One of my go-to weeknight salads is a simple Avocado and Goat Cheese Salad. Here’s a slight twist on that using two of my other favorite salad ingredients: arugula and hemp hearts. Avocado and Arugula Salad with Hemp Hearts brings a little crunch and a little extra protein to your meal.
Hemp Demystified
Remember when hemp was just for rope or clothes or for smoking (LOL)! When did it get into your food?
Hemp plants are cannabis plants. Cannabis sativa. Same species as the plant that grows marijuana. Cultivation of hemp plants has been around a long time. They are used for both their fiber and their seeds. Hemp hearts are the nutty little treasures found inside hemp seeds.
Hemp History
There is actually a fascinating history behind this plant. It goes back to 8000 B.C. You can read about it on Manitoba Harvest’s website. They are a producer of hemp products including packaged organic or conventional hemp hearts.
Feel free to read about the history, or just enjoy hemp hearts knowing they are from one of the most sustainable plants on the planet and that they are good for you.
Getting to the Heart of Hemp
I find hemp hearts to be very versatile because they are not too crunchy and don’t have a strong flavor like pepitas, walnuts or sunflowers seeds. They add just the right amount of texture.
As always, invest in high-quality extra virgin olive oil for use on any salad. You’ll never miss traditional salad dressings once you make the leap.
Ingredients
- 1 cup arugula
- 1 avocado, cut in half and pitted
- 2 tbsp crumbled goat cheese
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp hemp hearts
Instructions
- Chop your arugula and split between 2 small salad bowls. Scoop out a half avocado and place half in each small bowl. Top each with half of the crumbled goat cheese and half of the hemp hearts. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
Nutrition
Looking for more simple weeknight salads? Check out Frittata’s Salad Recipe Collection.
