After the holidays the need to detox is strong — this detox winter flowers salad is perfect, with the most beautiful colors that the winter season can offer.
I strongly believe in mindful eating; it’s something we can practice daily — a conscious way of eating that does good for both body and spirit.
This detox winter flowers salad was prepared with that intent: discovering at the market the most beautiful winter flowers, whether it’s late Treviso red radicchio, Castelfranco variegated radicchio, pink radicchio, Chioggia radicchio, fennel, Fiolaro broccoli — local seasonal vegetables that nature lets us discover and offers us. I also wanted to add pomegranate, chickpeas, and calycanthus flowers with their waxy little blooms — edible and fragrant. Why did I add them? Because they are restorative, rich in plant hormones useful to strengthen us in winter, so we can regain energy sooner.
As we know, there are many varieties of radicchio available. Radicchio has various healthful properties and is almost calorie-free. Radicchio is perfect for a detox since it’s about 93% water and rich in minerals. It contains calcium, sodium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. If it’s red radicchio, it also contains valuable antioxidants that help keep the skin perfect and youthful.
Let’s color our plates also with the color-diet: each color of fruit and vegetables has different characteristics and properties. To have a good diet, it’s essential to vary colors on the table. I often talk about the color-diet; if you’re interested see:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very low cost
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Other
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Winter
Ingredients
You can use other vegetables depending on the season; what matters is mixing the colors well on the plate.
- 1 head Treviso red radicchio (PGI), late
- 1 head Castelfranco variegated radicchio (PGI)
- 1 head pink radicchio
- 1 head Chioggia radicchio
- 1 oz baby spinach
- 1 oz Fiolaro broccoli (Creazzo)
- 2 oz fennel
- 2 tbsp white celery
- 2 tbsp pomegranate (seeds)
- 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1 orange (juice)
- 1 lime (juice)
- 1 teaspoon lime (zest, grated)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 5 leaves pineapple sage
- 1 tablespoon edible flowers (calycanthus)
Tools
- 1 Bowl blue bowls
- 2 Small bowls small bowls
Steps
Cut all the vegetables into pieces and wash well. Drain the chickpeas, remove the pomegranate seeds, and wash the calycanthus flowers.
Prepare the citronette: grate the lime zest, then squeeze the lime; squeeze the orange as well, and emulsify with oil, salt, and pepper.
Put the vegetables in a bowl, add the pomegranate, fennel fronds, and calycanthus, and dress everything with the citronette.
Tips from Thyme and Lentils
Every season has its flowers — play with the colors of vegetables on the table. You can see, for example, the dandelion salad, or the wild spinach salad, or the spring fields salad. Store your detox winter flowers salad in the refrigerator until the next day, taking care to add the citronette at the last minute.
