Lean Salads During The Christmas Fast

We offer you to prepare delicious, hearty and healthy light salads for the Christmas fast.

We offer you to prepare delicious, hearty and healthy light salads for the Christmas fast.

Observance of fasting implies refusal of products of animal origin - meat, dairy products, eggs. On certain days of the week, you cannot eat fish or use vegetable oil.

But during the 40 days, while fasting lasts, our body also needs vitamins, minerals and nutrients, just like on other days. A lean diet can be no less tasty and healthy than everyday meals.

We offer you several recipes for lean salads during the Christmas fast. Traditionally, they are considered a snack, not a "serious" meal, but thanks to the addition of nuts, dried fruits or mushrooms, they become a healthy and filling dish.

Lean salads are prepared from fresh, baked, boiled, steamed or canned vegetables. An excellent dressing for them is a sauce made of vegetable oil, acid, salt and spices. Acid can be obtained from lemon juice, pomegranate juice, fruit or balsamic vinegar. For spiciness, ground black or red pepper is added.

Beet salad

For 2 servings of salad, you need to take one large beet, 15 pcs. prunes, three quarters of a glass of walnuts, a clove of garlic, 2 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil, salt to taste.

Beets can be boiled or cooked raw. Wash the prunes, soak them in hot water for 10-15 minutes. Grate the peeled beets, and chop the prunes. Grind the nuts in a mortar or food processor. Crush the garlic. Mix all the ingredients, add salt and oil. Let the salad infuse for 1-2 hours.

Salad with prunes and mushrooms

For 2 servings of salad, take 2 carrots, 2 onions, 15-20 pcs. prunes, 6-8 pcs. mushrooms, 1 cup of peeled walnuts, 2-3 spoons of olive oil.

Soak prunes in hot water for 15 minutes, chop them. Grate the carrot on a coarse grater, finely chop the onion, and cut the mushrooms into slices. Fry these ingredients separately in olive oil. Chop the walnuts. Put the salad components in a deep dish in layers in the following sequence: carrots, onions, mushrooms, prunes, nuts. You can sprinkle the finished dish with lemon juice. Let the dish infuse in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.

Warm green bean salad

For 2 servings of this dish, take 400 g of green beans, 200 g of cherry tomatoes, a tablespoon of sesame seeds, two tablespoons of olive oil, one lemon, and 5 stalks of green basil. We take salt and pepper to taste.

While the beans are cooking, cut the cherry tomatoes in half and pepper them. Mix lemon juice with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add sesame seeds and chopped basil to this sauce. Mix warm beans with tomatoes and season with sauce. The salad is ready.

Lean Greek salad

We will need a couple of handfuls of spinach, 5 leaves of green salad, 2 tomatoes, 20 olives, half a red onion, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, some mustard, and tofu cheese.

Cut all the ingredients. Mix olive oil with mustard. If desired, you can add a little lemon juice. Pour this sauce over the salad and it is ready.

Carrot and date salad

To prepare this salad with a sweet taste, take 2 carrots, an onion, 150 g of dried dates. For dressing, you will need honey, salt, juice and zest of one lemon. Ginger lovers can add a little of this spice to the dressing.

Grate the carrots on a large grater, cut the onion into thin half rings. Remove the stones from the dates and cut each date into two parts. Prepare the dressing and add to your salad. Before serving, it is advisable to put the salad in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Lean salad "Olivier"

Among the recipes for lean salads during the Christmas fast, you can also find the traditional "Olivier" for the New Year's table. New Year falls on the beginning of the last, most strict week of fasting. Therefore, for those who are fasting, the dishes on the table should be modest. This "Olivier" recipe will not require a person to break the rules.

To prepare it, take 4 potatoes, 2 carrots, an onion, 3 pickled cucumbers, 1/2 green peas, 150 g of soy meat, a little vegetable oil, herbs and salt.

As for the usual "Olivier", boil the potatoes and carrots in their uniforms, clean them and cut them into small cubes. Boil soy meat, when it cools down, finely chop it. Finely chop the onion, pickles and greens. Mix all the components, add green peas to the bowl and season with a small amount of vegetable oil.

By the way, the classic Vinaigrette salad fits perfectly into the lean menu.