Spring is here and with it comes the time of serious dieting! From this week on I want to dedicate a little time to preparing light recipes and meals.
To start with, I prepared a beautiful and super-healthy salad with only a little amount of calories, but full of crunchy flavours!
This salad can definitely be a very satisfying low-cal lunch, low in fat and carb, but rich in fibres, potassium, protein and vitamin C.
As a side dish, it goes well with several courses and you can serve it with feta cheese, if you prefer a richer kind of salad.
If I were to imagine this salad as a dress, it would be a feel-good garment made of a strong natural fibre, with a very cheerful but elegant floral pattern. Suitable for mid-season, with a comfortable slimming line. Definitely a perfect fit!… I know, It’s just a salad! 🙂
Corn salad with red cabbage, fava beans and apples.
Ingredients
Preparation: 15 minutes
For 2 servings
60 g (2 oz) corn salad (or lamb’s lettuce)
a handful of almonds, shelled
50 g (1.76 oz) fresh fava beans (with the pods removed)
2 small apples, washed
130 g (4.58 oz) red cabbage
the juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to taste
Method.
1. Wash, and clean and dry the corn salad.
2. Wash, and slice the cabbage finely and arrange it on the plates.
3. Place the fava beans over the cabbage, then add the salad leaves.
4. Cut and marinate the apples in the juice of half a lemon for a few minutes. Then, mix the apples and the almonds with the salad (breaking some almonds into pieces).
5. Season with plenty of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
Insalata croccante con cavolo rosso, fave e valerianella.
Ingredienti
Per 2 persone
Preparazione:15 minuti
60 g di valerianella
una manciata di mandorle sgusciate
50 g di fave fresche, senza scorza
2 mele, lavate
130 g di cavolo rosso
il succo di mezzo limone
sale e pepe q.b.
4 cucchiai di olio extravergine d’oliva q.b.
Preparazione.
1. Lavate e asciugate la valerianella.
2. Lavate il cavolo e tagliatelo finemente. Sistematelo sul fondo dei piatti.
3. Aggiungete le fave, posizionatele sopra il cavolo con la valerianella.
4. Aggiungete le mandorle (sbriciolandone solo alcune) con le mele tagliate a pezzetti e precedentemente marinate nel succo di mezzo limone per qualche minuto.
5. Condite con abbondante olio extra vergine d’oliva, sale e pepe.
Foodfulife 
I love such fresh, bright and loaded with greens salads 😀
Never seen and tried fresh fava beans, you just removed the pods and use them?
Thank you!!! Yes, you have to remove the pods, they come off quite easily. They taste a little like peas, but they are crunchier and slightly bitter. This is why I added the apples.
They are nice and very healthy. In Italy, in this season, we eat them with salty fresh cheese and salami, it’s a traditional thing.
To me you have chosen the right one for Fridgg but I love the overhead too. I think taking pictures of salads is really challenging and this looks delicious 🙂
Thank you Helene! 🙂 I quite enjoy taking photographs vegetables. I think they require some attention when you arrange them on the plate, it can take a little time. But they are quite photogenic 🙂 Thanks for visiting :-)))
A healthy and tasty salad. I like simply but good food.
Nice blog.
Chantal
Hi Chantal, nice to meet you! 🙂
I prepared this salad a few days ago, for lunch. By chance, I decided to put it on the blog. I loved the colours and the nutritional value, so I made it again and I publish it! 🙂
Nice to meet you too Serena!
Chantal
Hi Serena! Your salad is so beautiful and really what I start craving this time of year!
Thanks Julianna! I am trying to get back into shape, I enjoyed it, I have to say. 🙂
Yummy! I love fava beans but I’ve never had them fresh in a salad like that before. Would love to try it.
Hi shelley! We eat fresh fava bean quite often in Italy. They are really lovely and very healthy. They contain a lot of proteins an vitamin C.
Fava beans are perfect served with cheese on the side and eaten directly from the pod, as an appetizer of a side dish. Try them and let me know. 🙂
Hi Serena! I have not visited your blog in ages! I have been missing out on your wonderful recipes. This salad being one. I love how fresh and, as you say, colorful the salad is. I am finally seeing fava beans at the market and I’ll have to pick some up to try them fresh. Sounds wonderful. I like how your plated your salad, it’s so perfect. 🙂
🙂 Thank you, you are always so kind!!! Fava beans are delicious! It’ possible to make various recipes with them, they are so healthy and versatile 🙂
Such pretty colors! Great idea with the fava beans.
Thank you! They are very tasty 🙂