It’s such a cliché. A girl—a dietitian girl—who loves salads. But I won’t apologize. I love salad.
What makes me feel a little better about it is that other people seem to love my salads too. Sometimes we get requests from our clients: “Can we do chicken more often?” “More vegetarian meals please.” “Our kids aren’t into salmon lately so let’s nix that for awhile.” But by far the most consistent piece of feedback is “We love the salads! More of the same.”
Our claim to fame is that we can make anyone (okay, any adult…kids are hard) a salad lover if they give us time. This is something I’m really proud of because the fact is, the more veggies we eat, the healthier we’re going to be. (We’re saving lives here people! Not really. But kind of.) And if you can make them taste really good, there is no sacrifice.
So what follows are very loose recipes for some of my most oft-repeated salads. Some of them are my “pantry” salads – the ones I make because I haven’t been to the market but the vegetables needed are those that I keep stocked in my veggie drawer – while others I have on rotation just because I love them so much. A few special notes…
- I’ve broken down the recipes into “set ingredients,” those that are non-negotiable, and “highly recommended additions,” which are those that bring the salads to the next level.
- All of the salads should be made in wide, shallow bowls and platters so none of the ingredients get crushed or lost at the bottom.
- Typically, the more fresh herbs, the better.
- Never waste citrus zest. If the vinaigrette includes it, zest the citrus directly into the salad or include it in the vinaigrette.
- Exact measurements don’t matter. Trust your instincts. If you don’t like it exactly as is you make it the first time, you’ll know what you want to adjust the next time you make it!
- Varying the type of herbs, cheese and/or nuts you use changes the character of a salad. In that way, each of the recipes below represent countless recipes. Experiment!
- I love tahini, even if I just use a teaspoon of it in my dressing. But not all tahini is created equal. I mail order Al Wadi and Soom brands and love both.
- Avocado is always an optional ingredient but I almost always include it.
- Always toast your nuts to bring out maximum flavor.
Year-Round “Pantry” Salads
SHAVED CELERY SALAD
Set ingredients
- Thinly sliced celery
- Golden raisins or chopped dried dates
- Sliced scallions or shallots
- Lemon zest
- Lemon juice/olive oil/salt/pepper
- Toasted hazelnuts, walnuts or almonds
- Parsley, mint, and/or basil
Highly recommended additions
- Arugula
- Shaved Parmesan, pecorino or goat cheese
- Avocado
- A drizzle of tahini
SHAVED CARROT SALAD
Set ingredients
- Carrots thinly sliced or shaved into ribbons using a peeler
- Golden raisins or chopped dried dates
- Toasted almonds or walnuts
- Mint, scallions and/or parsley (the more, the better; def include mint if you have it)
- Lemon zest
- Lemon juice/tahini/olive oil/salt/pepper
Selection of highly recommended additions
- Arugula
- Goat cheese
- Avocado
- Shaved raw beets or apples
Spring/Summer Salads
GREEN BEAN AND PEA SALAD
Set ingredients
- Mix or just one of the following – sugar snap peas, snow peas, green beans, freshly shucked peas (blanched, all kept whole or thinly sliced if you like)
- Toasted walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds
- Mint, basil and/or parsley
- Shallot or scallions
- Lemon zest
- Lemon juice/olive oil/salt/pepper
Highly recommended additions
- Arugula or little gem or butter lettuce
- Goat cheese, Parmesan, pecorino, or feta
- Avocado
- Radish
CORN ANY WHICH WAY SALAD
Set ingredients
- Corn (grilled, boiled, roasted, raw) cut off the cob
- Mint, cilantro, basil, scallions and/or parsley
- Toasted pepitas, walnuts or almonds
- Lemon or lime zest
- Lemon or lime juice/olive oil/salt/pepper
Highly recommended additions
- Arugula, butter lettuce, mizuna, or other greens
- Grains of any kind
- Sliced cucumber
- Avocado
- Radish
- Scallions
- Dusting of chili powder
TOMATO AND STONE FRUIT SALAD
Set ingredients
- Sliced tomato
- Sliced stone fruit (peaches, plums, apricot, cherries, etc.)
