3 Inventive and Nutritional Salads You Need to Try

Although salads may not always be the first meal that comes to mind when thinking of a great dinner, salads have many health benefits. Eating a salad once a day will improve health in all aspects, it is an easy way to get your supply of fruits and vegetables. Salads will increase fiber levels, prevent illnesses such as heart disease, and help stop cravings for anything more to eat. The problem with many salads though, is that they are too basic. They don’t contain enough nutritional ingredients and tend to not taste that great. But there happen to be many salad options that will truly change your view of salads. These leafy meals are great alternatives to your normal lunch or dinner and will become a dish that you enjoy eating. All of these salads taste even better with homemade salad dressings which aren’t too difficult to make. More importantly, they are quick and easy to make with ingredients typically found at home.

1. Kale and Cucumber Caesar Salad

This is a spin on your basic caesar salad. Making homemade Caesar salad dressing and homemade croutons make this salad so different. With these slight changes in your recipe, it will make your basic caesar salad so much more special. The variety of nutritious and tasty ingredients in this dish come together to make it an extremely flavorful and balanced option. Instead of using romaine lettuce which is usually in Caesar salads, try kale! Kale is known to aid weight-loss, boost metabolism and is high in protein and antioxidants. Using fresh aged Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for your salad will create a bolder flavor than commercial Parmesan Cheese.

Ingredients, Serves 4 (from  Raising the Salad Bar by Catherine Walthers)

• • 2 cups sourdough bread cut into 1/2 inch cubes(for croutons)
  • 6-8 cups kale washed and dried
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup  Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
  • 4 teaspoons olive oil, salt and pepper

• Optional– Strips of grilled chicken

Lemon Dressing

• • 1 egg yolk
  • 3 anchovy fillets
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

1. Place egg yolks, anchovies, garlic, mustard and lemon juice in the food processor
2. Keep the processor running while adding oil, add salt and pepper

Croutons

• • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • In a bowl, mix bread cubes and garlic
  • Drizzle olive oil over the bread and toss with salt and pepper
  • Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes

Place kale and cucumber in a large bowl and toss with just enough dressing to lightly coat. Mix well. Sprinkle with cheese and add croutons. Serve at once.

2. Vegan Mexican Fiesta Salad

This salad is a fun, flavor-filled salad option. The colorful ingredients and great taste will make it a salad you always want to make. A cilantro-lime dressing is even better to add to this salad. In addition, unlike many other vegan salad options, the ingredients in this salad is sure to keep you filled up and will provide great sources of proteins and vitamins. Adding black beans to this salad makes it very different from other types of salads you could try. It’s packed with many fibers is perfect for a lunch or dinner option. Avocados are superfoods and loaded with numerous nutrients and omega acids.

Salad Ingredients

• 2 cups of Romaine lettuce
• 1/3 cup of black beans
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 corn
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup of tortilla strips
• 1 tablespoon of salt and pepper

Cilantro-Lime Dressing

• • 1 cup cilantro
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 lime
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic

Dressing

• • Place cilantro, yogurt, lime juice, garlic and salt in food processor
  • Keep the processor running while slowing adding olive oil

3. Corn and Tomato Salad with Farro

This is a very simple salad that, with one ingredient, adds a lot of nutrients to your dish. Corn and Tomato salads are commonly made and very quick to make, but by adding farro the salad is so much better. Farro contains even more fiber than other grains like quinoa and has many benefits to cardiovascular health. In addition, it improves digestion and is high in protein. The farro makes this a dish that will keep you satisfied and full. Because of the many flavors in this salad, no dressing is needed. With the other components of the Corn and Tomato salad, it becomes a very refreshing and delicious salad to eat.

Ingredients

• 1 cup farro
• 1 1/2 cup corn
• 1 cup cherry tomato, chopped half
• 1 tablespoon salt and pepper
• 1 cup of Romaine lettuce
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 lemon
• Optional- dressing of your choice

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and enjoy!