I want to do an in depth post on iron soon, but until then, here’s a couple helpful tips on iron absorption (just talking plant based iron here – I’ll talk about heme iron in the upcoming post). Some excellent sources of plant based iron are legumes, dark leafy greens, whole grains, chili peppers, asparagus, parsley, turmeric, cumin, onions, seeds, beets, broccoli, herbs, and so many more. Women of child bearing years and children have increased iron requirements and there are a couple easy ways to increase absorption of plant based iron! First, adding a vitamin C rich food with the iron rich food will increase absorption. Think bright fruit and vegetables like citrus, strawberries, bell peppers and tomatoes. Studies have shown that combining vitamin C and iron can increase bioavailability up to 4-6 fold! Second, adding in something from the allium family, like chives, scallions, shallots, onion, leeks or garlic can increase absorption up to 65.9 – 73.3 percent in grains and pulses respectively!
This salad is packed with iron and if you make the dressing, lentils and pumpkin seeds ahead of time, it only takes a few minutes to throw together. I did a quick count of the iron in the kale, pumpkin seeds, lentils, tahini and cilantro and came up with approximately 14-15 mg of iron in this one salad (if you eat half of this recipe) which is approximately 78% of your DV if you are a woman and 51% if you are pregnant! Just in this one meal! See how easy it is to get more than enough iron from a diversity of plants?!
summer chop salad
adapted from sprouted kitchen
serves 2-4
spicy pepitas ingredients
extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
pinch of sea salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
cilantro dressing ingredients
handful of cilantro
1 garlic clove
1 tsp. dijon mustard (no sugar added)
2 Tbsp. tahini (I like Artisana or Soom)
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
juice from half a lemon
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
salad ingredients
1 bundle of Lacinato/Tuscan Kale, stemmed and well chopped
1/4 of a red onion, shaved thin
1 cup dry beluga or french lentils, cooked
2 avocados, pitted and cubed
2 peaches, pitted and cubed
directions
To make the spicy pepitas, warm the olive oil in a small sauté pan (I used cast iron) over medium heat. Add the pepitas, salt, cayenne and garlic powder and stir to coat. Continue to stir until the seeds are toasted, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
For the dressing, in a blender, combine the cilantro, garlic, dijon, tahini, salt, pepper, cider vinegar and lemon juice. Blitz a few times to chop. Add the olive oil and whiz until everything is well combined. Store in refrigerator for up to a few days if making ahead.
In a large salad bowl, add the chopped kale. Add a drizzle of the dressing and work it into the kale with your hands, breaking down some of the structure so the kale is nicer to eat. Add the onion, lentils, avocados, peaches, handful of the pepitas and toss to coat. Serve the salad with a few spicy pepitas on top.
