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Food

Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad with Almond Ricotta

Serves 2 to 3.

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Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad
Both refreshing and light, this mouth-watering recipe makes a great summer salad. It is essentially vegan minus the honey and is also very filling because of the nuts. Tasty with the almond cheese, this recipe also works very well with a nice goat feta. Best tomato choice A colourful mixture is best for this refreshing salad because yellow and orange tomatoes are lower in acid than red tomatoes. An heirloom variety called Oaxacan Jewel is a great choice since it combines all of those colours. Notes
  • Almonds provide heart-healthy unsaturated fats, protein, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids and are known to be helpful in preventing high levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in the blood.
  • Soaking nuts in water before use is thought to deactivate enzyme inhibitors to improve the bioavailability and digestibility of nutrients.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (250 mL) blanched almonds
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) filtered water
  • 1/2 tsp (2 mL) sea salt, divided
  • Pinch of pepper
  • 1/4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp (30 mL) thinly sliced fresh basil
  • 2 Tbsp (30 mL) coconut nectar vinegar or balsamic vinegar
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) raw honey
  • 3 cups (750 mL) cubed watermelon flesh
  • 1 each red tomato, yellow tomato, and orange tomato, cut into wedges
  • 2 cups (500 mL) arugula

Nutrition

Per serving:

  • calories 450
  • protein, 35 g fat 10g
    • saturated fat 4g
    • trans fat 0g
  • carbohydrates 30g
    • sugars 20g
    • fibre 67g
  • sodium 66mg

Directions

01
For almond ricotta, place almonds into small bowl and add enough water to cover them. Let soak for 2 to 3 hours or overnight. Strain water from nuts and place them into food processor with 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt and pinch of pepper; blend until contents resemble ricotta cheese.
02
For dressing, whisk together oil, basil, vinegar, garlic, honey, remaining salt, and pepper until combined.
03
Place watermelon, tomatoes, arugula, and dressing in medium-sized bowl and toss well.
04
Garnish with almond ricotta by placing small dollops on salad.

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