VEGGIE LE CRUNCH
Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 1:45PM 
There is nothing French about this recipe at all. But if you say anything with a French accent when you are not French, it makes you smile. Try it, veggie le crunch. It's funny.
There has been all sorts of on-the-go-ness going on lately. It's always something. Keeping busy is really a skill I could put on my resume, I am excellent at it. Needless to say, I am tired of protein bars, trail mix and pears. They are foods intended to be had in small doses, and my bod has been starving for vegetables. I do believe our bodies tell us what they need, and contrary to popular belief, there is such a thing as craving lettuce. I needed these wraps badly, and the 'large batch' I intended to snack on through the week, was gone by the end of the day. You can call it lack of self control, but I think it was more of a survival reflex.
VEGGIE LE CRUNCH // Serves 2
I suggest using farmers market and or organic vegetables here. When you are eating them raw like this, the genuine flavor of the vegetables is important.
6-7 Radishes, depending on size
1 1/4 Cup Black Beans, cooked and drained
1 Cucumber
1 Cup Diced Pineapple
Handful of Fresh Basil
1 Head of Lettuce (any soft green will do)
// Avocado Dressing //
You could make this vegan by using 2 tbsp. olive oil and an extra tbsp. of vinegar in place of the buttermilk.
1 Avocado
1/4 Cup Buttermilk
1 Tbsp. Honey (more to taste)
1 Tbsp. Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar
Juice of One Lime
Splash of Cholua/Tapatio Hot Sauce
Salt/Pepper
1. In a small blender or in a bowl, mix the avocado, buttermilk, vinegar, lime, honey, hot sauce and salt and pepper to combine. The blender will make it smooth, but a bowl and whisk will still get you a dressing consistency.
2. Use a mandoline to slice the radishes thin. Cut in fourths. Peel and halve the cucumber, scoop out the seeds and dice into small pieces. In a large bowl, combine the radish, cucumber, black beans, diced pineapple and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add desired amount of fresh basil (chopped or slivered).
3. Here is where you make a decision for yourself. Hugh prefers to put the veggie mix in the lettuce leaf and dribble dressing on top. I prefer to mix my dressing with the veggies and put them in the leaf, already dressed. Six of one, half dozen of another. Except my way is probably better ;)
Reader Comments (60)
That avocado dressing sounds lovely!
Jenn
This looks so fresh and yummy! It's dreary out right not, but once the weather is sunny again I will have to make some lettuce wraps. Thanks for sharing!
I crave lettuce too! But unfortunately, it's gone from my garden. I might have some young chard I could make this recipe with. The addition of the pineapple makes it look so good!
I love the sound of this crunch salad with creamy avocado dressing! I am bookmarking this for future summer parties, it sounds delicious and different :)
What a great way to use the fresh basil I'm growing as well as my weekly farmers market purchases... just in time for the Memorial Day BBQ. Thanks for the idea!
I totally agree with you, the body knows!
I have lettuce cravings too:)
This salad sounds super fresh and a bit exotic
Yum. Seriously, this reminds me of a meal I once had at a Chinese Market--of course, yours is much higher quality, and sounds delicious.
Oh I need veggies too. Might have to put these on the to-make STAT list.
Veggie Le Crunch sure beats protein bars!
Yum this looks really good, I totally think our bodies know what they want to eat when we lack in the veggie department. I just picked up the prettiest bunch of radishes at the farmers market today. The variety is even called French radishes!
Another great one! Can't wait to try...
You're funny. And this looks yummy!!
I stumbled across your website yesterday and I am totally struggling to stop browsing it, I love your writing style it is so easy to read and really makes you feel more like a friend than another blogger on the internet, somewhere... I love the photography.. I love how each image is captured and the beautiful lighting, it inspires me! And the food, gosh! lets just say that my mouth constantly waters. I love your site!
this looks so delicious! I can't wait to try it!
so pretty! I adore making lettuce wraps of any sort... and had some amazing ones in Paris recently.
I'm totally intrigued. Some days are just crunch days, I feel that way, too.
could your blog BE more beautiful?
Even though these are mainly spring ingredients, this recipe gets me totally pumped for summer eating. I love it when dinner comes straight from the cutting board.
i gotta say, the title did make me chuckle!
lettuce wraps are perfect spring/summer snacks - great lookin' recipe!
