I know so many of us vegans are green juice and smoothie fanatics. And don’t get me wrong, I am a fan too but truth be told, I’d much rather eat my calories than drink ’em. As a vegan bikini competitor– and no stranger to periods of strict dieting despite copious amounts of exercise– I know what it’s like to be waiting for your next meal… Sometimes, every meal.

One thing I ALWAYS eat (whether competition dieting or off-season) is a big-ass, green salad. This is my one daily meal (usually in the evening) where I can go hog wild on greens, don’t think twice about portion sizes and literally pack the giant bowl I bake cakes with FULL of green salad-y goodness!

My go-to everyday salad recipe is simple. I usually stick to the lower-calorie, low-sugar, detoxifying herbs & green veggies and make a light but creamy dressing made from healthy-ish, easy ingredients.

This recipe makes one giant-sized salad that looks as though it could feed three people 😉 I’ll usually eat this post-workout with 4 oz. of organic tempeh or sprouted tofu.

Sam Shorkey’s Everyday Green Salad

Ingredients:

Handful of spinach
Handful of spring mix
Handful of shredded cabbage (I’m lazy and usually just use pre-packaged coleslaw)
1/4 of a cucumber, chopped
Handful of parsley, chopped

Creamy Tahini Dressing:

1 Tbsp. salt-free tahini
1 Tbsp. balsamic or apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (or juice of half lemon)
1 tsp. minced fresh garlic (or one clove)
1/4 tsp. minced or grated fresh ginger **excellent anti-inflammatory**
1 tsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos
Fresh ground pepper

Method:

Put all your greens into a giant bowl. Mix all of the dressing ingredients in a separate small bowl. Pour over greens & toss. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and enjoy!

– Sam