SUMMER DETOX SALAD

I don't know about you but when I'm hoping to shed a kilo or two, I find it really difficult to find a truly low calorie, clean and lean salad when I go to a cafe or restaurant. Don't get me wrong, chefs have become so inventive when it comes to turning what was once a side dish into a gratifying meal to rival even the best main course. But sometimes it takes a whole lot of extra calories to do so. Sauces, croutons and meats are just a few of the things that can significantly increase the calorie content of your salad. Don't get me started on things like pasta or noodle "salads" - to me, they're just a heavy meal served cold.

There's one place, however, that gets 5 stars from me when it comes to offering a completely guilt free salad and that's Le Pain Quotidien. Their detox salad is my go-to whenever I'm there - it's completely guilt-free and yet so satisfying. With a great balance of flavour and texture, it's interesting healthy food so you don't feel cheated or deprived after eating it. Sometimes when we eat "virtuously", our palates get bored and we find ourselves left wanting for something - ANYTHING - to satisfy it. Cue twenty trips to the fridge before succumbing to something naughty and undoing all our hard work. 

This salad is sure to prevent dietary digressions and I've done my very best to recreate the recipe here so you can add it to your meal "rotation" at home!

To serve two people, you will need:

100g tofu, sliced into thin squares.

2 tomatoes, sliced 

1 cucumber, sliced 

1/4 purple cabbage, sliced thinly

2 carrots, julienned

Salt and pepper (optional)

Dressing:

3 tbsp finely chopped cilantro (coriander)

Juice of 2 limes

2 tbsp olive oil

1. Prepare your dressing

2. Shred cabbage, julienne the carrots, then add to a mixing bowl with the dressing and combine.

3. Place the cucumber, tomato and tofu slices around the plate in a circle.

4. In the circle, pile your cabbage/carrot/dressing mix and serve with salt and pepper

Voila! A light, fresh, and simple salad that's low in calories, high in flavour and guaranteed to help you achieve your detox and weight loss goals!

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