I adore Super Bowl Sunday. A bunch of grown-@$$ adults losing their minds over the actions of men in tights. Oh, America.
In all seriousness though, the Super Bowl is a huge deal in Pittsburgh. Obviously, it would be a much bigger deal had the good ol’ black & gold been represented, but it just wasn’t their year. Yet again. I’m not bitter…
But I digress.
I am a huge football fan. Having grown up in a city that practically lives, eats, and breathes Steeler football, I feel as though it was a bit of an inevitability. While I do love the game, I am especially fond of the fact that it brings everyone together. And it all revolves around food. Oh, America.
Regardless of your other game day dishes, this recipe needs to be on your menu Super Bowl Sunday. While the recipe makes one salad, it is easily doubled, tripled, quadrupled, etc. And it literally is a Super bowl. How can you deny the pun?! Don’t even try to fight it. Succumb to the powers of the pun.
Green and Navy V. Red, White, and Blue. They’re butting heads on the field, but the flavors magically mesh in this bowl. Antioxidants, protein, and nutrients galore, this dish is a total score. Rah-rah.
Seattle Green: First, some greenage. I adore my green vegetables this time of year, so I opted to add two. We’re using spinach as the base for this bowl. You can should even chiffonade the leaves to make it resemble turf! Popeye will be proud, as you will be gobbling down some vitamins A & K. If you’re not a broccoli fan, try it roasted. The natural sugars of this tree-like veggie make me go crazy. I just love it. Not to mention that it is full of vitamin C to ward off those winter sniffles.
Seattle Navy & New England Blue: As you could probably imagine, finding a blue food that’s in-season at the moment was near impossible. However, TJ’s came to my rescue. I found BLUE POTATOES, everyone! Technically, they’re purple. But shh. For this application, the blue potatoes will play for both teams, serving as Seattle’s navy and New England’s blue. Who knows; perhaps these roasted beauties can bring these rivals together!
New England Red: Our red will be represented by some vividly crimson roasted beets. You can definitely roast your own, but because of my tiny oven, I usually just buy them pre-roasted. Beets are high in antioxidants and potassium, and they are naturally sweet, which plays off of the roasted vegetables so perfectly. A lovely healthy bite packed with flavor…go ahead. I know you’ll love it.
New England White: Last, some crunch. Some nutty crunch, to be exact. I love peanut butter, I love almond butter, but my true nut love? Cashews. Ultra buttery in texture. Sweet and creamy in taste. I can’t get enough of these things. I like buying the Raw Cashew Pieces from Trader Joe’s because they’re cheaper. To add some extra flavor to this game day grub, I highly suggest you toast the nuts. It’ll take this nut from amazing to downright irresistible.
Last, el dressing. We needed some alluring creaminess in this dish – it is a Super Bowl bowl after all. The addition of hummus to your dressing will make you feel like you are indulging, when you are actually filling yourself up with some protein and healthy fats. I chose a standard “original” flavor, but feel free to get zany! To thin the hummus, and to give the dressing a bit of a bite, I added some apple cider vinegar. Salt, pepper, and a little dried oregano are added, along with another two of my favorite spices: smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. Guys. It’s so tasty. It adds some smokiness (obviously), along with some sweetness and a wee bit of spice, making the taste such a wonderful balance of flavors.
Regardless of your game day allegiance, dare to get festive with this Super bowl. The flavors, textures, and colorful nature are enough to draw you from that giant pile of chicken wings and queso. Add a little freshness to your Super Bowl Sunday a la this gluten free and vegan delight!
The Super bowl (New England & Seattle edition)
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| Prep: | Cook: | Yield: 1 salad | Total: |
Cheer on New England or Seattle with this festively-colored bowl of delight! This gluten free and vegan salad would be a welcomed healthy dish to your game day grub!
You'll Need...
- 2 Tbsp. hummus (I used plain, but feel free to change up the flavors)
- 1 and 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp.+ smoked paprika
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne
- pinch dried oregano
- salt + pepper to taste
- 1 small-medium purple/blue potato, scrubbed and cut into a large dice
- 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and left whole
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 2 Tbsp. raw cashews (pieces or whole)
- 1 medium roasted beet (homemade or store-bought), sliced
- 1 handful of spinach*
Directions
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl or jar, mix hummus, apple cider vinegar, 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika, cayenne, oregano, salt, and pepper. Adjust spices as needed. Be sure that the dressing is pourable; if not, you may need to add more vinegar. Set aside in the fridge.
- Roast the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place diced potato pieces on the sheet, followed by 1 tsp. olive oil, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika to taste. Add the garlic clove. Place in the oven and set a timer for 20 minutes. Give the potatoes a stir every 7-8 minutes.
- As the potatoes are roasting, place broccoli in a small bowl, followed by 1 tsp. olive oil, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika to taste.
- Once your timer goes off, add broccoli mixture to the baking sheet, remove garlic clove, and bake for another 15 minutes, or until potatoes are crispy on the outside and the broccoli is nicely charred.
- Toast your cashews: Add cashews to a small sauce pan. Toast over medium heat, stirring constantly, until slightly browned and fragrant. Set aside.
- Assemble the bowl: Add spinach to a bowl, followed by beet slices, broccoli, and potato pieces. Sprinkle toasted cashews on top, and add salt and pepper if needed. Top with a drizzle of the dressing**.
Additional Notes
*Be crazy; chiffonade the spinach to make it look like turf!
**If you have some of the dressing leftover (I did), just use it as a spiced up hummus! Or roast up some more potatoes, and use it as a healthy creamy potato salad dressing! Heck yes!
Stay classy, Internet friends!
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