What’s a salad without a little crunch? I’ve been eating salads for years topped with my own homemade croutons but when Megan was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and could no longer have gluten, I had to come up with a new crunchy twist. Today I’m sharing my idea of a nut-free and gluten-free alternative to the traditional crouton. My Crunchy Southwest Salad Topper Mix starts with soaked and sprouted sunflower seeds giving this mix a thumbs up for digestibility.
What’s the deal with soaking and sprouting? I think I’ve mentioned this before on my blog, but let’s get down to it again…
Why soak?
Simply put…soaking your nuts and seeds helps to remove anti-nutrients (things we don’t need) and increase the bodies ability to absorb available nutrients (things we do need). After nuts and seeds have been soaked (soaking time varies) they become easier to digest and therefore more gentle on the body, especially for those of us suffering from digestive issues. IBD, Celiac, Chrohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Autoimmune Disorders, Acne, Hormone Imbalance, etc. I hope you’ll do your own research on the benefits of soaking nuts and seeds. Don’t be afraid to give it a try…you’re tummy will thank you!
- 3 cups soaked and sprouted sunflower seeds
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Soak sunflower seeds in water at least 8 hours or overnight.
- After soaking rinse and drain.
- This takes about 24 hours.
- Place your drained nuts in a quart-size jar with a sprouting lid or cheesecloth.
- Place your jar at an angle, allowing the moisture to continue draining.
- Rinse the sunflower seeds at least a couple of times during the day, repeating the above process. Rinse the seeds, drain and place the cheesecloth or sprouting lid back on the jar. Set at an angle to allow the seeds to continue draining.
- When you begin to see a little tail start to sprout from your sunflower seeds, they are ready to go. Give them a good rinse. Drain thoroughly and place in a medium-size bowl.
- Using a high-speed blender, you'll create a "sauce" to coat the seeds by combining the cilantro, nutritional yeast flakes, sea salt, lemon juice and garlic. Blend until well combined.
- Pour the cilantro mix over your seeds and mix thoroughly.
- Spread coated sunflower seeds out onto dehydrator sheets.
- Dehydrated at 108-118 degrees for about 5 hours.
- Remove mix from solid sheets and place onto mesh screens for the remainder of the drying time.
- Continue drying for another 3-8 hours. Note: Drying time depends on your own dehydrator and the temperature you choose. The seeds should be void of moisture and crunchy when ready.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Spread seed mixture out in an even layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake 10-12 minutes. Stir the seed mixture around and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes or until seeds become crunchy.
- Store your Crunchy Southwest Salad Topper Mix in a clean quart-size jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- ENJOY!
- vegan, raw, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free
- All recipes and images are protected under copyright laws and owned by Kris Kelly and Goofy Foot Foods.
[…] foods to maintain energy. For more on soaking nuts and seeds, check out my recipe for Crunchy Southwest Salad Topper Mix, I have a quick explanation in that […]