Arugula, Pear and Walnut Salad

With the holiday season comes lots of baking, cooking, eating and drinking. 

That means bring on the sweet indulgences and comfort foods that are seasonally acceptable and all too tempting (hello, vegan mac & cheese). 

Throughout the holiday battle of indulging in things we want while trying not to go overboard, there are yummy days that appear. Days where our bodies crave something light. Something with greens that we can feel good about. Something with all the plants. Preferably, this “something” is a beautiful salad that quickly comes together. Like, in less than 5 minutes together… and doesn’t require much chopping effort in the kitchen because um, we have holiday things to do. 

Salads are my go-to solution because:

• they’re an easy way to get in my daily greens
• they make me feel healthy and nourished so I make better food choices throughout the day
• they can be super easy; the less ingredients a salad has the better it usually tastes, I swear

Sometimes I add too many ingredients to my salads and the flavors get lost. So I’ve been making an effort lately to keep my salads as SIMPLE as can be.

Less is more.

This method of ‘keeping it simple’ works wonders.

Works wonders for your taste buds too as you can appreciate and taste everything with every bite. Plus, it’s much better for digestion. Remember, the less ingredients we consume at every meal, the easier it is on our digestive systems. If you read my vegan starter guide, you learned all about the importance of proper digestion and how to achieve it – keeping meals as simple and as raw as possible, being one of my top tips!

This Arugula, Pear and Walnut Salad encompasses raw foods, seasonal foods, a 4-ingredient (water doesn’t count) delicious dressing and pure simplicity.

Like, you can’t mess this up.

Pears and arugula just go together. From the sweet juiciness of Bartlett pears to the peppery bite of arugula, this recipe grasps the balance of a perfect salad. The tartness of dried cranberries and crunchiness of chopped walnuts add an extra layer of delicious texture. Plus, it tastes beyond refreshing after the holiday goodies and thick coconut hot chocolates you’ve been loving. 

The holidays can be hard with tempting treats but as long as you balance it out with plenty of greens and give your body the raw plant foods it needs to function at an optimal level, you’ll conquer this holiday season like the health guru you are. One major perk about being vegan: most of the temptations at holiday parties disappear because you literally can’t eat them… but I have been experimenting more with baking the past few weeks, like using vegan butter and coconut oil which I rarely use, so I need this salad in a major way.

I’ve been eating it all day and feel amazing.

You need this simplicity in your life.

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Perfect for any holiday party, simple lunch or as a dinner side. Since it serves about 2 people, I would double or triple the recipe for a party.

What are your favorite holiday salads?! Share below in the comments 🙂