How to Make Amazing Salads (in 10 minutes or less)

I’ve had couple requests for details about how I go about making the different salads I’m always eating. To be quite honest most of them are just thrown together with whatever ingredients I have on hand at the moment. However, I do try to make certain I include a lean protein, healthy fat, and some complex carbs – especially when the salad is going to be my meal!

There are few items that I like to keep in stock so I’m always ready to whip up a quick salad.

The Base: (I usually buy one of these each week and tend to switch it up for some variety in flavor and nutrients)

• spinach
• arugula
• romaine
• spring mix
• kale

Veggies: (I tend to buy what’s in season or on sale)

• tomatoes, fresh or even sundried
• cucumbers
• zucchini or squash (raw)
• mushrooms (raw)
• yellow, red, or green bell peppers
• cabbage, sliced
• carrots
• beets, roasted or straight from a can
• sweet corn (you can buy this frozen and thaw it)
• peas (you can buy this frozen and thaw it)
• onion

Protein:

• tofu, plain or cooked (try this delish oven “fried” tofu)
• tempeh, plain or cooked
• hard boiled eggs
• tofurky slices
• edamame
• black beans
• garbanzo beans
• kidney beans
• hummus
• veggie burger (I like Amy’s California Burgers and Sunshine Burgers best)

Healthy Fats:

• avocado
• nuts (I like almonds, walnuts and pine nuts)
• sun flower seeds ( Kaia Food’s sprouted sunflower seeds)
• sesame seeds (Gomasio is tasty too)
• olive oil based dressings – I’m obsessed with Trader Joe’s Goddess Dressing, it’s like Annie’s but cheaper
• flax oil or ground flax seeds
• hemp seeds
• olive oil and vinegar
• olives

Splurge Toppings: (These toppings are tasty, but are more expensive so I only buy them every once in a while.)

• artichoke hearts (canned)
• roasted red peppers
• hearts of palm ( I LOVE these!!)
• sun-dried tomatoes

Other tips:

• Sometimes I use a dressing, other times I don’t- it really just depends on how flavorful the salad ingredients are. I like to use hummus, guacamole or salsa as a “dressing”, but I also love Trader Joe’s Goddess dressing!

• Throwing leftovers on salads is the best- leftover grilled and roasted veggies (straight from the fridge) make great salad toppings.

• If I use things like wheat berries that take a while to cook, I make a batch at the beginning of the week and use them on different dishes/salads as the week goes by.

• Fruits are also a great addition to salads in the summer time – I love adding strawberries, blueberries, pears, and figs. I also really like adding dried fruits to my salads – like raisins, dried cranberries, or even dried apricots)

• I don’t often use cheese on my salads, but that’s definitely an option as well. (If I were to buy cheese for a salad it would probably be feta)

• Other “salads” are great toppings for salads as well – some my of person favorites include tabboleh, raw corn and avocado, or Asian slaw.

And for the prep. I am really lucky and get to come home for lunch, however when I worked at an office were I couldn’t, I packed my lunch everyday and it often involved a salad. I put all the salad ingredients into a container but made sure to put the dressing (if I was using any) in a separate container so the salad didn’t get mushy. Sometimes I felt it was easier just to leave a bottle of my favorite salad dressing in the office fridge so I had it whenever I needed it.

These days I make my salads on the fly while on my lunch break at home, but I still prep some of the more time consuming items ahead of time. If I’m going to cook my own beans – I’ll make a batch of those on Sunday night so I have a bunch for the week (same with the wheat berries, tofu, and edamame). Most of veggies I chop each day, but for things like cucumbers and peppers you might find it easier just to chop the whole thing at the beginning of the week so you can grab your ingredients and toss a salad together in lightening speed.

Hopefully this helps those of you looking to spruce up their salad reporire. Let me know if you have any questions!

-Brittany

Tagged as: salad