5 Step Guide to Making Vegan Super Salads
Use the table below to create dozens of satisfying meat-free and non-dairy salad combinations – in just 5 easy steps.
Lettuce
makes a great base for a traditional salad. Try romaine, red or green
leaf, or the soft bibb, boston, and butter varieties. Kale, spinach and
arugula are also wonderful options, each with their own distinct flavor
and nutritional benefits. Garnish with endive, escarole, frisee,
mesclun, or watercress for additional texture, flavor and nutrition.
Step 2: Add some veggies
Tons
of options here – throw in as many as you like! Try raw broccoli, bell
peppers, red onion, radishes, carrots, beets, tomatoes, snow peas,
mushrooms, jicama, celery, cucumber, and cauliflower.
Step 3: Add a protein
Add
one or more protein sources for a more filling, satisfying salad. Tofu,
tempeh, shelled edamame, chickpeas, black beans, and kidney beans are
great options. Try topping your greens with an eggless salad, tempeh
tuna salad, or mock chicken salad made with tofu or tempeh for a real
treat!
Step 4: Add a healthy fat
Adding
a little fat in your salad goes a long way. It adds flavor, helps you
feel satisfied, and even helps you absorb the nutrients from all those
greens and veggies. Avocado slices, vegan cheese shreds, nuts, seeds,
and olives are great add-ins.
Step 5: Whip up a dressing
There
are tons of amazing vegan dressing options! Balsamic vinaigrette and
Italian are often the only safe restaurant choices, but the sky’s the
limit at home! Use avocado or tahini for a creamy dressing base, and add
Braggs, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, lemon, and/or garlic for extra
flavor. Or try an oil-based dressing using olive, canola, grapeseed or
safflower oil mixed with vinegar and spices. Salsa is awesome on taco
salad, and hummus or vegan tzatziki sauce make a killer greek salad!
Salads
are so versatile! Throw in some raisins, dried cranberries, baked
tortilla or pita chips, rice noodles, pine nuts, or whatever else you
like for a new flavor combination each time.
Dressing Recipe: Make your own (amazing!) balsamic vinaigrette using
2 parts balsamic vinegar, 2 parts Dijon mustard, 2 parts olive oil, and
1 part agave nectar. Simply shake or whisk together and serve.
Healthy Lunches: Salads are an awesome, healthy lunch option. Invest
in a few sturdy containers, hit the grocery store on Sunday night,
prepare your ingredients, and you can easily have lunch ready for the
week. A prepared salad will stay fresh until lunch as long as you keep
the dressing separate. Chopped ingredients will stay good for several
days when stored separately.
Buying Organic: It’s great to buy organic whenever possible, but if
your food budget is limited, prioritize organic purchases for the dirty
dozen (i.e. the most pesticide-ridden produce).
Here are 15 super salad recipes to get you started:
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Smoky Chickpea and Watercress Salad with Mango and Avocado
Mesquite-Avocado Kale Salad (VIDEO)
Kale Waldorf Salad
Mock Chicken Salad
Spicy Lentil Salad
Mizuna, Fennel, and Mulberry Salad
New Caesar Salad
Yam and Walnut Salad
Gingery Maple Glazed Tempeh on Baby Greens Salad
Kale and Grilled Tomato Salad
Freekeh Salad with Beets, Cilantro and Lime
Minced Tempeh Salad with Lemongrass, Sesame, and Cashews
Russian “Meat” Pierog and Beet Salad
Spicy Sweet Potato Salad
Arugula Fennel Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing