Microgreen Salad w/ Lime Vinaigrette plus it’s Benefits

What are microgreens? When a plant is showing its first true leaf, that’s the definition of a microgreen. It’s simply the germinated seed shoot that is harvested with scissors. Somewhere between a sprout and a baby veggie. Most of the time it is confused with sprouts which include the seed, root, & stem of the germinated plant as well. They can be made of almost any type of plant.

A study from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry shows how “microgreens do contain a higher concentration (sometimes even four to six times more concentrated) of many nutrients when compared with the mature, fully grown vegetables or herbs.” More specifically, microgreens have high levels of:

Phytonutrients

Antioxidants

Vitamins

Minerals

Enzymes

Because of its high nutrient density and high levels of antioxidants, microgreens are considered a functional food, a food that promotes health or prevents disease. Nutrients provided by microgreens are extremely important for skin, eyes, & fighting cancer & have all sorts of benefits associated with them.

They are an easy way to increase your plant-based vitamin intake in a day.

Sustainable: They’re fun and easy to grow. Because microgreens can be grown in windows & with natural light & indoors with very few supplies, they offer a chance of sustainable setups for growing by individuals.

Microgreen Salad with Lime Vinaigrette:

1 package microgreens (I purchased mine from Whole Foods)

1 watermelon radish sliced

1/3 cup thinly sliced English cucumber

1/3 cup avocado cubed 

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

2 Tbsp lime juice

1/8 tsp dry mustard powder

1/4 tsp salt

4 Tbsp olive oil

coarse sea salt to taste

ground pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine lime juice, olive oil, mustard powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add microgreens, cucumber, radishes, avocado, and cilantro; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Enjoy!