Crisper Cleanout Salad

Some weeks the work of this protocol is glamorous and some weeks it is just the half-used cucumber, the soft celery, and the carrots you keep meaning to roast. This salad is for those weeks. Building a meal out of what is already in the drawer is the quiet, repeatable thing that actually moves Autoimmunity toward calm, one ordinary plate at a time.

There is real nourishment hiding in a plate like this. The avocado is a source of monounsaturated fat and potassium, the kind of richness that helps a simple salad feel like a meal rather than a side. The carrots and green lettuce bring beta-carotene and folate, and the color on the plate is its own small report on what you are feeding yourself. None of this needs a cooked element or a long ingredient list to support you.

Set the table even though it is a clean-out meal. Cut the vegetables a little more carefully than they strictly need. The attention you bring to humble food is not wasted. It is part of how you come back to your own body.

Ingredients

• 1 head green lettuce
• 1 small red onion
• 1 small cucumber
• 4 celery stalks
• 4 small carrots
• 2 small avocados
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries (use juice-sweetened, or omit if you are early in elimination; most commercial brands are sweetened and some add seed oils)

Dressing:

• 0.5 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 0.25 cup red wine vinegar
• 0.25 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste

Method

Whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, and salt together in a small jar or bowl until it comes together. Taste and add a little more salt if it needs it.

Chop the lettuce, red onion, cucumber, celery, and carrots into bite-size pieces and add them to a large bowl. Cube the avocados and add them last so they hold their shape, along with the cranberries if you are using them.

Pour the dressing over and toss gently until everything is coated. Serve right away while the avocado is fresh.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*