- Mint and/or basil
- Shallot
- Lemon zest
- Balsamic/olive oil/salt/pepper
Highly recommended additions
- Arugula, little gem or butter lettuce
- Avocado
- Goat cheese, burrata, mozzarella
- Toasted almonds or pecans
DARK FRUIT AND GREENS
Set ingredients
- Dark fruit – pitted cherries, figs, and/or plums (roasted or raw)
- Arugula, little gem or butter lettuce
- Mint and/or basil
- Toasted almonds
- Lemon zest
- Balsamic/olive oil/salt/pepper
Highly recommended additions
- Avocado
- Goat cheese
- Shallot
GRILLED OR ROASTED ZUCCHINI SALAD
Set ingredients
- Grilled or roasted zucchini
- Mint, basil and/or parsley
- Red wine vinegar/olive oil/salt/pepper
- Small amount of chopped garlic, red onion or shallots added to vinaigrette
Highly recommended additions
- Arugula
- Toasted walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or pine nuts
- Goat cheese, mozzarella, burrata or Parmesan
- Avocado
Fall/Winter Salads
ROASTED WINTER SQUASH SALAD
Set ingredients
- Roasted winter squash like butternut, delicata or kabocha OR roasted sweet potato (cut into 1 inch cubes or into wedges, 425, olive oil, salt, pepper, 35-45 minutes until well caramelized, let them go longer than you think)
- Arugula or massaged lacinto kale
- Toasted almonds, walnuts or pecans
- Mint, basil, cilantro (if doing tahini dressing option) or parsley
- Shallot or scallions
- Balsamic or white balsamic/olive oil/salt/pepper OR tahini/lemon juice/olive oil/salt/pepper
Highly recommended additions
- Avocado
- Parmesan, pecorino, goat cheese, cheddar, or blue cheese
- Dried cranberries or fresh pomegranate arils
BRUSSELS SPROUT SALAD
Set ingredients
- Raw shaved Brussels sprouts or roasted halved Brussels sprouts (425F, olive oil/salt/pepper, 25-30 minutes until golden brown with some crunch)
- Thinly shaved shallot
- Arugula
- Mint, basil and/or parsley
- Shaved parmesan, pecorino or goat cheese
- Lemon zest
- Lemon juice/olive oil/salt/pepper
Highly recommended ingredients
CITRUS SALAD
Set ingredients
- Segmented or sliced oranges (blood, navel, a mix, etc.)
- Thinly shaved shallot
- Arugula, butter lettuce, endive, fennel or a mix
- Mint
- Orange zest
- Orange juice/white balsamic/olive oil/salt/pepper
Highly recommended ingredients
Year-Round Salads
ROASTED CARROT AND AVOCADO SALAD
Set ingredients
- Roasted carrots (425F, olive oil/salt/pepper/cumin/coriander/garlic powder, 30-40 minutes until well caramelized)
- Thickly sliced avocado
- Mint, cilantro, scallions and/or basil
- Toasted walnuts or pepitas
- Lemon, lime or orange zest
- Lemon, lime or orange juice/olive oil/salt/pepper
Highly recommended additions
- Arugula
- Sprouts or microgreens
- Feta, goat cheese or dollops of full fat Greek yogurt
SHAVED FENNEL AND ARUGULA
Set ingredients
- Arugula
- Shaved fennel
- Scallions or shallots
- Mint, parsley, dill and/or basil
- Toasted walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts or almonds
- Lemon zest
- Lemon juice/olive oil/salt/pepper
Highly recommended additions
- Sliced radish
- Sliced celery
- Parmesan, pecorino or goat cheese
- Avocado
CUCUMBER AND AVOCADO
Set ingredients
- Thickly chunked cucumber
- Thickly chunked avocado
- Thinly sliced scallions
- Cilantro
- Lime juice/a little mayo/olive oil/chili powder or sriracha/salt/pepper
Highly recommended additions
- Arugula or romaine
- Thinly sliced mango
- Toasted pepitas, walnuts or almonds
- Feta
ROASTED MUSHROOM SALAD
Set ingredients
- Roasted or grilled mushrooms, usually shiitake (if roasted, torn into bite size pieces by hand, 425F, olive oil, salt, pepper, 25-30 minutes tossed halfway through until almost crunchy)
- Arugula or massaged lacinto kale
- Scallions or shallot or red onion
- Toasted hazelnuts or walnuts
- Parmesan or pecorino
- Mint, basil and or parsley
- Lemon zest
- Lemon juice/olive oil/salt/pepper
Highly recommended additions
- Radish
- Avocado
- Chickpeas (can roast at 425F with olive oil/salt/pepper for 40 minutes until crunchy if you like)
- Cherry tomatoes
- Hard-boiled eggs