicious and colourful! Too bad I scoffed this salad before I thought to take a photo of it! Oh well, there’s always next time.