Ginger Carrot Baby Greens Salad

I may be rushing into the urge to eat a greens salad before true spring. But it is 'green filled March' now and about this time of year I start to get the craving to have a few more fresh veggies than just warm and cooked in soups, stews and roasted. So, this salad with it's warming fresh ginger and sweet grounding carrots was just the right fit.

It is a great side to 'Friday night pizza night' or add it as a topping to a plate of quinoa or rice and some roasted meat or curry roasted chickpeas. It can be what you make of it but the parts that make it warm and spicy come from the fresh juiced ginger. It might even be too spicy if you are not familiar with the fresh medicinal root spice.

Ginger Carrot Greens Salad Recipe
{gluten, dairy, soy, egg, and sugar-free}

4 Cups of washed, dried baby kale and spinach mix
(or chop larger leaves...even small enough to make a slaw)
2 large carrots grated to make 1 cup of grated carrots
1/2 cup of organic raisins
(I used Thompson's-but I think golden ones would be a nice touch)

additional options depending on preferences/allergies:
1/2 cup of roasted cashews
1/2 cup of roasted cooked chickpeas, possibly with salt, pepper and a little curry powder

Fresh Ginger Dressing:
1-2 TB of finely minuscule grated fresh ginger root (or if you have a juicer you can juice your ginger root and use 1-2 TB of the juice instead)

1/2 cup of California Olive Oil
1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice
(can sub apple cider vinegar if you do not have fresh lemon)
3 TB of raw local honey
pinch of ground nutmeg
pinch of good sea salt
pinch of good black pepper

Whisk up the dressing in a bowl or shake it in a pint Ball jar and try to get it to an emosified state for best flavor and pouring. Then assemble the bowl of greens, grated carrots, raisins, cashews, or chickpeas and then drizzle the dressing on and rub with your hands or with some spoons... for best results massageing the dressing into the greens does make them a little less tough and soft. Then sprinkle extra toppings on top before serving. This salad should feed 4. Double/triple depending on your group.

I love how this salad is pretty simple, but touches on all the taste buds of sweet, salty, bitter, and sour. It really is a nice compliment or main dish this time of year. Much love and hope to you, xoxo