Winter Pear Salad with Citrus Dijon Vinaigrette

Winter Pear Salad with Citrus Dijon Vinaigrette - Seasonal side salad to pair perfectly with your next holiday meal. 

If you haven’t noticed, there is now a salad recipe for every season.

SPRING - Strawberry Fields Salad

SUMMER - Grilled Shrimp Summer Salad

FALL - Fall Harvest Grain Bowl

WINTER - This one! 

Well, I saved the best for last because this one is mighty tasty! Made with seasonal produce like pears, brussels sprouts, pomegranates, kale, and citrus fruits, it’s like the essence of winter but in healthy form! 

Since we are using kale for this salad recipe, we will be following the same tip I wrote about in the fall harvest grain bowl post. But just as a refresher, we will be massaging the kale before assembling the salad. By massaging the kale, not only will your kale last longer in the fridge, but your body will digest the kale more easily by physically breaking it down with lemon, olive oil, and salt. 

This salad also pairs really well with heartier dishes like rosemary & red wine-braised short ribs. You can also make this as a main dish and add protein like grilled chicken, roasted chickpeas, or skirt steak. 

Not only does it pair well with dishes that are typically served during the holidays, the colors in the salad scream Merry Christmas! 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 

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Winter Pear Salad with Citrus Dijon Vinaigrette - Seasonal side salad to pair perfectly with your next holiday meal. 

Ingredients

Salad: 

• 2 cups fresh kale (de-stemmed and chopped) 

• 1 cup fresh arugula

• 1 cup shaved brussels sprouts

• ¼ cup toasted raw almonds (crushed)

• ¼ cup pomegranate arils

• 2 Tbsp feta or vegan violife feta (crumbled)

• 1 pear (sliced)

• ½ lemon

• Orange zest

Citrus Dijon Vinaigrette:

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 Tbsp honey

• 2 tsp dijon mustard

• ½ juice of fresh orange

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• S&P

Directions

1. For the dressing: Combine all ingredients in a glass mason jar or small bowl and shake/mix until well combined. Set in fridge until ready to use on salad.

2. For the salad: In a medium bowl, add chopped kale to a medium bowl and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over and a couple pinches of salt. Massage lemon and salt into the kale. Add the rest of the salad ingredients to the bowl and top with dressing mixture when ready to serve. 

Creamy Tomato Pesto Soup

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup - The creamiest, richest soup you have ever had that’s dairy-free! 

During the colder months, my mother would make homemade creamy tomato soup with grilled cheese. I’m not much of a soup person, but it was MY FAVORITE! Ever since then, I still drool dream about it to this day! What takes her soup above the rest is love (obviously), fresh herbs, and heavy cream. Well since heavy cream is a no go for this gut, I made a few changes to the recipe. 

It’s a very simple recipe, actually. If you are crunched for time and need to have soup asap, (because, don’t we all?) then you will only need five ingredients to make this soup. But, if you really want to make your mom’s old recipe jealous, whip up a quick pesto drizzle as a garnish. Dipping your dairy-free/gluten-free grilled cheese in that winning combination will not disappoint your taste buds, trust me.

For this recipe, if you are wanting a smooth, “bisque” texture, I would recommend getting a blender or immersion blender. Now, onto the recipe! 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 

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Creamy Tomato Basil Soup - The creamiest, richest soup you have ever had that’s dairy-free! 

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients: 

• 1 white onion (sliced)

• 4 cloves garlic (smashed)

• 1 Tbsp grass fed butter (or ghee, coconut oil)

• 5-8 sprigs fresh oregano (strip leaves from the stem)

• 1 can (28 oz) fire roasted organic crushed tomatoes 

• 1 can lite coconut milk unsweetened

Pesto drizzle

• 1 bunch (.75 oz package) fresh basil

•  ¼ cup oil

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1 Tbsp feta (or DF cheese)

Directions: 

1. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until translucent. Add can of tomatoes, oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. 

2. To make the pesto drizzle, add basil, garlic, and feta to a processor. While the processor is on low, pour the oil through the feed tube gradually. Scrape down the sides and add more oil if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to a small bowl. If you do not have a processor, finely chop ingredients and combine in a small bowl.

3. Transfer tomato mixture to a blender and process until smooth (remember, mixture is hot!). Alternatively, use an immersion blender, process until smooth.  

4. With soup over low heat, add coconut milk. Season to taste with sea salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes. 

When ready to serve, drizzle pesto and/or additional coconut milk and serve! 

Notes: 

• I love using this brand for organic canned tomatoes.

Chicken Zoodle Soup

Chicken zoodle soup is filled with winter harvest vegetables, healthy fats, and sustaining ingredients that will keep you full and filled with all the good feels during this winter season! 

 How cute is my baby boy in this winter storm we had a few weeks back!?

As this may be Rory's first introductory post, he is a pure breed Pembroke welsh corgi and just turned three years old in January! Rory is a very sweet and active boy and definitely keeps us on our toes! Even though he could barely see past the snow flurries, he absolutely loves the winter. If only his love for winter could rub off on me! This ties into another thing that you will learn about me ...

Hello, my name is Candace... and I am not a soup fan! Phew, there I said it!

If I go out to eat or plan out my meals for the week, I am not thinking about soup. Instead, I am thinking about salads, tacos, grain bowls, sandwiches -- you name it! But during these bitterly cold months, I am searching for anything hot and comforting for the body. This soup is filled with winter harvest vegetables, healthy fats, and sustaining ingredients that will keep you full and filled with all the good feels during this winter season!

This soup is inspired by the traditional chicken noodle soup with upgrades that are catered to gluten free, dairy free and low carb lovers. The soup may be a healthier take on the traditional, but it certainly does not lack in flavor and heartiness.

Chicken zoodle soup is a crowd pleaser; the aroma is HEAVENLY when you simmer this bad boy. It’s also super versatile! Feel free to add more veggies, or omit chicken if you want to go vegan. You could also change the protein to a plant-based protein with chickpeas or tofu.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo with #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Chicken zoodle soup is filled with winter harvest vegetables, healthy fats, and sustaining ingredients that will keep you full and filled with all the good feels during this winter season! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

• 3 carrots (sliced)

• 3 celery stalks (sliced)

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 yellow onion

• 2 large zucchini (spiralized)

• 1 cup frozen peas

• 2 cups each organic low sodium chicken and veggie stock

• 2 cups canned coconut milk

• 1/2 lemon

• 1 handful Italian parsley

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Seasonings

• 1 tsp celery salt

• 1 tsp crushed rosemary

• 1 tsp thyme

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• 2 bay leaves

• S & P

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat coconut oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.

2. Season chicken breasts with S&P and add chicken to pot. Sear for about 5 minutes per side. Set aside to rest.

3. Saute minced garlic and chopped onion and cook until translucent.

4. Add carrots, celery, and peas and cook for about 5 minutes

5. Shred or dice chicken and add back to the pot.

6. Add both stocks and coconut milk along with the seasonings.

7. Turn the heat down to low-medium heat to let simmer for about 20-25 minutes with the lid on. During this time, you can spiralize the zucchini.

8. Take out the bay leaves and add the spiralized zucchini and parsley. Simmer on low for 5 minutes.

9. Squeeze in lemon and it's ready!