Tag: salad recipes

New Salad Recipes for the New Year Ahead

A new year calls for new meals, or at least adapting your tired, predictable lunch to something more palatable, portable, and enjoyable. So let this small selection of 40 Healthy Salad Recipes from the lifestyle blog, Self, help you reinvigorate your plate of greens.

Salads are a tried and true favorite of the workplace, tupperware container, and dinner plate, but many can attest to only preparing or eating just a handful of leaf, dressing, and protein combinations any given year. This complacency and lack of variety often contribute to the abandoning of wellness and lifestyle trends, diets, and health-conscious lunches in favor of the convenient, pre-packaged, and expensive take-outs.

So, let it be known that your salad doesn’t need to be treated like a punishment or obligation, because with the following recipes, you’ll actively want to meal prep these meals for both enjoyment and nourishment.

Sweet Potato Broccoli Salad Recipe

This salad is enjoyed warm or cold, and it comes to us from Healthier Steps with its freshly roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli combined with the savory dressing and sunflower seeds. The sugar-sweetness mixed in with the saltiness of the seeds will be just the right pairing to reinvigorate your lunchtime slump.

Southwest Salad With Blackened Shrimp

It’s often remarked that a salad is little without its protein, so this blackened shrimp resting atop a corn and black bean-salsa-salad is a welcome addition to your lunchtime routine. In addition to the charred shrimp, this recipe from Food Fidelity utilizes fonio, an ancient grain cultivated in West Africa that holds a fine texture, nutty flavor, and a fluffiness that will pair delightfully with the crunchy, contrasting textures found elsewhere on the plate.

Balsamic Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad Recipe

Sometimes the basics and favorites are all you need in your salad, and if so, this cobb from Gimme Delicious has you more than covered. Treat your tastebuds by marinating your balsamic chicken ahead of time in order to guarantee the tastiest results, and fill the remainder of your plate with bacon, hard-boiled eggs, funky blue cheese, and have it all rest atop slices of avocado for a salad that will fill and energize you for the afternoon shift.

Grilled Corn Salad

Simple Lakita suggests that you try your best to use fresh corn for this delicious lunchtime treat, but frozen will be just fine, as long as you forget the canned stuff, as you want the freshest-taste available. This salad, similar to a roasted corn salsa, pairs perfectly with a protein-rich meat like roasted tempeh or blackened, charred, and/or grilled chicken.

Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe

Combine the benefits of a sweet, nutty, and savory lunch with flavors emerging from apples, cranberries, and beacons in this delicious, desert-akin treat from The Real Food Dietitians. The flavors emerging from the prepared apples, cranberries, and pecans make this salad (that’s topped expertly with bacon) your new favorite cold-weather alternative to chicken salad. It’s superb over a bed of greens or suitable as a filling for a wrap or sandwich, so take advantage of the versatility.

Green Bean Salad

Really dive into the benefit of the legume family with this vegetable-laden dish from Love and Lemons. This dish pairs well with another protein source of your choosing, as it’s about 90% vegetables, goat cheese, and almonds, making the mild flavors present perfectly complementary to whatever you choose.

Spicy Ranch Chopped Chicken Salad Recipe

Turn up the heat and subsequent satisfaction with Ambitious Kitchen’s salad that combines spicy grilled chicken alongside steamy avocado, crunchy pepitas, crispy tortilla chips, and a bed of cabbage. Every element is utterly satisfying, and it’s made all the more sweet and savory with a homemade ranch dressing that’s rich in protein, thanks to its greek yogurt base.

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Taste the Best of Summer with this Creole Caesar Salad

Here in the dead heat of summer, it’s necessary that we make the most of the summer produce made available to us, and this creole Caesar salad recipe does just that. Chef Alexander Smalls details many summer recipes in his writings, but this Creole Caesar Salad recipe, as shared by Epicurious.com, is said to capture the entire essence of a southern summer.

