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Salad is one of the most versatile meals you can make at home. Salad recipes are highly customizable and easy. Regardless if you are an amateur chef or a cooking novice, salad is one dish that almost anyone can make no matter what cooking skills you have. Most take less than 15 minutes to make from scratch and can be easily converted to suit your vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian or any other diet you are on by simply switching a few ingredients.
Eating salad on a regular basis is a great way to maintain a healthy body and lose weight. With winter fading away, and the weather getting warmer, why not get your body into summer shape by eating more salad? It can be hard for some, especially if they are used to old, bland salad recipes that get recycled over and over again.
Here we are going to look at some salad recipes that are tasty AND healthy. If you think you hate salad, think again. These 4 spring-inspired salad recipes will change the way you look at the leafy dishes forever.
1. Spicy Cucumber Salad
Ingredients:
- Cucumber (1, diced)
- Garlic (2 chopped cloves)
- Sugar (1 ½ tbsp)
- Apple Cider Vinegar (1 tsp)
- Chili Powder (1 tsp)
- Chili Oil (1 tsp)
- Salt (¾ tsp)
- Sesame Oil (½ tsp)
- Sesame seeds
Instructions:
Start by cleaning the cucumber, then chop it into small pieces. You can dice, cube or slice the cucumber depending on your preferences. Put the cucumber in a mixing bowl and add salt, mixing so that the salt is evenly spread on the cucumber pieces.
After letting the cucumber soak in the salt for about 10 minutes in the fridge, add the garlic, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil sugar as well as chilli powder and chilli oil to the bowl. Stir gently to mix. Once all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, you can garnish with sesame seeds and serve to eat.
2. Grilled Salmon Salad
Ingredients:
- Salmon (1-1 ½ pounds)
- Chiles (1-2, thinly sliced)
- Limes (1-2, cut in half)
- Mixed Herbs (1 cup, could include basil, mint, and cilantro)
- Fish sauce (2 tbsp)
- Salt (2 tbsp)
- Sugar (2 tbsp)
- Lettuce (8-9 cups of lettuce, kale or spinach)
- Cucumber (1, thinly sliced)
- Red Onion (2, finely sliced)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (¼ cup)
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees or turn on your grill. While your oven or grill warms up, make your salad dressing by taking half a lime and squeezing it into a mixing bowl. Add a pinch of salt and sugar, as well as your fish sauce and one onion. Mix these ingredients and let them sit for 1-3 minutes to ensure that the sugar fully dissolves.
You may need to periodically mix the dressing until you are ready to serve. Next, whisk in the olive oil. Whisk the dressing until the mixture is evenly spread. Back to the grill or oven, place your salmon, and brush each side with some olive oil. If you are using a grill, let each side cook for about 5 minutes, adjusting the cooking time for the thickness of the salmon. If you are using an oven, place the salmon on a baking sheet and place it in the middle tray and let cook for around 10 minutes until it is fully cooked. At the halfway mark of the salmon cooking, or after is it completely cooked, take two lime halves and squeeze them over the salmon.
Once cooked, remove the salmon from the grill or oven and place it in a large salad bowl or platter. Add the dressing as well as the cucumber, herbs, lettuce and the remaining onion. Mix thoroughly, breaking up the salmon into smaller chunks as you do so. Serve and enjoy.
3. Butter Leaf Salad
Ingredients:
- Radish (4-5, thinly sliced)
- Asparagus (1 bunch, cut into small pieces)
- Butter Lettuce (2 heads)
- Cucumber (1, thinly sliced)
- Avocado (1, cubed)
- Almonds (1 cup, sliced, ground or crumbled)
- Peas (1 cup, fresh or frozen)
- Lemon juice (4 tbsp)
- Garlic (2 cloves, minced)
- Olive Oil (½ cup)
- Parmesan cheese (1 cup, grated)
- Salt (1 tbsp)
- Dijon Mustard (1 tsp)
- Black pepper (½ tsp)
- Water
Instructions:
Get a large pot and bowl. Fill the pot with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, place the asparagus in the pot and let sit for about 5 minutes or a little less. Add ice to the large bowl and place the asparagus in the bowl after boiling.
Now add the peas into the empty pot and let it cook until soft, usually around 4 minutes. Once softened, place the peas in the bowl with the ice and asparagus. Drain any water from the bowl.
Make the dressing by getting a jar or small mixing bowl and add the lemon juice, olive oil, black pepper, garlic and mustard with a pinch of salt. Mix thoroughly by whisking the content in the bowl or by shaking them in the jar (as long as it has a lid!).
Get a large salad bowl and add the butter leaves, cucumber, radish, peas, asparagus, avocado, almonds and parmesan cheese. Add the dressing and toss the salad to thoroughly mix it. Your meal is now ready to serve.
4. Strawberry and Kale Salad
Ingredients:
- Kale (12 cups, chopped)
- Fresh Strawberries (2-3 cups, sliced)
- Bacon Strips (¾ pound, cooked and crumbled)
- Feta Cheese (1 cup, crumbled)
- Olive Oil (½ cup)
- Mint (¼ cup)
- Almonds (¼ crumbled, chopped or ground)
- Cider Vinegar (⅓ cup)
- Honey (1 tsp)
- Salt (¼ tsp)
- Pepper (⅛ tsp)
Instructions:
Start by making the dressing. Get a mixing bowl and whisk the olive oil, cider vinegar, honey, salt and pepper together thoroughly. Next, add your kale, bacon, strawberries and mint and mix them with the dressing, ensuring that everything is evenly coated. Top with almonds and feta cheese before serving.
Popular Spring-Inspired Recipes
Spring is the season when vegetables and fruits are fresh and abundant in farmer’s markets and grocery stores across North America. With so much produce becoming available, it’s no wonder why most spring-inspired meals feature plenty of fresh produce and leafy greens. Some of the most popular spring meals in Canada include spinach artichoke dip, cinnamon apples, spinach pie, spicy cucumber salad, shrimp tacos, apple crisp, and lemon asparagus risotto.
If you want to find one place with tons of unique, tasty and healthy spring recipes, you can visit HelloFresh. HelloFresh is the world’s largest meal-kit provider, delivering fresh ingredients for thousands of recipes right to your front door. You can browse their website and find delicious and cool recipes to test out and enjoy, and best of all, there are plenty of healthy recipes to choose from so you don’t have to sacrifice flavour for feeling good about your health.
Seasonal Health
It is not surprising that research has shown that North Americans tend to eat more meat-based foods during the colder months, before changing to a more healthy diet in the warmer seasons. With spring in the air, you may be focusing more on your body’s health as you think about going to the beach and engaging in more outdoor activities with friends and family.
Improving your health starts with what you put in your body, specifically what meals you are eating. Consider looking for some healthier alternatives to what you are currently eating on a regular basis. Replacing some meat or preservative-heavy meals with salad is a great way to boost your energy, get more essential vitamins and nutrients and save money in the process.
Resources
- https://rasamalaysia.com/asian-cucumber-salad/
- https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021127-grilled-salmon-salad-with-lime-chiles-and-herbs
- https://foolproofliving.com/butter-lettuce-salad/
- https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/strawberry-kale-salad/
