By Heather Nicholds
When it’s warm out, I love having salad-ish meals to keep me cool and to not create too much heat in the kitchen by cooking.
People often have a view of salads being boring – some lettuce, a bit of cucumber and maybe some shreds of carrots. But salads definitely do not have to be that boring!
I have a pretty broad definition of ‘salad’ – I use it to describe any meal that is primarily vegetables all mixed together and has a dressing.
I have so many variations of salads that I think I could eat salad every single day of my life and always find something interesting to make.
Add Cooked Foods
The choice of vegetables is always important, but you can also add things like cooked quinoa or chickpeas or sweet potato to make it more filling and interesting.
In the winter, I make a lot of warm meals that I would still describe as ‘salads’. I also don’t require greens to call something a salad – think of potato or pasta salads.
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Add Nuts Or Seeds
I really love the flavor of toasted almonds on salads, or toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds – hemp seeds are really nice, too.
Try sprinkling your salad with any of your favorite nuts or seeds to add flavor, a fun crunch and some healthy fats. Avocado’s always good for those healthy fats, too.
Add Fruit
Sometimes I like a little sweetness in my salad – fresh chopped apple or dried cranberries are really nice, especially with some walnuts or almonds.
If you really have trouble enjoying vegetables, this is something that might be really helpful for you, adding that sweet flavor.
Drizzle With Dressing
About half the fun of making salad for me is coming up with the dressing. I love using nut or seed butters to make a rich, creamy dressing. Pureed avocado works amazingly well, too.
To that creamy base, I add whatever herbs, spices and seasonings I feel like. Sometimes there are specific flavors I like with specific veggies or fruits, like balsamic with the apple-cranberry-almond combo.
Other times I could go in any direction I like – chickpeas with broccoli and red pepper could pair with salty miso or curry spices or a smoky paprika with lemon.
I did a whole section about salads in my online cooking classes because I think it’s important to remember that healthy eating – even salads! – can be fun and amazingly tasty.
What’s your favorite salad combo – components and dressing? I’m always excited to hear your ideas, so let me know below!