Smalls’ creole Caesar salad recipe is fully loaded with fresh tomatoes, fried okra, and cornbread croutons, all tossed in a zesty red bell pepper dressing. The dressing especially is the real star of the show, as you’ll need to roast half of a red bell pepper in the oven until it becomes soft, charred, and intensely sweet. Then you sauté onions and garlic, and put it all in a food processor with chopped celery, vinegar, cayenne, mayo, and Parmesan cheese. With all of that flavor, it’s natural that Smalls refers to it as much more than a simple salad topping, but instead it’s a ““a Creole or gumbo sauce” that you can pair with almost anything.”

Creole Caesar Salad:

  • 2 cups Fried Okra
  • 2 heads romaine lettuce, leaves separated
  • 1 cup cooked fresh corn kernels, chilled
  • 2½ cups cubed cornbread, toasted
  • ½ cup sliced grape tomatoes
  • ½ cup sliced seedless cucumber
  • ¼ cup sliced red onion
  • Creole Caesar salad dressing (recipe follows)

Creole Caesar dressing:

  • ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 tablespoons chopped onion
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • ½ roasted red bell pepper
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
  • 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper

Preparing the Creole Caesar Salad:

  1. Place half the fried okra in a large bowl and add the romaine, corn, corn bread, tomatoes, cucumber, and onion. Add the dressing and toss until well coated.
  2. Divide the salad among six serving plates and top evenly with the remaining okra. Serve immediately.

Preparing the Creole Caesar Salad dressing:

  1. In a small saucepan, combine the oil, garlic, and onion. Cook over low heat until the garlic and onion are golden and tender, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic and onion to a food processor; reserve the oil.
  2. Add the vinegar, bell pepper, celery, sugar, cayenne, mayonnaise, Parmesan, and a pinch each of salt and black pepper to the food processor. Pulse until smooth. With the machine running, add the oil in a thin stream and process until emulsified. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Smalls knows you may be tempted to take shortcuts with this salad. But he asks that, at least the first time you make it, you don’t leave anything out. Just stay the course. As you prepare this salad, keep in mind the chef’s own words, “Once you’ve mastered the recipe, you’ll be equipped to branch out and make it your own,” he says. “Think of the salad as life in a bowl—you’ve got to learn the rules, then break them.”

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Top Healthy Salad Recipes

It’s time to set those resolutions and typically, salad becomes a big part of that.  If eating healthier is one of your top new year priorities, that’s great. But “I’m going to eat healthier this year” is one of those well intentioned, but too-hard-to-define goals that isn’t nearly as easy done as said. You’ll have better success if you break it down in to bite-sized mini-goals.  For instance, eat 3 salads/week for lunch is an easy and doable goal…..until around week 3 when you run out of good salad recipes and your taste buds are screaming at you for some variety. The truth is, when you set one big giant goal, it can be hard to know where to start and easy to lose your momentum. ESPECIALLY if your goal is food-related and your food is boring, yucky, or not varied enough.  We have compiled our top 2 salad recipes to make sure you don’t ruin your resolution before it even gets started. Both recipes can easily be changed with the substitution of one ingredient. The list of variations is endless! Click here for the full list of healthy salad recipes.  Keep reading!

1.    Cucumber/Tomato/Avocado Salad

Ingredients

Cherry tomatoes

Cucumber

Avocado

Red Onion

Basil

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Salt & Pepper

Probably the easiest salad you’ll ever make and if you take one look at the ingredients, you’ll know why it’s delicious and healthy.  How can anything taste bad with that combination? Put the chopped tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, red onion, and fresh basil in a bowl. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and white balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and serve! So easy and beautiful and also goes great as a side with any meal.  This salad chills well and also transports well, so it’s super easy to bring to work. You can mix it up and vary the taste by using different flavor oils (coconut, avocado, olive, almond) or by using different herbs (rosemary, tyme, cilantro) or by adding different cheeses (feta, goat, cottage).

