Everything Green Salad

Serves 4-6
Vegan

It is a fact that green colored food is some of the most nourishing food you can put into your body. It is also a fact that green food is associated with bland, bitter, and boring consumption, practiced as punishment for crappy diets. Fear not. I invented a green salad that is delicious, satisfying, and sure to make you feel like a champ after your weekend of onion rings and soda pop.

2 cups of whole grains (barley, brown rice, wheat berries, quinoa, spelt, whatever you like)
your favorite dried herbs (I like thyme and basil)
1 green pepper
3 or 4 green onions
a ton of parsley (1-2 bunches)
1 avocado, chopped
a few handfuls of frozen, canned, or fresh shelled edamame (soy beans)
a few handfuls of frozen green peas
a few handfuls of pistachios
mustard (I love really grainy brown mustard, but use whatever you have around)
4-5 limes (juice and zest)
olive oil
apple cider vinegar
salt & pepper
a bunch of fresh spinach

Cook the grains according to the package directions, but dump in a bunch of dried herbs into the water.

While the grains are boiling, chop up the green pepper, the green onions, all of your parsley (much more than you think you need), and the avocado. Once the grains are done, put them into a huge bowl and add all the chopped veggies. Add the edamame, the peas, and the pistachios.

For the dressing, spoon 5 or 6 tablespoons of good mustard into a bowl. To the mustard add the juice and zest of the limes. Add a few splashes of apple cider vinegar, a bunch of salt and pepper, and whisk all of this together. Then, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Keep checking it until you like the consistency and flavor (add more vinegar or juice to make it more sour or more olive oil to make it flatter).

Pour the dressing over the veggies and grains and toss everything together. Serve the mixture over a bed of fresh spinach.