Italian Chopped Salad Wrap

Allow your taste buds to transport you to the Estruscan countryside with this plant-based recipe adapted from the client-loved salad in Sakara’s Signature Nutrition Program.

It all starts with greens—which are the least consumed food category in the U.S. but the most impactful nutritional determinant of optimal health. Our easy recipe features a broccoli supergreens pesto (which helps neutralize toxins thanks to sulforaphane), spinach to boost your skin’s glow via ample vitamin C, and basil to deliver iron and potassium that fortify blood and bones.

Drizzle this greens-filled sauce on smoky roasted red peppers, creamy avocado, crunchy cucumbers, and tangy arugula, then wrap between layers of subtly earthy collard greens for a satisfyingly crunchy, savory lunch that tastes like it came straight from the garden. Roll, crunch, and bask in the knowledge that you’re feeding your body what it needs to shine from the inside out.

Ingredients:

Sakara Supergreens Pesto (yields 2 cups)

• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• ⅛ teaspoon Himalayan salt
• ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 2 small garlic cloves
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup basil leaves
• ¾ cup olive oil
• ½ cup nutritional yeast
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• ½ teaspoon Himalayan salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Italian Chopped Salad Wrap

• 2 large collard green leaves
• Himalayan salt
• 3 tablespoons Sakara Supergreens Pesto (from recipe above)
• 2 tablespoons plant-based cream cheese (recommended: we love Monty’s)
• ½ cup lightly packed baby arugula
• ¼ cucumber, cut into long strips about ¼-inch thick
• ¼ cup rough chopped roasted red peppers
• ¼ avocado, thinly sliced
• 3-4 whole pepperoncini peppers, stems removed
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Directions:

For the pesto

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Toss the broccoli florets with 1 teaspoon olive oil and ⅛ teaspoon Himalayan salt and spread evenly on a baking sheet.
2. Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the broccoli stems are tender. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
3. Combine pumpkin seeds and garlic cloves in a food processor. Pulse for about 20 seconds, until seeds are almost ground.
4. Add the roasted broccoli, baby spinach, basil leaves, olive oil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse until all the ingredients are combined, scraping down the sides with a spatula in between pulses. (The pesto should have the texture of a coarse paste so be careful not to overprocess.)
5. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the wrap. Store leftover pesto in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or store in the freezer for up to three months.

For the wrap

1. Lay each collard leaf, underside up, on a flat surface. Locate the thickest part of the stem and use a small, sharp knife to just shave the top off for even thickness (this makes rolling the leaves easier).
2. In a medium bowl, add water and ice. Bring a pot of water to a boil and season lightly with salt. Add the leaves to the water and cook for 20-30 seconds until the collards are green, tender, and pliable.
3. Immediately transfer the leaves to the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Remove from the water and lay out on towels to dry.
4. Lay out the 2 large collard leaves and slightly overlap the stems facing vertically. Spread 3 tablespoons of the pesto and 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese horizontally in two neat lines across the middle of the collard greens.
5. Top with the baby arugula followed by the cucumbers, roasted red peppers, avocado slices, and pepperoncini.
6. Drizzle the Dijon mustard on top, fold in the sides of the collard leaves, and roll up like a burrito. Cut in half and enjoy, or refrigerate whole for a few hours before serving.