The healthy salads recipe is my #1 way to grandstand dynamic, in-season produce – foods grown from the ground that are so great on their own that you don’t have to do a lot to make them into a scrumptious dinner. On cool winter evenings, I like to light up our supper table with a major, vivid blend of root veggies and good greens.
On gorgeous, warm days when I’d prefer to be outside than in the kitchen, summer plates of mixed greens are the ideal arrangement: they’re easy to throw together, yet they’re absolutely delightful in any case.
Whether you need to add more plant-based feasts to your eating regimen or are essentially hoping to switch around your serving of mixed greens game, you’ll track down lots of motivation in the serving of mixed greens recipes underneath. Including green plates of mixed greens to pasta servings of mixed greens and then some, these recipes are ideally suited for passing at potlucks, filling in as supper sides, and appreciating as full dinners all alone.
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Summer Asian Slaw
Make this salad for your next picnic, and it’ll be a guaranteed hit. A tahini miso dressing gives it a creamy umami coating, while peaches add juicy pops of sweetness. I finish it with toasted pepitas for crunch.
Best Broccoli Healthy Salads
You won’t miss the bacon in this lightened-up take on classic broccoli salad. Smoky roasted nuts take their place, adding delectable savory bites. A lightly creamy, sweet & tangy dressing takes the whole thing over the top.
Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad
As soon as the temperature starts to dip in the fall, I look forward to making this salad. Made with just 7 ingredients, it’s a breeze to put together, but a bright lemon dressing, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and dried cranberries make it zippy, fresh, and satisfying.
Rainbow Orzo Healthy Salads
Diced mango adds a surprisingly sweet twist to this colorful orzo, red onion, bell pepper, herb, and cucumber salad.
Creamy Vegan Pasta Healthy Salads
My veggie-packed take on a deli-style pasta salad! I swap spiralized summer squash for half the noodles and a creamy tahini dressing for a mayo-based one. It’s a healthier version of the grocery counter classic, but it’s just as good.
Broccoli Pasta Healthy Salads
Sun-dried tomatoes add delicious umami bites to this super green combination of summer veggies, basil, pasta, and pine nuts. I have also written an article on The Best Healthy Muffin Recipes on The Planet.
Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad
A mix of jammy roasted cherry tomatoes and juicy fresh ones makes this guy one of my favorite summer salads. With spiced roasted chickpeas, tangy feta, and big pearls of couscous, it’s hearty enough to be a meal on its own.
Sesame Soba Noodles
Not your average pasta salad! Tossed in a tangy sesame-ginger dressing and piled with green veggies and avocado, this soba noodle salad is a light, refreshing summer meal.
Healthy Taco Healthy Salads
Savory shiitake walnut taco “meat” is the star of this salad, and zippy cilantro lime dressing gives it a fresh finishing touch. Enjoy this salad as a meal on its own, or serve it as a starter with fajitas or tacos.
Kale Salad With Carrot Ginger Dressing
This vibrant kale salad is a treat year-round. I pile it high with a rainbow of crunchy veggies, toasted seeds, creamy avocado, and savory roasted chickpeas. Doused in a tangy carrot ginger dressing, it’s hearty enough to be a meal on its own.
Greek Healthy Salads
I love how big cubes of feta, juicy tomatoes, olives, herbs, bell peppers, and cucumber tumble together in this stunning summer salad with a homemade Greek salad dressing.
Spicy Watermelon Tomato Salad
Fresh chiles add some heat to the sweet, juicy mix of tomatoes & watermelon in this recipe.
Tomato & Avocado Healthy Salads
The secret to this salad is marinating the tomatoes in a splash of olive oil & sherry vinegar. They become rich & tangy – the perfect contrast for fresh basil, avocado, and a little orzo pasta.
Classic Caprese Healthy Salads
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Check out this recipe to find my best tips for making a classic Caprese summer salad.
Mexican Street Corn Salad
If you’ve ever had Mexican street corn, you know that the combination of charred corn, crumbly Cotija, creamy mayo, and cilantro is a hard one to beat. I like to spice mine up with sriracha or adobo sauce, too!
Sweet Pepper Panzanella
Grilled peppers add a lovely sweetness to this veggie-packed summer salad. Along with the veggies, creamy fresh mozzarella makes it extra yummy.
Summer Panzanella Healthy Salads
I like to call this one an “everything summer salad.” It’s bursting with juicy peaches, tomatoes, crisp corn, and fresh basil – the best that summer has to offer.
Creamy Potato Healthy Salads
This lightened-up rendition of classic potato salad has a luscious Greek yogurt dressing with just a bit of mayo mixed in. It’s the perfect make-ahead salad, as the flavor deepens as it sits in the fridge.
Purple Potato & Green Bean Healthy Salads
This summery bean salad is incredibly versatile. Dress it up with a soft-boiled egg or chickpeas to make it a meal, or serve the mix of potatoes, green beans, and lemony dressing as a simple grilling side.
Tart Cherry Tabbouleh
Skip the tomatoes the next time you’re making tabbouleh, and use dried tart cherries instead! They add a great chewy texture and sweet/tart flavor to this fresh dish.
Watermelon Poke Bowls
This poke-inspired summer salad features juicy cubes of watermelon and crunchy macadamia nuts along with conventional poke fixings like cucumber, ginger & avocado. I toss it all in a tangy tamari-lime dressing to make a super fresh, fun summer dish.
Strawberry Caprese Salad
Another fruity Caprese combo! This time, I use strawberries as well as cherry tomatoes, and I guess it up with a balsamic reduction, avocado, and toasted pecans for a sweet, nutty crunch.
