How to make an AMAZING salad every time
Its nicer weather here in the UK which means it is salad season. There are 2 common opinions that lots of people have about salads that have unfairly given them the label of rabbit food:
Salads don’t fill you up. This is absolutely true if the salad comprises only of lettuce, tomatoes and some other raw vegetables. I would need to eat an awful lot of raw vegetables to fill me up if that was the case and I would also find it incredibly boring. Leading onto the next point;
Salads are boring. Yes, they can be boring if they are comprised as mentioned above. Shop bought dressings are also tasteless, creamy (bleugh) and dull. Some types of lettuce can also be pretty tasteless
HOWEVER, salads can be an incredibly delicious and flavourful main meal that keeps you satiated. Here are some things to remember to ensure your salad is not one for the rabbits:
Mix up your greens. Iceberg has a time and a place* but not in a salad. There are so many varieties such as romaine, kale, rocket, radicchio, little gem, endive, chard, spinach. I love to use watercress as I love the texture and the pepperiness of it. My boyfriend doesn’t like it though (too stalky apparently) so I only get it very occasionally. Side note: watercress is also one of the most nutrient rich foods going with over 50 vitamins and minerals. It contains more calcium than milk, more vitamin C than oranges, more vitamin E than broccoli and more folate than bananas (for those preggo ladies)! I don’t massively like the bags of pre-washed salad leaves as who knows what weird chemicals they are washed in to preserve freshness. However, they do offer a whole load of easy options. Buying a whole bunch of greens is better value and it will be fresher, but it does involve an extra step of washing and drying so bagged salads do serve a purpose sometimes. Growing salad is also easy in the summer – just make sure to keep the slugs and snails off it. Or I’ve also been experimenting with microgreens which can be grown on a windowsill in a matter of days. You don’t even need compost; they can be grown in an old plastic salad or food container on some damp kitchen roll
Add in as many colours as you can: radishes, pomegranate seeds, orange segments, fresh herbs, beetroot, carrots, grilled peaches, chopped grapes, pink grapefruit segments, artichokes, flaked coconut shavings, mushrooms, sweetcorn
Experiment with adding in some hot vegetables: lightly cooked cauliflower or broccoli, green beans, roasted & cooled roasted new potatoes, roasted peppers
Always include some protein such as: lentils (red, green, yellow or brown), tofu, tempeh, hemp seeds, eggs, quinoa, any beans (black eyed beans, pinto, butter, cannellini, borlotti, flageolet, haricots, kidney) or a dressing made of tahini
Ensure you have some texture: peanuts, pecans, walnuts, seeds, falafels, crunchy roasted chickpeas, cornichons
Include some fats: avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado oil, flaxseed oil, hempseed oil, walnut oil, cheese or vegan cheese, olives
Add some slow release carbohydrates such as quinoa, roasted cubes of butternut squash or sweet potato, brown rice, wild rice
Make your own dressing: Homemade dressings are so easy to make and offer such a huge variety. They can make almost any salad super tasty. There are so many recipes online, but have a think about adding in some more unusual ingredients to your dressing every now and again to mix it up. Such as: ginger, chilli, lime, coconut yoghurt or Greek yoghurt, mustard, herbs, sesame, tamari, vinegar (so many different types!), celery seeds, black pepper, poppy seeds, peanut butter, roasted garlic, pesto
Enjoy!!
* I like to use it as a wrap instead of shop bought flour based wraps, or it can add a crunchy and juicy texture to a meal that is a bit mushy