From the Seinfeld episode “The Soup”…

     Hilde (waitress): (walks up to the table) Hello.
     Jerry: Oh, hi Hilde. Can I get an egg white omelet?
     Hilde: Did you read the menu?
     Jerry: All right, just give me a western. (unhappy)
     Elaine: How about a Big Salad?
     Hilde: A big salad?
     Elaine: (to George) You see?
     George: Just tell her what’cha want, they’ll make it for ya.
     Elaine: It’s a salad, only bigger, with lots of stuff in it.
     Hilde: I can bring you 2 small salads.
     Elaine: Could you put it in a big bowl?
     Hilde: We don’t have any big bowls.
     Elaine: All right. Just give me a cup of decaf.

Okay, I admit it. I’m a big Seinfeld fan. I’m from New York after all—what do you expect? I do love that episode though, and the way Julia Louis-Dreyfus delivers her line. It’s priceless!

This big salad is filled with nutrients and you can, of course, use whatever veggies you like and whatever salad dressing suits your fancy. I have lots of salad dressing recipes on this blog, especially nut-based, oil-free dressings like here, and here, and here…

BUT. The star of the show on top of this salad are those incredible coconut bacon bits! Yowza! They’re amazingly yummy and a real treat just by themselves. On the salad their crunchy goodness adds a lot of flair to an otherwise (possibly) boring bowl of veggies. I personally never find veggies boring but if you need an excuse to eat a salad, here it is!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup flaked, raw coconut
• 1 TBS tamari
• 1 TBS pure maple syrup
• 1/8 tsp liquid smoke

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Add the coconut flakes to a bowl with the other ingredients and stir well.
3. Spread out on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, take them out of the oven and toss them around a bit.
5. Bake for another 10 minutes. 
6. Let cool. They get crunchy as they do.
7. Store any leftovers in an airtight container to maintain crunchiness.

Enjoy!

Healthy trails,