Sweet Corn & Arugula Panzanella
Panzanella may be an Italian bread salad, but this recipe’s not all about the bread. Crisp, juicy sweet corn is front and center, playing perfectly off a tangy dressing and bitter greens. I use the corn raw, so this Panzanella is super simple to toss together.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
- 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 small shallot, very thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups cubed whole-grain bread
- 4 ears of corn, kernels cut from the cob
- 2 medium tomatoes, sliced into wedges
- 3 cups arugula
- Pinches of red pepper flakes
- Flaky sea salt, if desired
- ½ cup fresh basil, torn or sliced
- Shaved pecorino cheese (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bottom of a large bowl, make the dressing by mixing together 3 tablespoons of olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, shallot, and garlic. Set aside.
Arrange the bread cubes on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and toss to coat. Bake until toasted, about 8 minutes.
To the large bowl, add the (raw) corn, tomatoes, toasted bread, arugula, and a few pinches of red pepper flakes, and toss. Season to taste with flaky sea salt (or regular sea salt). Spread onto a platter and top with the basil and shaved cheese, if using. Serve.
Benefits of Eating Salads
Healthy Salads Help You Get Enough Fruits and Vegetables
Some people struggle when it comes to eating enough fruits and vegetables to maintain a healthy diet. Having a fresh salad every day can make it easy to get all of the servings you need, plus it supports a clean eating lifestyle.
Dark leafy greens and brightly colored vegetables ensure you get a range of vitamins and minerals, helping you to maintain a healthy body and mind. They are also overflowing with antioxidants, important chemicals in the fight against cancer-causing free radicals.
To get the most benefit, try to keep the majority of the ingredients in their raw form. These pack the biggest punch when it comes to creating a truly healthy salad, plus they’re full of flavor and satisfying crunch.
Vegetable and Fruit Salads Are Full of Fibre
Fibre is a wonderful thing; it helps you feel full longer and can provide a range of health benefits. For example, a fiber-rich diet can help alleviate and prevent constipation and lower cholesterol. It can also make it easier to maintain a healthy body weight which reduces your risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. Your blood sugar levels may also stay more even, helping to prevent cravings for sugary foods.
Healthy Salads Cut Calorie Consumption
For people interested in losing weight, adding a healthy salad to every meal can be an excellent way to go. As mentioned before, a salad contains valuable fiber, which helps you feel full and satisfied. And, if you start a meal with a salad, you’ll have less room for higher-calorie options that form the rest of the meal.
Dark, leafy greens are very nutrient-dense, meaning they provide a lot of nutrition with a limited number of calories. That means a salad with a large serving of spinach, kale, or Romaine creates a strong foundation for weight loss. Just make sure to use higher-calorie options sparingly.
Cheese, nuts, and dressings can add a lot of calories quickly, so use enough to get a sense of the flavor and texture and stop there. However, many other fruits and vegetables can make a salad exciting and satiating without allowing you to pack on the pounds, so explore your clean eating options and choose items that leave you feeling satisfied.
You’ll Get Access to Good Fats
While salad ingredients can contain fats, most of them are of the healthier varieties than you find in items like meat. For example, olive oil, nuts, and avocados all have fat, but of the monounsaturated variety. These not only help you feel more satisfied, but they also ensure your body can absorb other key nutrients found in fruits and vegetables more effectively.
Certain vitamins are fat-soluble, meaning they need fat to be present to aid absorption. Vitamins A, D, E, and K all fall into this category, so you need to consume an appropriate amount of healthy fat, like omega-3, to make sure these vitamins are making it to critical body systems.
Phytochemicals also seem to be easier to absorb when combined with healthy fats. These important chemicals help protect the body from conditions like cancer and heart disease, so eating enough fat to get their value is important, just make sure it is a healthy version, like the above-mentioned monounsaturated options or the polyunsaturated variant found in soya beans, walnuts, and flaxseeds.
If you want to see more then watch this video.
A Salad Provides Water
Some people are surprised to hear that fruits and vegetables are actually great sources of water. In fact, watermelon and strawberries are around 92 percent water while cucumber and certain lettuces are a startling 96 percent water. Eating a combination of vegetables and fruits will high water contents can help you stay hydrated even if you don’t have the opportunity to grab a glass of water to drink.
Plus, the water consumption from foods does count towards your daily needs. So, if you aren’t getting multiple glasses of water in during the day, choosing a salad can help make up for it.
Further, the vitamins that aren’t in the fat-soluble category are water-soluble instead. This means they need water to be absorbed by the body. This group includes a range of B vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin, B12, and folic acid, as well as vitamin C.
Other fruits and vegetables with high water content include grapefruit, peaches, oranges, tomatoes, spinach, and broccoli.
Salads Can Cool You Down
Whether it is a traditional lettuce-based version or a fruit salad, the cool ingredients can help you feel refreshed during the summer heat. Often, as temperatures rise, hot meals become less appealing. But consuming healthy ingredients is critical all year round if you want to maintain optimal health.
They have the most nutrients. Case in point: Kale and spinach have over 10 times more immune-boosting vitamins A and C than iceberg lettuce.
Salads made with a variety of fruits and vegetables make the perfect healthy lunch or dinner. That’s because they’re filled with tons of nutrients that benefit your body, like fiber, vitamin E, and vitamin C. These nutrients can work to lower your blood sugar, regulate cholesterol levels, and help you lose weight.
Regularly switching things up, that daily salad can easily be a nutritional powerhouse that supplies many of the vitamins and minerals your body needs.