Liver-loving ‘Shredded Veggie’ Salad + liver supporting tips
Happy Sunday!
I hope you are all taking it easy today & enjoying the new year so far! Around this time of the year, I find a lot people are wanting to get healthy and start nourishing their bodies after their Christmas and NYE festivities. This salad can help! It’s great for supporting your liver (plus much more) due to the kick-ass shredded veggies in it.
The liver does a lot for your body, and I really do mean A LOT. It carries out more than 500 roles in the body (what!?). Some of the functions your liver is in charge of include: bile production (bile helps the small intestine break down and absorb cholesterol, fats, ect), fat metabolism, vitamin storage, mineral storage, blood filter and MANY MORE. Seriously, your liver does everything for you and its time to start lovin’ it. Lately, I have been trying to really support mine and give it a rest (no more casual drinks for me for a few months). I think back on my early 20’s and shudder when I think about how I treated my poor liver and how it was probably just hanging on by a thread (drinking all the time, having a poor diet, ect #formerwildchild). For anyone who thinks back on their early days and shudder as well, I HAVE GOOD NEWS: your liver can regenerate itself (yay! #thankgod).
If you are wanting to start nourishing it NOW, see my tips below the recipe ♥ I have also included some of the ingredients in the salad and why I included them. Enjoy!
BEETS
I love beets, for many reasons. I love adding them to as many dishes as I can. My mom hates them and
thinks they taste “too earthy” ha-ha! When ever I mention adding beets to juices, she shudders and makes a face (you know which face i’m referring too, mom). Beets are amazing for supporting your liver (as well as other things!). They can help improve your blood flow, may help fight inflammation, improve immune system (thanks to its high vitamin C amounts!), and help support detoxification in your bod. Because beets include betaine, they can help the liver cells eliminate toxins. They are also high in fiber (hello). In this salad, I include both red beets & chioggia beets. Chioggie beets are also known as candy cane beets because of it’s beautiful pink & white stripes. Ugh, I love beautiful food #basic.
CARROTS
Carrots are an easy veggie to add to just about any meal. We use them a LOT in our house. Carrots are very high in vitamins A (in the form of beta-carotene), D, C, and many more. They are also great for detoxing due to the high amounts of fiber in them.
WATERMELON RADISH
This gorgeous pink radish is one of my favorite things to shred onto salads. I get SO excited when they’re in season! Not only are they every food bloggers dream veggie to photograph, but they are also high in vitamins A & C, folate, potassium, calcium and have smaller amounts of iron, copper and selenium.
RED CABBAGE
I loove adding red cabbage to salads. I know its not everyone’s favorite veggie, but I happen to be a big fan. Especially when its packed with vitamins A & C and helps support a healthy immune system. Its a great veggie to help nourish and detoxify your liver too.
- 1 cup shredded red beets + 1 cup shredded chioggia beets
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup shredded watermelon radish
- 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
- 2 cups of sliced or shredded organic, cooked chicken
- 3-4 large handfuls of greens – choose between mixed greens, kale, spinach, romaine, collard greens, ect. Use more if you want larger salad sizes.
- 1 avocado sliced in half (half for each salad)
- 2 tbsp hemp hearts + 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
- sprinkle of chia seeds, for each salad (optional)
- 2 tbsp miso paste
- 1- 1.5 tbsp sesame tahini (I use the brand Nuts to you)
- 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Pinch of sea salt & a bit of cracked pepper
- A few pinches of garlic powder
- 3 tbsp h2o
- 1/4-1/2 tsp honey (optional)
- Separate shredded red beets, carrots, chioggia beets, watermelon radish, cabbage, chicken and greens into two separate bowls
- Do the same for the avocado, hemp hearts, sesame seeds, and chia seeds
- Squeeze a bit of lemon on top of each salad
- For dressing, whisk together remaining ingredients in a bowl. Taste test and adjust ingredients accordingly. Sometimes I add more lemon. There is also a recipe below for an additional salad dressing that you can use with this salad as well.
- * dressing will make extra
You can use different dressings for this salad. Here’s another one that works well:
(I couldn’t add this to the recipe above because of the format I use for recipe posting.. its slightly annoying and I am looking at other options!)
Maple Apple Cider Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp pink sea salt
2 tbsp maple syrup
Squeeze of lemon
1/2 garlic clove chopped or a few pinches of garlic powder
Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk. Adjust according to your taste preference ♥
Other tips to help support your liver:
1. Include other veggies, roots, ect that are incredible for your liver:
Artichokes, celery, apples, dandelion root, burdock root, milk thistle, licorice, turmeric and many more.
2. Avoid smoking and excessive drinking.
3. Sip on some warm lemon water in the AM before breakfast. I use straw when I do this to help protect my teeth!
4. Sip on milk thistle tea OR supplement with it. Check with your doctor or naturopathic doctor to see if it’s right for you!
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday loves and let me know if you try out this salad!
Marcy xx