This sounds so good! I love anything with avocados :)
Can you please open a restaurant stat? I'm gonna need this for lunch today. Thanks! ;)
Well that's a great idea. I'm going to need a lot of these in a few weeks. We are leaving town with the boys and I always eat poorly on vacation. Not on purpose, just that veg food is hard on the road. I always come home craving steamed broccoli and salad. These look terrific.
What an excellent combo! I don't think I've ever had radishes with pineapple before, but why not? It all sounds so yummy and fresh. And I did get a ton of radishes in my CSA share. Perfect!
this looks so light and fresh. looks great.
Brilliant recipe. I made this for lunch today with jalapeno pepper and cilantro in place of radish, cucumber, and basil. It was so incredibly delicious and refreshing. Thank you!
I love crunchy food! And anything with avocado. So making this soon...
Love this! So happy to have been sent to your blog . . . new favorite. :)
This is going on my grocery list for the weekend. Maybe as a salad and not a wrap since I'm lazy that way. Yum. I'm all about the crunch. Thanks, as always, for the great ideas and lovely photos.
Delicious -- I love the sound of this salad. So many great textures and flavors. Can't wait to make the avocado dressing. Thx for sharing this great simple recipe. It's perfect for the weekend.
Vive Veggie le Crunch! Yum, yum and more yum... I love the pineapple in here, and the dressing sounds amazing!
Looks delicious. I fully understand lettuce craving. When you train your body to want healthy food, it will. Thanks for the tasty looking recipe idea.
[...] VEGGIE LE CRUNCH Thursday, May 27, 2010 from one of my favorite food blogs, http://sproutedkitchen.com/ [...]
Ah! This is just so pretty and sounds amazing - I've been eating reduced carb for some time now and meals such as this have become a staple - when veggies are adorned like this, they are easy to crave! I hope to try this soon.
I'm totally into radishes lately and the radish sprouts from my garden. Yum! Wouldn't have thought to combine them with pineapple.
YUM YUM YUM!!!!!!! You're amazing. Just don't forget about me when you get all famous. The end.
Wow, those are a perfect summer dish! I think they might make their way to our Memorial Day table. Thanks.
[...] time to load up on vegetables and so, voila! please let me introduce you to her recipe for veggie le crunch! a fresh and delicious take on lettuce wraps – filled with radishes, cucumbers and black [...]
Sara,
Since we are on our new diet I am in need of veggie based dishes. Im adding this to the list fo' sho! We can't have black beans....do you think lentils would work?
I agree with you that your body tells you what you need. It's not uncommon for me to crave a fresh salad badly after days of business travel to restore balance and energy to my body.
This is a very creative recipe. I like the spicy addition of fresh radishes, sweetness of pineapples and the satisfying black beans.
Why did it take me so long to find your amazing blog? Thank goodness for my boring internship that allowed me the time to come across it! Can't wait to try all these recipes when I get back from China!
I made this for my man's extended family this weekend, and they couldn't stop raving about it. So fresh and crunchy. I perfect way to usher in the summer. Thank you Sara and Hugh!
[...] Adapted from Sprouted Kitchen [...]
[...] red bibb lettuce from Rabbits’ Run Farm in Quakertown, PA (PA certified organic). I had a recipe in mind to create a fresh, light salad to bring down the shore to enjoy in the hot [...]
Dios mio, esto se ve muy bueno! (OMG, this looks very good!; said by a Mexican :-) )
Soooo good Sara! I just made it for dinner & loved it! I am a huge fan of lettuce wraps (especially on days like today when it is 80 degrees at sundown), but I usually do the traditional Asian take. Not anymore!
yum! i love radishes. looks delish!
Wow, these look so good -- a combo of all the tastiest veggies I can think of. I chuckled when I said Veggie Le Crunch en français :)
[...] Rhubarb TartsA beautiful Rosemary Olive Oil CakeSquash Blossom Pizza, oh wow!These delightful Lettuce Wraps with radishesWait… there’s more…!I may also make many of the following [...]
I love the colors, so pretty! I bet these would be a great appetizer!
sooo yummy looking, and perfect for the summer! i've been hankering for cold salady dishes.. can't wait to try.
xoS