Winter Comforts for the Raw Foodists: The Art of Blended Salads 
by Tera Warner

They may not be pretty, but they sure are nourishing, and as many of us discovered in our recent Green Smoothie Challenge, Green Smoothies are great, but at this time of the year, hearty vegetables are nourishing and needed.

If you want to be able to increase the amount of greens and other vegetables, you'll want to know how to make a blended salad, or raw green "soup."

Of course, like green smoothies, the nutrients are easier to digest and assimilate than if you were to crunch on a salad. I heartily recommend chewing, because it is an important part of the digestive process, but these ideas are a great way to give your body a nutritional boost and help to change the scenery from the average salad by letting you practice the art of perfuming and recipe making.

So, before you begin your blended salad, think of yourself as a perfumer. If you've ever made your own essential oil blend, then you know exactly what I'm talking about.

1. Just add one ingredient at a time.

2. Taste it, and adjust it accordingly.

If you go ahead and randomly dump stuff into the blender, you may luck out and get a great effect, but tasting, adjusting and delicately working with the different "layers" of the recipes will bring you the greatest results.

3. Remember: Perfumers don't eat garlic, onions or other strong foods because it affects their perceptions. If you've recently eaten strong or spicy foods, and you really want to "get" all the flavors of this creation, then you may want to wait until those strong flavors have moved out.

Otherwise, you'll have tendency to find the recipe "bland" or dull if it doesn't contain the spice or strength that you've still got on your palate.

All right, let's get started!

My major ingredients to have on hard are tomatoes, cucumbers and celery or zucchini. Any big, juicy veg is going to make for some great soupy consistency.

On hand, and according to your own tastes and desires, you'll need:
Bell pepper, spinach, lettuce and other tasty greens. Try some fennel, some apple, or anything you're inspired to use. Definitely plan for a squirt of lemon or lime to zing it up.

And if you're a fan, consider some green onions, chives, dill, cilantro or other fresh herbs. Avoid anything that is too bitter as it will overtake the taste. Remember, you'll be adding these a bit at a time, to really get what you feel to be the "perfect" combination.

Pull out your blender (here's hoping it's a Vita-Mix or equivalent).

Start with the liquid ingredients first. Tomatoes are super-juicy and cucumbers are best broken into smaller pieces.

Blend these up!

Once you've got the juicy base of your blended salad started, you can add the zest and flavors. 

While some may be inclined to use salt or seasonings, I've never felt great using those ingredients regularly. One salt substitute that I don't mind is "celery salt". You can actually buy celery salt in the supermarket, but if you've got a dehydrator, then it's much nicer to make your own.

Just dry bits of celery onto your dehydrator trays, and when thoroughly dehydrated, you can blend them up into a fine powder and use this as a salt replacement.

Go ahead and experiment with whatever you can find in your local produce market. Of course, for some people, this can be a bit overwhelming. That's why, we've included the following list of the most common market greens and how best to use them.

Empowerment In The Produce Section

If you've ever wandered into the vegetable section of your local organic health food store and stared in wonder and confusion at the assortment of greens, then this little list of the best ways to use the most common greens should be helpful!

Common Greens and How to Use 'Em

Arugula* (salads, soups, smoothies- but this can be strong, so use with respect)
Beet greens* (salads, smoothies, soups, steaming) - Beet greens 
Turnip greens (steaming, salads)
Bok choy (salads, steaming
Broccoli (salads, steaming, cooked soups)
Broccoli raab "Rapini" (steaming, cooked soups, salads)
Cabbage (salads, steaming/sater sauté, cooked soups)
Celery* (salads, soups, smoothies)
Chard* (steaming, smoothies, salads)
Collard* (steaming, smoothies, soups)
Kale* (red, green, or "black") Best for steaming, smoothies, salads.
Lettuce* (green/red leaf, Boston, Romaine. Skip iceberg. Not much nutritional value to speak of.) 
Parsley* (yum. The best ingredient for thick puddings).
Spinach*
Sprouts: broccoli, radish, clover, alfalfa
Sunflower Greens*
Watercress

* mixes well with fruit

Green Fixin's
These little green extras can be added to salads and soups in small quantities:

Chives
Cilantro
Dandelion
Dill
Escarole 
Mint (smoothies)

I don't eat onions or garlic, but for those who do, you might like to add garlic greens and green onions to your soups!
I hope these little tips inspire you to whip out the blender for a wintery Green Salad adventure! 

Remember: you can heat soups up to warm them. Some blenders, left long enough, will actually boil foods. You can just heat them to the same temperature you comfortably would heat your skin. Be sure to send us your recipes and keep us posted on your success!

Contact us to put your great ideas here!

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