Farmer’s Market Ranch Salad is a delicious mix of seasonal veggies topped with a creamy Dairy-Free Ranch Salad Dressing. I love wandering around the farmer’s market with no list or menu plan; I pick up whatever looks fresh, local and organic and figure out what to do with it when I get home. You can really play around with the ingredients in this ranch salad by grabbing whatever is in season and plentiful at your farmer’s market. Eating local food is a great way to support small local farmers and the local economy and farmer’s markets are a lot of fun!

Health Benefits of Avocado

The main ingredient in the Dairy-Free Ranch Salad Dressing is avocado; it gives it the delicious creaminess without having to use mayo. Avocados are an excellent salad ingredient because they are full of healthy fat. This fat is essential for the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins (Vitamin A, D, E and K) that are found in the fresh veggies. Avocados sometimes get a bad rep being high in fat, however, two-thirds of the fat in avocados is monounsaturated fat. The monounsaturated fat found in avocados actually reduces the risk of heart disease, lowers LDL cholesterol levels (the “bad” cholesterol) and increases HDL cholesterol levels (the “good” cholesterol). Avocados are also great for your skin because the essential fats are the building blocks for collagen, which is a protein that keeps your skin elastic, looking young and wrinkle free.

This ranch salad makes an excellent lunch or side dish. It is really easy to make as most of the time is spent prepping the vibrant fresh veggies. I like a thick and creamy dressing on my salads. If the dressing is too thick for your tastes, add additional almond milk until you have reached the desired consistency. If you find yourself with leftover dressing, you can use it as a veggie dip or sandwich spread! The dressing will last about 3 days in the fridge.

Farmer’s Market Ranch Salad

(gluten free, paleo, raw vegan)

Prep time: 15 minutes

Serving size: 2 mains, 4 sides

Ingredients:

• 10 cups mixed salad greens
• 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
• ¼ cucumber, sliced and cut into quarters
• ½ lb yellow wax or green beans, cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1 orange pepper, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 ear of organic corn

Dairy-Free Ranch Dressing

• 1 garlic clove
• ½ avocado
• 3 Tbsp almond milk
• 2 tsp fresh chives
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp fresh dill
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ¼ tsp salt

Directions:

1. To make the dressing place the garlic in the food processor and run until minced. Add the avocado, almond milk, chives, parsley, cider vinegar, dill, salt and pepper and process until smooth. Add additional almond milk if the dressing is too thick.
2. Place the salad greens, tomatoes, cucumber, beans and orange pepper, carrots and corn in a large salad bowl and toss with the ranch dressing.

 What is your favourite Farmer’s Market? I like St. Lawrence Market and Evergreen Brick Works, both located in Toronto.