January is here!! That means we are all trying to eat healthier, but healthier doesn’t mean boring or bland. If you have been following me for a while you know that healthy can be delicious and satisfying, like this guava salad with queso fresco topped with candied pecans.
This post was created in partnership with Primal Kitchen Foods and may contain affiliate links.
What is guava (guayaba)?
Guava or guayaba as it is known in Mexico is one of my favorite fruits. It is a tropical fruit originally found in southern Mexico, Central, and South America. It is rich in vitamin C, A, and potassium. It is in season from November to April.
The variety I like is called Mexican cream and is yellow on the outside and has a white/yellow flesh with seeds in it. When ripe it is creamy and sweet. Guayabas are perfect in salads, smoothies or juices, pies, and tarts, to make preserves, and to eat raw.
How to Make Great Salads??
If you don’t already know this the key to a great salad is the dressing! A dressing can make or break a salad. Most commercial dressings are full of sugar, additives, and oil. That’s why I used Primal Kitchen Balsamic Vinaigrette. It is made with organic balsamic vinegar, avocado oil, lemon juice, spices, and herbs. It is also whole 30 approved, vegan, dairy-free, and made with no added sugars, artificial ingredients, or additives.
Primal Kitchen
Primal Kitchen makes a variety of vegan products like the Primal Kitchen Organic Ketchup, which is how I found them in the first place. I love their buffalo sauce, and they have some great pasta sauce as well. All without dairy or added sugar!!
In the last couple of months, I’ve made buffalo chickpea jalapeño poppers, vegan lasagna, poblano cream pasta, and jalapeño and vegan cheese tamales with my favorite primal products. If you would like to try some of their products use the code DORAPRIMAL to get a discount at check out.
The Recipe: Guava, Queso Fresco and Candied Pecan Salad
- I used my recipe to make the vegan queso fresco out of macadamia nuts
- You can substitute the coconut sugar with brown sugar
- Make sure you get high quality mixed greens
- Aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas
Guava Salad, Queso Fresco and Candied Pecans
Ingredients
Candied Pecans
- 3 tbsp. Aquafaba
- 2 cups Pecan halves
- 1/3 cup Coconut sugar
Salad
- 4 cups Mixed greens
- 4 Guavas, medium, sliced into 6ths
- ½ cup Vegan queso fresco
- Candied pecans
- ½ cup Primal Kitchen Balsamic Vinaigrette
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the aquafaba and beat with an electric hand mixer until foamy. Add pecans and brown sugar and mix well.
- Pour pecans on sheet tray and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
- In a large bowl combine the mixed greens, candied pecans, guava slices, and add balsamic vinaigrette. Mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.
- Sprinkle the queso fresco on the salad and serve.
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