Salad is a good way to get more vegetables into your diet. It is good for a full meal (provided you have sufficient added protein) or as a side dish. Salad prep is short, so get your rainbow any time you are in the mood for fresh, juicy vegetables.
Let's look at some great combinations for your next salad.
GREEK PASTA SALAD WITH ZUCCHINI NOODLES
Get your Greek on with this quick zoodle salad. Feel free to add any protein you like. Gyro meat would be fantastic.
For the Salad:
2 medium zucchini 1 cup artichoke hearts, drained and halved 1 cup cucumber, chopped 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained, and julienned 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
For the Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil 2 T lemon juice 4 large basil leaves, finely chopped 1/2 t sea salt 1/4 t dried oregano 1/4 t black pepper
Instructions
Using a spiral slicer on 3mm blade, slice zucchini into noodles over a large bowl. Add the rest of the vegetables to salad. Whisk ingredients for dressing in a small bowl. Pour over salad. Toss to coat zucchini noodles with dressing. Refrigerate salad until ready to serve.
https://blog.paleohacks.com/greek-pasta-salad/
KALE MANDARIN SALAD WITH LEMON POPPY SEED DRESSING
Talk about a rainbow! This salad is so pretty. Kale works well with well a little sweetness and you'll get that with the oranges.
MANDARIN KALE SALAD:
2 bunches lacinato kale thinly sliced, tuscan ½ small head red cabbage thinly sliced 2 cups grated carrot 1 bunch green onion chopped 1 large ripe mango chopped 4 to 6 mandarins peeled and separated 1 large ripe avocado peeled and sliced Slivered almonds and sesame seeds for serving LEMON POPPY SEED DRESSING
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup rice vinegar ½ cup olive oil 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup 1 teaspoon poppy seeds PREPARE THE SALAD DRESSING:
Add all of the ingredients for the salad dressing except for the poppy seeds to a small blender. Blend until completely smooth. Stir in the poppy seeds and set aside until ready to use. PREPARE THE SALAD:
Add all of the ingredients for the salad to a large serving bowl. Drizzle desired amount of dressing over salad and toss well to ensure everything is coated. Serve with sliced almonds and sesame seeds.
https://www.theroastedroot.net/kale-mandarin-salad-with-lemon-poppy-seed-dressing/
SPICY ROASTED KALE SALAD
Cruciferous veggies to the max!
2 cups kale 2 cups cauliflower 3 small carrots 2 T pumpkin seeds 1 t extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste For the Dressing:
1 t red pepper flakes 1 t Dijon mustard 2 T extra virgin olive oil 1 T lemon juice Salt and pepper, to taste Instructions
Preheat oven 375°F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer cauliflower florets onto parchment paper. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes until browned around the edges. While cauliflower is roasting, whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the carrots into thin ribbons. Remove cauliflower from the oven and cool on the baking sheet while you assemble the salad. To assemble the salad, layer the kale, carrot ribbons and cauliflower. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top. Drizzle with dressing and enjoy! https://blog.paleohacks.com/cauliflower-kale-carrot-salad/
MADRAS CHICKEN SALAD
I love Michelle Tam from Nom Nom Paleo. She has the best recipes. You'll love this twist on chicken salad. Serve over a bed of your favorite greens or roll it in a collard leaf.
½ cup Paleo Mayonnaise (if you don’t feel like making it, buy Primal Kitchen Mayo (save 15% with coupon code: nomnom) ¾ teaspoon Indian curry powder 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 small Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch dice Juice from ½ medium lime 1 pound cooked chicken breast or thighs ½ cup packed fresh cilantro, roughly chopped 2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced ¼ cup almond slivers, toasted First, make the curried mayonnaise. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, curry powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Yes, folks—whenever possible, it’s important to taste your food so you can adjust the seasoning as needed. In a separate bowl, toss the apple chunks with the lime juice. This will ensure that your apples won’t oxidize into brown, splotchy cubes—and the acid adds a nice zing to the salad, too. Shred the chicken by hand, and toss it into the bowl with the acidulated apples. Add the cilantro, scallions, and curried mayonnaise, and mix well. Top with toasted almond slivers and serve. The salad will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. http://nomnompaleo.com/post/108235360133/whole30-day-16-madras-chicken-salad
SMOKY AND SWEET BROCCOLI CHICKEN SALAD
This has bacon, so you know it's good!
2 slices bacon - diced and cooked 6 cups broccoli - chopped into small florets 1 medium shallot - diced 1 cup grapes - sliced in half 2 cups leftover chicken (shredded, cubed or rotisserie will all work) 1/4 cup almond slivers 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tsp smoked paprika 3-4 tbsp paleo mayo - we use Primal Kitchen mayo
Start by dicing up your bacon and putting it in a medium pan over medium heat to cook. Cook for 5-6 minutes stirring occasionally, until the bacon is brown and starting to get crispy. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to cool. Next, chop up your broccoli, shallot and grapes and add them to a medium bowl. Add in your chicken. We used leftover crockpot chicken. For the crockpot chicken you just put about a pound of chicken breasts or thighs in your crockpot with about a cup of bone broth or a jar of salsa and let it cook for 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high. After the chicken is done, take it on out and shred away. You could use a rotisserie chicken or other leftover chicken you have on hand as well. Finally, add in the almond slivers, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cooked bacon, and mayo. For the mayo, use the full 4 tbsp if you want a nice creamy salad or use less if you are looking for a little lighter salad. Mix everything together so all the ingredients are mixed up well and the mayo is spread evenly through the salad. Serve immediately or if time allows refrigerate for 24 to allow flavors to blend http://realsimplegood.com/smoky-and-sweet-broccoli-chicken-salad/
BEET NOODLE SALAD
This takes the most beautiful award. I can't say enough about the colors present in this salad. It's almost too pretty too eat.
For the dressing:
2 tablespoons tahini (ground sesame seeds) 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 teaspoons honey 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1-2 tablespoons water salt & pepper, to taste
For the rest: 1.5 cups cooked peas 1 large beet (or 2 medium), peeled, Blade C 1 cup arugula Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together all of the ingredients – except for the water - in a medium bowl or pulse in a food processor until creamy. Add water as needed to make creamy. Taste and adjust to your preference. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the beet noodles. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss together to coat. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 10 minutes or until softened. In a bowl, toss together the beets and peas. Transfer to a serving bowl or plate and drizzle with lemon-tahini sauce. Optional: serve atop a bed of greens. Serve with extra sauce.
http://inspiralized.com/beet-noodle-pea-and-arugula-salad-with-lemon-garlic-tahini-sauce/
ASIAN CHICKEN CHOPPED SALAD
If it is crunchy you seek, you'll love this chicken chopped salad with the cabbage, nuts, and seeds.
4 cups coleslaw mix (cabbage with shredded carrots) 1 cup shredded red cabbage 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thin 1 cup shredded chicken breast 1/4 cup slivered almonds 2 green onions, finely sliced 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds (optional) Asian Dressing
1/4 cup coconut aminos 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 3 large pitted dates For the salad, place all ingredients in a large bowl or serving dish and toss to combine. For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a small blender or food processor (I used my Magic Bullet.) Process until dates are completely ground and dressing is a slightly creamy texture. Best when salad and dressing are combined just before eating. http://tastythin.com/asian-chicken-chopped-salad-whole30-paleo/
Salads don't need to be boring. You can go beyond the greens. Just a few ingredients add color, nutrition, and most of all taste. Try these salads today and see how easy it is to add vegetables to your meals.
Here's to your health! Happy Cooking (and mixing)!
Lori