A Very Green Dinner At Greens Up!

A couple of weeks ago, I had a strong urge for a salad. I normally have cravings for greasy food, so it was odd that I actually desired something light and healthy. Luckily, I had purchased a Gather Green voucher for $7.50 for $15 worth of food and drink at Greens Up! in Santa Monica. I headed over to the restaurant just before they were about to close and ordered some delicious, healthy grub.

I first had a cup of lentil soup ($3.75), which was the soup of the day.

The soup was very good and reminded me of Mulligatawny soup. It was very savory and the lentils made it very hearty. The carrots were soft and easy to chew. The soup had a mild spice and subtle curry flavor.

Next, I created my own salad. I chose a kale and spinach mix with red onion, red/yellow peppers, beets, grape tomatoes, and avocado topped with tropical ginger vinaigrette ($9.50).

The portion of this salad was massive and could easily feed two people. The kale was well-massaged and the spinach was fresh and very crunchy. All of the vegetables were very crisp, except for the avocado which was soft and was rich and creamy. The vinaigrette was fantastic. It had a subtle sweet flavor and was very tangy.

Lastly, I had a lemonade ($2.75) to wash down my meal.

The lemonade was fabulous. It was freshly squeezed and had a sweet flavor. There was a subtle tartness to balance out the succulent taste. The drink was very refreshing and complimented the meal perfectly.

Overall, the meal was very good. While this may seem like a stereotypical meal for a vegan, it was actually quite delicious. The salad was unlike any I've had before and was very flavorful. Still, I wish I had added more exciting ingredients to it, like baked tofu or dried nuts, but I still really enjoyed the food. With the discount, the meal cost me less than $10. I will definitely return to Greens Up!, since I would love to experiment with more salad varieties. I also have to give this place props for making salads such an adventurous experience. I've never actually looked forward to eating salads, but they have so many unique ingredients and dressings I cannot wait to try.