2.    Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad

Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes
1 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 cup quinoa uncooked
2 cups water (or chicken or vegetable broth/stock)
4-5 ounces fresh spinach, stems removed and coarsely chopped
1 large avocado, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
Optional: fresh basil, to taste


Lemon Vinaigrette
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 and 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard, do not use regular mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large lemon (3 tablespoons juice)

This sweet potato quinoa salad has it all – perfect textures, delicious flavors, and it’s so simple to make! Not to mention how healthy quinoa salad is! It’s packed with good for you ingredients that will keep you fuller for longer.  The lemon vinaigrette is light, fresh, healthy, and tangy. There’s dijon mustard, lemon juice, dried herbs, vinegar, and olive oil. All great ingredients and together, they pack a punch! Make this dressing weekly and it will be gone within 3-4 days!

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Peel and coarsely (but evenly) chop your sweet potatoes. Place on a large sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and salt + pepper (to taste). Toss everything to coat and place in the preheated oven. Let roast for 15 minutes and then flip the potatoes and roast for an additional 10-20 minutes or until desired tenderness.
Meanwhile, prepare the quinoa. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve to remove the bitter coating. In a small saucepan, combine quinoa with water (or broth/stock). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover the pan with a lid.
Turn heat all the way to the lowest setting and cook covered for 15 minutes or until the water has completely absorbed in the quinoa.
Turn off the heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the lid and fluff the quinoa gently with a fork. Set aside.
Toss the cooked quinoa and sweet potato in a large bowl. Allow to cool.
Meanwhile, prep the dressing. Whisk the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste), and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or to taste) together in a small bowl. Slowly add in the olive oil into the vinegar mixture while whisking briskly. Whisk in the lemon juice. Pour into a jar and store in the fridge while you finish the salad.
Remove the stems and coarsely chop the spinach. Add to the salad along with the chopped avocado and cranberries. Toss everything together. If desired, ribbon some basil and top the salad with the fresh basil.
Toss the salad with desired amount of dressing (you might have some leftover depending on how dressed you liked your salads!) Enjoy immediately.
Do not dress anything you don’t intend to eat that day. This salad is best eaten immediately after being dressed, so if you want leftovers, only toss what you will eat with the dressing.

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New York Style Summer Salad

Food Network’s recipe is the perfect summer salad for a backyard patio party.  This no-hassle, no-fuss recipe pulls a punch when set up buffet-style.  Lay out the greens and toppings in small, ornate dishes and have everyone prepare their own salad by throwing whatever they want, and in whatever amount, into their own bowl.  Set out several dressing options at the end of the table and everyone is happy!  BONUS: use Food Network’s recipe below for a creamy, homemade ranch.

Salad Ingredients

3 cups mixed salad greens
8 whole romaine leaves
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
One 14-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
One 4-ounce can pitted mixed olives
2 red bell peppers, sliced
2 yellow bell peppers, sliced
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
2 avocados, sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed
1 English cucumber, halved then sliced
1 bunch asparagus, blanched and sliced into pieces
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
8 radishes, halved
Salt and ground pepper
Salt and ground pepper

Homemade Creamy Ranch Ingredients

Herby Ranch Dressing:
1 cup (real) mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk (more as needed to reach desired consistency)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
3 teaspoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and ground pepper

Ranch Directions:

Combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, sour cream, parsley, chives, oregano, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Chill for a couple of hours before serving.

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Skillet Steak and Wilted Kale Salad

 

If you are on the lookout for some quick fix salads, Southern Living has these 24 quick fixes that are sure to satisfy all of your healthy cravings. The one that really stood out to us was this skillet steak and wilted kale salad. So not only is it on the healthy side, but you get some delicious red meat as well- not to mention it only takes twenty minutes to make and serves up to 4 people!

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed
  • 2 (3/4-inch-thick) beef strip steaks
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
How to Make It

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425°. Chop kale. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Cook steaks in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes on each side. Place on a wire rack in a jelly-roll pan, and bake 6 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile, wipe skillet clean, and melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender.

Step 3

Remove steaks from oven, and loosely cover with foil to keep warm. Add kale to onion mixture, and cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until kale is wilted. Stir in vinegar and honey; season with salt and pepper. Serve with sliced steak.