3 Salads You'll Actually Want to Eat

Raise your hand if you hate salad. YEAH ME TOO. Ok, well, not anymore, but I did for a long time. It was just unsatisfying and bitter and all I could think about was "I could be eating pasta right now." If this sounds familiar, this blog post is for you.

Here's the thing about salad: IT SHOULDN'T BE RESTRICTIVE. Eating more greens should never be a punishment or a form of deprivation. Eating greens should be about all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, enzymes, and other jazzy bits that keep our immune systems rock solid.

Salads should be hearty and filling and full of ingredients that make your taste buds do little happy dances at the balance of flavors and textures. Salads should be so delicious that we actually crave them. But that's just a fantasy, right? RIGHT?!

Turns out it's not such a far fetched idea. It took me 20 years and a degree in nutrition, but I finally found some salad recipes worth sharing. So, without further a-do, here are my 3 favorite nutrient dense, delicious, and most importantly satisfying salad recipes:

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1. Kale & Romaine Caesar Salad by The Vegan 8

Salad:

2 bunches curly green kale

2 head romaine lettuce

Dressing:

The Vegan 8 Vegan Caesar Dressing

Optional Add-In:

Roasted Chickpeas (Try THIS recipe from Clean Green Simple!)

Instructions

1. Prepare dressing according to recipe

2. De-stem your kale and rip into bite sized pieces.

3. Massage dressing into kale (Yes, this is messy! Get your hands in there and give it a few good squeezes until it starts to become tender and brighter in color)

4. Roughly chop romaine and add to bowl with kale (AFTER massaging kale)

5. Gently toss kale and romaine mixture until dressing is evenly distributed over all the greens

6. Add in any extra toppings

7. Serve and enjoy!

Notes:

*Cost - The dressing ingredients can be a little pricey if you don't already have them on hand. However, once you make the initial investment they should last you quite a while. The next time you make this salad you'll likely only need to purchase the kale, romaine, lemon, and pine nuts.

*Serving size - This recipe makes enough for 2 servings of salad if you're eating it as a main course, or 4 servings if you're eating it as a side salad (It pairs great with pasta dishes, potato fries, or veggie burgers!).

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2. Thai Crunch Salad by High Carb Hannah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuapwEj4Pnc

(Recipe starts 3 min into video)

**Ingredients list can be found in the description of the video. Click HERE**

I always substitute soy sauce for coconut aminos or tamari in recipes because it's just what I like and have on hand, but you can use whatever you have/like. The coconut aminos and tamari are great options if you're trying to avoid added sodium or soy.

**Pairs well with avocado toast which compliments the crunchy salad with a chewy/creamy texture and can help make it more filling if you need some more fuel.

Note:

The recipe from this video is genuinely great, but the recipe I LOVE and swear by (which is slightly different than the one in the video) is from Hannah's recipe ebook called Raw Till Whenever which you can purchase HERE for $15 (scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page). The main differences between the video and the ebook recipe are that the ebook puts shelled edamame in the salad and skips the chopped almonds. The dressing is also slightly different. You can find the details in the ebook. If you don't want to spend the money just stick to the recipe in the video. It's great. Seriously!

*ALSO* a little life hack for ya: Buy your cabbage pre-shredded if you can. It will save loads of time. I like the Trader Joe's blend. Note that it's worth it to try to find organic any time you're eating raw greens.

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3. Kale & Quinoa Salad inspired by The Cheesecake Factory

Ingredients

Salad:

2 bunch kale, de-stemmed

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

1 cup red grapes, halved

1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds

.5 cup quinoa (dry)

Dressing:

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp water (add more/less depending on desired thickness)

Pairs well with baked sweet potato (either serve with a side of baked sweet potato fries or serve inside a cold jacket sweet potato)

Instructions

1. Cook quinoa following package instructions and let cool to room temperature

2. While quinoa is cooking, combine dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. (can also whisk in small bowl)

3. De-stem your kale and rip into bite sized pieces.

4. Massage dressing into kale (If you didn't read it in the first recipe: Yes, this is messy! Get your hands in there and give it some good squeezes until it starts to become tender and brighter in color)

5. Add in red bell pepper, grapes, sunflower seeds, and quinoa

6. Serve and enjoy!

Notes:

*Serving size - This recipe makes enough for 2 servings of salad if you're eating it as a main course, or 4 servings if you're eating it as a side salad. But that's just me. By all means eat until you're satisfied.