Indulge your guests with this exquisite salad.
Scroll down for the recipe.
This vibrant medley satisfies even the most spoiled and demanding foodies. Wholesome entertain your palette with an array of rich tastes and textures while nourishing your body with vitamins and nutrients.
All ingredients in this salad are super-foods. They are legendary for their nutritional value and body-healing qualities.
Pomegranates are juicy, sweet berries (botanically speaking) with seeds called arils packed tightly inside. But don’t be fulled by their appearance, they are unstoppable healing machines.
Pomegranates are full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds such as punicalagin. These have been studied for their protective benefits for heart, urinary, brain, digestive, and prostate health. Pomegranate may also have anticancer benefits, support exercise endurance, muscle recovery, and fight off harmful germs.
Each bulb contains about 11 grams of fiber, vitamins C, K, B6, and Folate (B9) as well as minerals Calcium, Potassium, and Iron.
Sweet potato is another super-food, which is abundant with a variety of essential vitamins and micro-nutrients. Beta carotene is one of them. Our bodies convert it into vitamin A. Just 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of sweet potato provides the recommended daily amount of this vitamin.
This amazing root vegetable is rich in vitamin B6, which helps to convert food into energy, vitamin E, which protects the body against oxidative damage, and a powerful antioxidant vitamin C. In addition, sweet potato contains a trace mineral manganese, which is important for growth, development, and metabolism.
This low-calorie nutrient-dense salad base is another example of a super-food. Baby lettuce mix is an excellent source of several vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. In 3 ounces (20 cal), you get 80% of the daily value for vitamin A, 20% of manganese, 45% of vitamin K, 15% of folate, and 11% of potassium as well as 2 grams of fiber. Among the health benefits, it provides, are increasing bone strength, reducing Alzheimer's risk, improving vision, and supporting heart health.
Prosciutto is made from high-quality pork leg and has many great health-supporting qualities, although it’s recommended to be consumed in moderation because of its high sodium content. Prosciutto is rich in micronutrients like iron and thiamine, as well as an excellent source of protein—21 g for a 100 g serving. This artisanal fermented meat is known to be the most robust probiotic and helps to support the healthy growth of intestinal flora.
Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed variety—thus the healthiest type of olive oil. It’s extracted using natural methods and standardized for purity and certain sensory qualities, such as taste and smell. The main component of olive oil is monounsaturated fat from oleic acid.
This healing oil is known to reduce inflammation due to its high content of antioxidants. It contains a good amount of vitamin E, an essential nutrient that doubles as an antioxidant, and vitamin K, which plays a key role in bone health, liver health, heart health, and more.
The Recipe
The recipe is:
✔ Gluten-free
✔ Low-carb
✔ Non-GMO
✔ Great for Clean Keto eaters
✔ Perfect for the Plant Paradox followers
Preparation time - 10 minutes
Baking time for sweet potato - 45 minutes +10 min to cool
Makes 4 servings
💯 Find wholesome organic ingredients using the links below.
🌱 A mix of baby lettuce, a 5 oz bag
🌱 1 sweet potato
🌱 3 oz of Italian prosciutto
🌱 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil cold pressed
🌱 1/4 of a large pomegranate, seeded
🌱 1/2 tsp of organic freshly ground pepper
🌱 1/2 tsp of sea salt
1. Wash and scrub sweet potato, and keep the skin on for added texture.
2. Cut it into 1” pieces, and bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until semi-soft and broil for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Let it cool.
3. Seed the pomegranate.
With the tip of the sharp knife score the bulb on the blossom end and remove it. Score the outside of the fruit from pole to pole along the meridians into six sections. Insert your thumbs into the blossom end and pull the fruit apart in sections. Gently remove the white husk and separate the seeds. This method allows for all seeds to remain whole.
4. Pull or cut prosciutto slices into 1 ½” x 1 ½” pieces.
5. Place the lettuce in the large ball, sprinkle with olive oil, and add salt & freshly ground paper. Use kitchen tongs to gently rotate the leaves to coat them.
6. Place sweet potato and prosciutto pieces as well as the pomegranate seeds on top of the salad and gently toss it.
Enjoy the salad with my Almond Flour Bread for a light lunch or to compliment your dinner.
Happy Creating !!!
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you, I will receive a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
References:
Pomegranate: 10 Health and Nutritional Benefits by Lauren Panoff, MPH, RD — Medically reviewed by Alissa Palladino, MS, RDN, LD, CPT, Nutrition, Personal Training — Updated on February 23, 2022.
Sweet Potatoes 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits by Adda Bjarnadottir, MS, RDN (Ice) on May 13, 2019.
What Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Why Is It Healthy? by Rachael Link, MS, RD — Medically reviewed by Imashi Fernando, MS, RDN — Updated on December 15, 2021.
Spring Mix Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits by Malia Frey, M.A., ACE-CHC, CPT —Updated on August 10, 2021. Medically reviewed by Jonathan Valdez, RDN, CDCES, CPT.
Prosciutto Nutrition: Benefits, Risks, Recipes, and MoreBy Kelsey Kloss Updated December 28, 2021.
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