On Vaidya Smita Naram’s recent visit, she introduced me to one of her favorite quick-and-tasty dishes—Wilted Salad Greens. We made a slightly different version of this several days in a row, and, depending on what ingredients we chose, our side dish was ready to eat in 10 or 15 minutes.

Her secret ingredient: peanut butter. This totally surprised me—even though I’ve enjoyed peanut dressing on raw salads in the past.

I was so delighted with this culinary treat that I cooked up a pan for my lunch yesterday, and it sufficed as a complete meal. Of course, you can use any nut butter you prefer. Yesterday I used sunflower butter, which was also delicious. You might want to use tahini if you tolerate sesame products well.

Ayurveda’s Approach to Greens

Dr. Naram was in Raleigh to work in a special Ayurvedic pulse clinic at my husband’s office, where he practices Ayurvedic medicine alongside chiropractic and functional medicine. She is one of India’s most acclaimed pulse masters, clinicians, and Ayurvedic educators, and she is an amazing cook!

I had never thought of cooking salad greens before, even though (as I’ve come to learn) many bloggers and upscale restaurants are a few steps ahead of me here. Now, I’m hooked!

Cooking salad greens makes perfect sense from an Ayurvedic perspective, as Ayurveda claims that cooked food is always best for sustaining gut health and resolving chronic health problems. According to this ancient medical science, raw foods are much harder to digest, particularly in cold winter months. For that reason, I have been eating raw salads only in the summer, and for the most part, I have cooked vegetables—such as beets and other root vegetables—in these summer salads.

I’ve found that eating a large serving of cooked greens for lunch helps me stay satisfied until dinner. Suddenly I’m no longer craving snacks. Dr. Naram observed that eating a large serving of cooked greens at least once and even twice a day can also help manage blood sugar.

Use Any of Your Favorite Ingredients

These Wilted Salad Greens are much faster to make than roasted or steamed beets or carrots piled onto lettuce. We cooked the greens for only a few minutes, so they would retain some of their original crunch.

• Use any salad greens that you have on hand. Baby spinach is ideal. I love Organic Girl’s “Little Gems,” which are sweet like butter lettuce and crunchy like romaine. Or try some butter lettuce or arugula.
• Any salad green will work, but the baby greens cook faster. Collard greens, however, must cook 45 minutes to an hour to become easily digestible.
• Add one or two favorite herbs such as fresh basil or parsley.
• Start with one or two spring onions to add some extra flavor.
• I made salad dressing with avocado oil, Bragg Liquid Aminos, and lime juice, but you could use olive oil, salt, and a little balsamic or apple cider vinegar, if you prefer.
• Do you have an avocado on hand? It takes a few extra minutes to peel and slice, but it makes for a heartier meal.
• Are you a mushroom lover? Add some sliced shiitake mushrooms to the pan with the spring onions. They will need a few minutes to cook, but it will be worth the wait if you aren’t rushed.
• Finally, don’t forget to top your dish with some additional protein if you have nuts or seeds available. Any kind will do.

Enjoy this plate of Wilted Salad Greens with your favorite secret ingredient!

Lisa J. Mitchell

PS   A few years ago, Dr. Naram shared her recipe for these scrumptious Savory Chickpea Pancakes with Curry Leaf Chutney.