Seduced by Sunflower Sprouts in a Spring Salad

I fell madly in love while strolling through my neighborhood farmer’s market last weekend. Sitting right next to the ramps was a basket brimming with sunflower sprouts. I was drawn to how wild and unruly they looked and, with my affinity for all things small, I couldn’t pass them up. I’ve been obsessed ever since and have been adding them to almost everything I eat, including my favorite spring salad.

Sunflower sprouts are the miniature seedlings of the sunflower plant. Although small and delicate, they are packed with tons of flavor, texture and nutrition. They are nutritional powerhouses loaded with chlorophyll, iron, vitamins (A, D, B-complex, C, E), minerals and a surprisingly high amount of protein. In fact, pound for pound, they contain almost as much protein as chicken! Their succulent leaves and thick stems add a juicy crunch and visual appeal when tossed in salads, sprinkled on soups, layered in sandwiches, blended in vegetable juices, or gently sauteed with garlic and olive oil to garnish a plate of grilled salmon or lamb.

I’ve been sneaking them into almost all my meals and recently used them in my Soft Shell Crab Pakora Po’ Boy recipe. But my favorite way to eat them right now is in simple salads along with the variety of fresh vegetables that are available. Nowadays, it’s radishes, cucumbers, carrots and avocados. I begin by thinly slicing the vegetables using a mandolin or a sharp knife and tossing in a handful of rinsed sunflower sprouts into this mix. I then stir in a homemade dressing of whole grain mustard, lemon, olive oil, slivered shallots, salt and chili pepper.

I love how crisp, refreshing, lemony, raw and from-the-earth this salad tastes. And all because of these wonderfully wild sprouts. It tastes so good that I’ve been fantasizing about it as I sit here typing and will have to make myself another plate of it right after I launch this post.

Happily obsessed,
~ Anjali

A printable list of ingredients and directions are at the end of this post,
along with an image of this Perfect Morsel.

First up, the dressing. Whisk together the whole grain mustard, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt and chilli pepper (optional, but highly recommended) in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. I prefer whole grain mustard to the other kinds available for the added crunch and texture the mustard seeds lend to the salad.

Remove the outer ring of the shallot. Using a sharp knife, cut the shallot into thin slivers. Place shallots into a colander and rinse under cold water.

Mix the shallots into the dressing and set aside. Rinsing the shallots and then pickling them in the dressing brings out their sweetness and takes the sharp edge off of them.

Rinse and pat dry the carrots, cucumbers and radishes. For added nutrition. especially if using organic vegetables, leave their skins on. Using a sharp knife or a mandolin, cut the vegetables into thin slices as shown above. Chop the avocado into small bite-sized pieces.

Place the cut up vegetables onto a plate. Toss in the rinsed sunflower sprouts and spoon on the desired amount of dressing. I usually use a couple of tablespoons for each plate.

Here’s an incredibly flavorful bite of my favorite spring salad of the moment.