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garbage salad

(3 ratings)
Annakate avatar
Recipe by
Annakate Tefft
@Annakate
Nashville, TN

I came up with this salad when I was craving something healthy but hadn't been to the grocery store in awhile to stock up on fruits and veggies. Luckily I had a few things still tucked away! It turned out great and I will definitely make variations of this again. Mix and match veggies, nuts, fruit, dried fruit and grains in this salad to your tastes (or whatever you've got on hand!).

(3 ratings)
yield 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side
prep time 45 Min

Ingredients For garbage salad

  • SALAD
  • 1
    sweet potato
  • 1 c
    butternut squash, peeled and diced
  • 1
    onion, chopped
  • 3/4 c
    uncooked israeli couscous (or regular couscous, or brown rice)
  • 2
    pieces uncooked bacon
  • 3 c
    chopped greens (spring mix, arugula, mixed greens, spinach, etc.)
  • 3
    green onions, chopped
  • 5
    baby carrots, chopped
  • 2
    ribs celery, plus celery greens, chopped
  • 1
    apple or pear, chopped
  • 1/2 c
    sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 c
    raisins
  • 1/2 c
    finely grated parmesan cheese (or your favorite cheese)
  • DRESSING
  • 3/4 c
    olive oil, extra virgin
  • 1/4 c
    balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 c
    honey
  • 3 Tbsp
    dijon mustard
  • salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

How To Make garbage salad

  • 1
    Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut sweet potato into even cubes, with skin left on (more nutrients!). In a small bowl, toss sweet potato, cubed onion and butternut squash with a drizzle of olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Spread on a baking sheet lined with foil and roast at 450 degrees for 30-40 minutes (depending on size of cubes) until browned and cooked through.
  • 2
    Meanwhile, boil Irsaeli couscous in water (just like pasta) until cooked but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Drain well and rinse with cold water to cool.
  • 3
    Cook bacon to desired doneness and drain on paper towel-lined plate. When cool enough to handle, crumble.
  • 4
    When potato/onion/squash mixture is done, remove from oven and let cool slightly. Combine with couscous, bacon and all other ingredients in a large bowl.
  • 5
    Mix up dressing ingredients in a small 1/2 pint jar (or other container) and shake until emulsified. Pour dressing over salad (to taste - there will be leftover dressing), tossing to combine. Serve with crusty bread or fruit. So healthy and yummy!
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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