Super Bowl Monday like whoa.
If a barrelful of salty potato chips, small pile of vegan cookies, and heaps of hummus, guacamole, and salsa made their way into your belly yesterday, then you and I are probably kindred spirits. And you and I are probably also feeling a little sluggish and worn down today.
So if you're in need of a lighter, fresher, greener meal landscape to rebound from the fun, I've got your back (and my own back, too).
Cruciferous green veggies for days.
Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts, are often hailed for their wide-ranging health benefits¹, including:
1| Detoxification support. Cruciferous veggies are highly regarded for their ability to balance Phase I liver detoxification with Phase II detoxification. Given that the end product of Phase I detoxification is sometimes more dangerous than the initial toxin itself, it's important to support Phase II detoxification (i.e., conjugation) to ensure that oxidized chemicals are adequately processed and escorted out of our bodies.²
2| Potential role in cancer prevention. Cruciferous veggies are believed to both balance and support the delicate interconnections between the body's detoxification, antioxidant, and inflammatory systems. Combined dysfunction across these three systems is believed to be "a hallmark of increased cancer risk,"¹ so foods that support functionality and harmony within these systems are believed to play a unique role in cancer prevention.
3| Digestion friendly. Cruciferous veggies are touted for their high concentration of fiber, offering nearly half the daily value of dietary fiber in a mere 100 calorie serving. They also contain compounds that help protect our stomach lining against mischievous bacteria.¹
4| Vitamins and minerals to boot! I'm talking Vitamin A; Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, and B6; Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc, and Manganese.
The general consensus is that cruciferous veggies have an overall positive effect within our bodies; however, as with anything and everything, we're unique individuals with unique needs and bodies, so if you have doubts or concerns (e.g., goitrogens' effect on thyroid function), check with your doctor.
Alright, now that we have the basics squared away, let's take a look at this recipe, shall we?
The base for the salad is made of shredded brussels sprouts, grated broccoli, raisins or dried currants, and raw sunflower seeds.
Once the brussels sprouts and broccoli have been sliced, diced, and shredded, you'll have a choice to make:
1| You can keep the salad raw, and transfer everything straight to a serving bowl. This keeps the salad fresh and crunchy and is a great option if you don't mind the bite of raw broccoli and brussels sprouts.
2| You can lightly pan cook or steam the veggies to soften their pungent bite. Just be careful not to overcook them or the texture will fall flat.
Once you have everything in a serving bowl, you'll whip up a sweet, tangy, and subtly spiced creamy cashew curry dressing. I first shared this dressing in this dressing recipe back in the fall, and it's one of my all-time favorites. It's made by blending together soaked raw cashews, filtered water, apple cider vinegar, fresh lemon juice, curry powder, pure maple syrup, and sea salt until silky smooth.
I love that pretty pale yellow hue.
Once the dressing is ready, pour it over the salad, and toss to coat. I like to prepare this salad in advance and refrigerate it for a few hours to let the flavors meld together. Plus, the acidity in the dressing naturally softens and wilts the vegetables.
The creamy, tangy dressing is balanced by sweetness of the dried fruit, the savoriness of the sunflower seeds, and the fresh crunch of the vegetables.
And let's not forget where this conversation started way back up there ↑. Again, I'm no expert, but I'm quite confident that this salad with detox the weekend and the Mondays right out of you.
📖 Recipe
Broccoli & Brussels Sprout Detox Slaw with Creamy Curry Dressing
Ingredients
Broccoli + Brussels Sprout Slaw
- 2 small heads of broccoli, ends trimmed and sliced into florets and tender stems
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed
- 1 cup raisins or dried currants
- ½ cup raw shelled sunflower seeds
Creamy Curry Cashew Dressing
- ¾ cup cashews, soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes to soften and drained
- ¾ cup filtered water
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 2 ½ teaspoons pure maple syrup
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- If you have a food processor with grater and slicing attachments, you'll definitely want to use it to expedite the slicing and shredding process. If you don't, you use a mandolin to shred the Brussels sprouts or very thinly slice them by hand; and use a box grated to grate the broccoli florets and tender parts of the stems.
- If you're using a food processor, set it up with the grater attachment and run the broccoli florets and tender stems through to thoroughly grate. Then, affix the slicing attachment and run the Brussels sprouts through to shred.
- Transfer the grated broccoli and shredded Brussels sprouts to a large serving bowl or see note* for cooked option. Add the dried fruit and sunflower seeds.
