Spinach, egg & harissa chopped salad
adapted from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson [1]
In Super Natural, Heidi says she makes a spinach and egg chop as a snack. I took it further, adding grains and more veggies, to bump it up to meal status, plus giving the spinach a raw treatment instead of cooking it. This will be a summer-autumn regular in Casa de SoupAddict, substituting seasonal vegetables and greens as the year progresses (char-grilled corn would be fabulous, I think). For an extra boost of nutrition, sprinkle hemp and/or chia seeds over the salad.
Ingredients:
1 pound spinach leaves, tough and long stems removed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon harissa
2 cups cooked farro, brown rice, quinoa, or your favorite (a combo is nice)
4 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1 medium carrot or 2 baby carrots, chopped into fine dice
1 scallion, thinly sliced
4 or 5 basil leaves, sliced chiffonade
1 palmful pepitas
sea salt, as needed
Instructions:
1. Place the spinach leaves in a large, roomy bowl and drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top — not too much, less than a tablespoon. Add a pinch of salt. Using your fingers, massage the leaves together until they begin to shrink and wilt. Finely chop the leaves and set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and harissa and cook for about a minute, until fragrant (don’t overcook). Remove pan from heat and stir in the spinach, grains, eggs, carrots, scallions, basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss gently to combine well. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.