OK, so you know you should be eating lots of salad and veggies to stay in tip-top shape, but you just can’t stomach the thought of those leafy greens all of the time. I totally understand! When you don’t love the ‘greens’ (and who does?) it can be a bit of a challenge to eat salads on a regular basis. So, what options does that leave you with? Maybe tomatoes, olives, cucumbers – no matter which part of the salad you love, don’t worry, not all salads are created equal and some don’t even require leafy greens. Take a look at these recipes for people who hate greens – and this way, you can still get your vitamins without having to munch on kale, iceberg or even spinach.
Shaved Fennel, Dill and Cucumber Salad
3 small persian cucumbers
1/4 C fresh dill or more
1/8 C white onion ( optional)
olive oil
Meyer lemon juice, white balsamic, or rice wine vinegar
kosher salt to taste
pepper to tasteCut fennel bulbs in half and remove their hard core. Using a mandolin, shave fennel and place in bowl. Finely slice cucumber with the mandolin and chop the dill. Place both in the bowl. You can add thinly sliced white onion if you like. Dress with a generous drizzle of good quality olive oil, a squeeze of meyer lemon or a splash of either white balsamic vinegar ( or rice wine vinegar), salt and cracked pepper. Let marinate in the fridge for 15 minutes before serving.
Seaweed Salad
Ingredients:
- 30 grams (1 ounce) dry mixed seaweed
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar (you can substitute a 1/2 tablespoon agave)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger juice
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 scallion, finely chopped
Directions:
- Put the dry seaweed in a large bowl and fill it with cold water. If you like your seaweed crunchy, soak it for 5 minutes, if you like it more tender, soak it for 10 minutes.
- To make the dressing, combine the rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, salt and ginger juice in a small bowl and whisk together.
- Drain the seaweed and use your hands to squeeze out excess water. Wipe out any excess water in the bowl, and then return the seaweed along with the dressing and sesame seeds. Toss thoroughly to combine. Plate the salad and garnish with scallions.
Serves 2- 4
Strawberry Broccoli Salad
(For the Salad)
- 1½ c. chopped strawberries
- 1½ c. broccoli, cut with most of the stems removed
- ¼ c. salted cashews, chopped
- 2 TB (or more) toasted coconut
(For the Dressing)
- 2 TB. greek yogurt, plain
- 1 TB. balsamic vinegar
- 2 TB. honey
- sprinkle of cinnamon
- Add salad ingredients to a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- In a separate small bowl whisk together salad dressing, then pour over top of salad.
- Can serve immediately, or will do great in the fridge for when ready to serve.
- (If serving later, add in coconut just before serving)
Cilantro Lime Chickpea Salad
Ingredients:
- One 15-oz can chickpeas (2 cups cooked), drained and rinsed
- 2 cups spinach
- 1/4 cup sweet onion, chopped finely
- Juice from 1.5 limes
- 3/4 cup fresh Cilantro
- 1/2 tsp sugar (or to taste)
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt + ground pepper
Directions:
1. In a food processor, add the spinach and pulse a few times until chopped very small. Add the processed spinach, drained chickpeas, and chopped onion into a large bowl.
2. In the food processor (no need to rinse the bowl!), add the lime juice, cilantro, mustard, sugar, garlic, cumin, and oil. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Pour the dressing on top of the spinach chickpea mixture and stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let stand for about 10 minutes to let the flavours develop (optional- I didn’t!). Serve over a bed of grains, like brown rice. Serves 1-2.
Bacon Pea Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of bacon, cooked according to package instructions, drained and crumbled or finely chopped
- 2 pounds frozen peas, thawed in the refrigerator overnight
- 3/4 cup coarsely grated sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 small red onion, peeled, and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
Directions:
Stir together all of the ingredients and serve immediately, or (preferably) put in a tupperware, Gladware, or other tightly covered container in the refrigerator to give the flavours a chance to meld for an hour but up to three days prior to serving. Give it a gentle stir from top to bottom before serving.
Cucumber Salad with Lime and Cilantro
Ingredients:
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 2 cucumbers, peeled or not – based on your preference, sliced
- 2-3 medium sized limes, juiced
- 2 tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro (can also use parsley if you prefer)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt to taste
Directions:
- To remove some of the bitterness/spiciness from the onions, place the onion slices in a bowl, sprinkle about ½ tablespoon of salt over the onions. Rub the salt in and then cover with water for a few minutes. Then drain and rinse the onions well.
- Place the sliced cucumbers, sliced onions, lime juice, chopped cilantro, and olive oil in a bowl.
- Mix well, taste and add salt as needed.
- Serve immediately or let rest refrigerated for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Ingredients:
(For Salad)
- 1 (15oz) can garbanzo beans aka chickpeas
- 1/8 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup roma tomato, chopped
- 1/2 cup english cucumber, diced
(For Dressing)
- 1/2 tbs lemon juice
- 1/2 tbs red wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp garlic, chopped
- 1 tbs plain low fat green yogurt
- pinch of salt
Directions:
- Drain and rinse chickpeas. Place in a medium bowl. Wash and dice vegetables to small bite size pieces. Add to the bowl with the chickpeas. Crumble feta and add to bowl along with the olives.
- In a shaker or water bottle, add the ingredients for the dressing, and shake to mix. Pour dressing over chickpea salad and toss to coat with dressing. Chill in fridge for about an hour or enjoy immediately!
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-1/2 in pieces
- 1/4 cut olive oil
- 3 tbs lemon juice
- 3 tbs balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
Directions
- Place beans in a Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and immediately place beans in ice water. Drain and pat dry.
- In a small bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, garlic powder, mustard and pepper. Drizzle over beans. Add the onion; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Just before serving, stir in tomatoes and cheese. Yield: 16 servings.
Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint
Ingredients:
6 cups watermelon cubes, from about 1/4 of a large watermelon
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 ounces feta cheese, drained and crumbled
1 loosely packed cup fresh mint leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Flaky sea salt
Directions:
Mix together. Serves 4
How about you – are you over leafy greens? Got any great salad recipes to share?
