Leafy Greens with Caramelised Nuts

Every Thanksgiving dinner needs a salad. Even when it's a vegan Thanksgiving and you think we have enough vegetables on the table we can still make some space for a lighter side dish. Our Leafy Greens with Caramelised nuts is a perfect recipe for the occasion. 

This week I am posting a few different recipes that will make having a vegan Thanksgiving not only easy but an absolute delight. You will love how hearty these recipes are and all the different colours and flavours we've managed to put together. 

In my opinion, every holiday menu needs a salad. And not just any salad, it has to be inviting to the eye. That way it won't end up in a corner over shinned by the rest of delicious dishes on the table. 

The salad recipe we have for this vegan Thanksgiving is as inviting as it gets. It has colour, texture and a ton of flavour. And those caramelised nuts we are sprinkling on top will have everyone coming back for more. 

The base of the salad is a variety of fresh salad greens. You can make your own mix or get the premixed blends from the market. I like mixing arugula, spinach, and mizuna. But I'm not too picky, I use whatever is available at the market and in season. 

I also toss in some chopped shallots which add a ton of flavour. The taste is something in between garlic and onion. It's a bit milder than either one, so it adds really nice tones to your dishes without being too overpowering, especially because it is going in raw. 

We need a pop of colour to make our salad stand out. I added one of my favourite salad ingredients, pomegranate! I love how it looks having those little ruby red bits mixed in with the greens. Aside from the pretty colour, you also get its delicious sweet juice in every bite. 

What makes this salad super fun to eat and crazy delicious is the caramelised nuts. Just be aware, they are addictive so you might need to double up on these because you will want to eat them by the handful. 

I mixed pecans and brazil nuts with a few different seeds, pine, pumpkin, and sunflower. We are using maple syrup to caramelise them so you get that delicious sweet and roasted taste in your salad. It's so good when you get those crunchy bits and pieces so full of flavour!

Lastly, just like every holiday dinner needs a salad; every salad needs a dressing. Vinaigrettes go perfect with leafy green salads. For this one, we mixed together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, black pepper and sea salt. I leave it on the side so that each person can add as much or as little as they like. 

You will love how this salad turns out. It is jam-packed with flavour but still light enough to leave enough space to keep stuffing your face with all the other delicious dishes on the table!