8 Tips to Make Your Salads More Exciting
If salads are an “eh” option for dinner, you may just be making them wrong.
Hearty salads are a regular staple in our house that my body always craves, not just for the nutrients but for the rich, diverse textures and flavors that meld together as a perfect treat for my tastebuds… Yes, I called salads a treat, and if you follow the tips below to dress up your own, I have no doubt they’ll become a weekly favorite for you, too, just in time for the summer season.
1. Make your dressing
For a fresher-than-farmers’-market experience, ditch the preservative-filled salad dressings at the grocery store and make your own. All you need are a few ingredients and a blender to make a vibrant vegan green goddess dressing or classic plant-based ranch or Caeser. Forget the blender altogether for an easy Italian dressing.
2. Add cooked veggies
Toss in some cooked veggies for extra flavor and variety, like sauteed Brussel sprouts and red pepper or oven-baked broccoli and sweet potatoes. Store the cooked items separately to avoid wilting fresh greens if you're making leftovers.
3. Mix up the greens
Nothing will bore you quicker than chewing through endless bites of romaine. Add multiple leafy greens, like spinach, kale, arugula, little gem, or radicchio. Tip: If using kale, massage it first with some lemon juice to get the bitterness out and store it with the cooked veggies.
4. Get creative with the crunch
Sorry croutons, but it’s time for something less expected. I like to fold in a variety of nuts and seeds like pine nuts, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, or even roasted chickpeas. Not my personal jam, but other healthy options could include granny smith apple bites or shredded coconut.
5. Double the protein
There are tons of versatile plant-based protein sources, so why not try several at a time? I like to pair almond slices with simple dill lemon tofu, quinoa and soyrizo in Mexican-inspired meals and peanuts and edamame in Asian-inspired mixes. Chia seeds, black beans, pistachios, walnuts, peas, and lentils are also fantastic, hearty options.
6. Keep it colorful
For visual appeal and a variety of vitamins, include multiple colors of food in your salad mix. Challenge yourself by trying to find something in every color of the rainbow. I’ll get you started: Thinly sliced radishes for red, julienned carrots for orange, bite-sized squash for yellow, dried blueberries for blue… what else can you think of?
7. Play with contrast
Hot-out-of-the-oven potatoes pair deliciously with a cool drizzle of tzatziki sauce, just as fresh sweet mandarin slices merry with salty, spiced cashews. Your tastebuds will be pleased by the more creative contrasts you come up with.
8. Don’t skimp on spices
Herbs and spices will add the perfect zing to your salad creations inspired by this post, so don’t forget them! My favorites are dill, parsley, cilantro, oregano, and rosemary.
Follow any one of these tips, and you’ll be adding salads to your weeknight meal rotation in no time! For more plant-based recipes, click here.