This Thousand Island Power Salad Bowl with Creamy Mango and Poppy Seed Dressing not only is a veritable nutrition powerhouse, it's also a total explosion of flavors and textures. Who ever said salads were boring?
Soak the wheat berries for 8 to 12 hours, then drain, rinse and put them in a saucepan with 3 cups of salted water. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer until the grains are tender but still pleasantly chewy, about 25 to 30 minutes. Once cooked, drain off any excess water and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450°F and cut the sweet potato into small cubes. Arrange the cubes onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until soft. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt as soon as you remove them from the oven, if desired, and set aside.
Blanch the broccoli florets in boiling water for about 1 minute, then drain and plunge them into a bath of icy cold water to stop the cooking.
Next, prep the rest of your ingredients: rinse and drain your mixed beans; rinse and drain your corn kernels, if applicable; shave the red cabbage, chop the cilantro and mint leaves.
Finally, make the dressing: simply place all the ingredients into a large measuring cup or glass container and process with a stick blender until smooth and creamy. You could also use a small food processor for this.
To assemble your salad bowls, place a large handful (about 2 cupof baby lettuce leaves at the bottom of 4 fairly large bowls. Sprinkle each bowl with equal amounts of cilantro and mint, then top with the cooked wheat berries, sweet potatoes, shaved cabbage, corn kernels, mixed beans and broccoli florets, arranging them in sections around the bowl.
Drizzle generously with the creamy mango poppy seed dressing and dig right in!
Notes
*If using frozen corn kernels, there’s no need to cook the corn first; just rinse it under cold running water until it's completely thawed and then drain it well. If using canned, drain and rinse well. If using fresh, use it whichever way you prefer: cooked and cooled, cooked and still warm, or even raw! Just be sure to cut those kernels off the cobs!