How I salad
Fast and fun satisfying salads
Sensational salads are a thing, and I’m enjoying them most days. And they don’t need to take a lot of effort or forethought.
I lean on a few basic foundational elements that make up my template for consistently making sensational salads happen:
Greens: lettuces with some dark leafy greens thrown in, like spinach, arugula, red-veined sorrel, or beet greens - or just the dark leafies
Satisfier(s): satisfying components that are protein-rich, like ready-to-eat tofu or beans and often a whole grain, sourdough, or quinoa
Boosters (flavor, nutrition, beauty, satisfaction): fruit, seeds, nuts, herbs, edible flowers, other veggies
Dressing that’s very quick and easy: syrupy aged balsamic vinegar, BBQ sauce, or a very simple homemade dressing
In general, I try to have at least half my plate filled with veggies and the other half with satisfiers, with a sprinkling of boosters dressing on top.
Below are three example salads I ate this past week!
Have you heard? There’s something new for paid subscribers: a meal plans page!
Three Salads this Week
Following the four foundational elements, I’ve enjoyed eating a lot more salads than I used to. Here are three examples from the salads I ate last week. I hope they help you see that it’s very possible to quickly grab a little of this and a little of that and find yourself making a different magnificent masterpiece of a salad each time, following the four elements pretty naturally.
Salad One
Greens: romaine, spinach (ready to eat in the fridge and from my Gardyn)
Satisfier: steamed tofu (you could use any ready-to-eat tofu you like)
Boosters: mint, cilantro, CB’s Nuts Jalapeño Peanuts, black violas (herbs and flowers from my Gardyn; you can often find them near the salad section of many grocery stores)
Dressing: peanut powder stirred with coconut aminos and squeeze of lime
Tip: just add a bit of each until you have the consistency you want. Ok, if you want more of a guideline, try a tablespoon of each. That should give you plenty of dressing.
Salad Two
Greens: spinach, red-veined sorrel (from my Gardyn)
Satisfiers: tofu, quinoa
Boosters: cilantro, purple carrots (from the grocery store), jalapeño, lemon balm, basil (from my Gardyn), nutritional yeast, cracked pepper, salt
Dressing: Umeboshi Plum White Balsamic Vinegar (from a local olive oil shop - you may be surprised to find one near you or there are several online; look for the thick, syrupy type or mix the thin, sour type with a bit of maple syrup)
Salad Three
Greens: red-veined sorrel, romaine (from my Gardyn)
Satisfier: hummus
Boosters: purple carrots, grapes, cilantro, red onion, jalapeño peanuts (from store), lemon balm, black viola, banana peppers (from my Gardyn)
Tip: Using a peeler created these carrot ribbons.
Dressing: Squeeze of lime wedge, BBQ sauce drizzle
Love a good salad especially if it is a mix of cooked and raw ingredients. So good.