- Then, make the creamy curry cashew dressing by adding the soaked cashews, water, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, curry powder, maple syrup, and sea salt sea salt to a high-speed blender. Blend on high until completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss to thoroughly coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
¹Information retrieved from The World's Healthiest Foods
²Information retrieved from The Leaf Lady
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Celeste Jackson says
I'm in! My winter diet is getting the best of me....this sounds like the perfect cure!
Ashley says
I hear you! I had been consuming pasta and tortilla chips like they were going out of style up until this week, and now all I'm craving are veggies and greens. Our bodies always nudge us back in the right direction, don't they?
Kate Stewart says
I just made this and OMG dude- so crazy delicious. Thank you !!
Ashley says
So happy to hear you're enjoying it, Kate! Thanks for taking the time to come back and share your thoughts—it means a lot!
Matt H. says
This recipe sounds amazing to me, and I'm a hard-core meat-eater, but I still love broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
I'm just wondering why you soak the cashews and then drain the water, instead of reserving it for the water called for the make the dressing? Is there something the comes out of the cashews that you don't want? I would think if there are any nutrients leached into the water, you would want to save them.
Ashley says
Thanks for the kind words, Matt!
Beyond making the cashews softer and easier to blend, soaking helps remove phytic acid. Phytic acid blocks the absorption of iron, zinc, and calcium during the meal, so although it isn't much of a concern in a balanced diet with a wide variety of foods, it can lead to nutrient deficiencies in diets where foods rich with phytic acid (e.g., grains, legumes, nuts) are the primary food source. Bottom line: if you're taking the time to soak the cashews, it probably makes sense to toss the soaking water and use fresh filtered water for the dressing. Hope this clarifies!
Janmarie says
This is delicious!! Very well received at the pot luck I brought it to. It seems like too much dressing, but it's not. It also keeps well. Thanks and yum! (For some reason the site only let's me give it 4 stars btw...but I tried to give it 5!)
Ashley says
Thanks for taking the time to come back and share your feedback on the recipe, Janmarie! Thrilled to hear it was a potluck hit!
p.s. Thanks for your note about the star issue. You know, sometimes this recipe plugin is just straight-up glitchy. I've heard others reports that they have can't rate a recipe with five stars from a tablet but that they can from a pc/phone. Maybe that's what was happening for you too? Thankfully, I'm in the process of slowly but surely converting all 400 of my recipes (one by one) to a new, less glitchy recipe plugin. Hopefully the rating issue will disappear with the new one!
Lex says
Can't wait to make this for Thanksgiving <3
Jaclyn says
This is really delicious! Once you've made the dressing and cut up the veggies, it's also really quick to assemble as a lunch or dinner side.
Joana says
I really need this salad. I've been dealing with compulsive eating (binge eating) for 9 months and I just can't handle it anymore. Can't remember the last time I had a meal, an actual meal. All I eat all day for the past months is chocolate, donuts, boxes of cereals, bread with cheese and cookies.
Definitely need to seet down with a bowl of this glorious salad and get back on my feet.
Ashley says
Joana, thank you for sharing so openly and candidly here. I'm thinking of you and sending all my best. I'm usually not one to offer unsolicited advice, but if you're open to it, I strongly, strongly recommend checking out @caraskitchen on Instagram (Instagram.com/caraskitchen) and maybe even reaching out, too. She's a health + empowerment coach who specializes in binge eating recovery (using an intuitive eating approach and Health At Every Size), and she's a phenomenal human. Her podcast (Love Your Bod Pod) is also a wonderful resource. You can absolutely heal your relationship with food. I'll email this to you, too. Want to make sure you see it! All my best, Ashley
Dana says
This look delicious, and I can't wait to make it; however, I may be in the minority in that I do not really like sweets, especially in savory dishes, like salads. My concern is that the raisins and maple syrup will make this dish too sweet for my taste preferences. Do you have any suggestions for replacing those two ingredients with something else to make it more savory? I would experiment myself, as I often do, but I'd hate to ruin so many delicious cashews with the wrong choice.
Ashley says
Hi, Dana! Hmm, this is a tough question to answer. In this particular salad, the sweetness of the maple syrup and raisins really brings the other flavors to life. Instead of eliminating them or replacing, I'd recommend cutting back to suit your taste preferences or trying this Brussels sprout salad instead: https://www.blissfulbasil.com/superseeded-brussels-sprout-and-kale-detox-salad/