Salads are usually considered boring, tasteless fare, associated with diets and healthy eating. Very rarely does the word salad conjure up images of delectable fare that one can savour. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get creative and experiment. We did, and came up with salads that are as delicious as they are healthy.
Traditional Indian households typically use ingredients such as cucumbers, onions, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, carrots and radish in a salad. Lately though, nutrient-rich, exotic and international fare has begun to find its way into Indian homes, such as dark-leafy veggies like kale and arugula.. Here's a word of caution before we begin - If the primary aim of a salad is clean and healthy eating, avoid excessive salad dressing which can be creamy, high-fat and calorie-heavy.
Now let’s dig into these yummy and nutritious salad-making ideas. Serve these as a side dishes with small servings of pizza or pasta, or simply as complete meals by themselves.
Chickpea Salad With Smashed Cucumbers:
This is a protein-rich salad. A bowl of chickpea is best tossed with 2 chopped onions, 1 cucumber, 2 tomatoes, bell peppers, green chillies, celery, parsley to be taken as per one's choice and a squeeze of lemon juice for tanginess. High in dietary fibre, chickpea also is easily digested, lowers the likelihood of cancer as well as cholesterol risks.
California Roll Salad:
Some of these ingredients might not be readily available in your kitchen, so you’ll have to source them. You will need Boston lettuce, cooked short-grain brown rice, cucumbers that are thinly sliced into ribbons, 1 avocado cut into pieces, 1 scallion thinly sliced, furikake seasoning, 1 tbsp sriracha, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 tbsp mayonnaiseand kosher salt. In a bowl, first whisk mayonnaise, sriracha, lemon juice, and some salt together.
Then, add the lettuce, rice, cucumber, and avocado into the mix and gently toss. Lastly, sprinkle the salad with scallion and furikake. Your salad is ready to serve.
Butter Bean Salad With Herby Vinaigrette:
Canned beans could turn into a great salad recipe! In a mini pan, saute some butter or olive oil with vinegar and chopped onions. Then add parsley, oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper and pulse. Cook well for about 15 minutes.
Once ready, transfer the entire mix to a large bowl and toss with beans and tomatoes. Its ready to be served.
Lemony Brussels Sprout Salad:
This fresh and crunchy salad is refreshing to the tastebuds and easy to make.
Take a bowl and whisk ¼ cup of lemon juice with ½ tsp salt, ¼ tbsp pepper, and 3 tbsp olive oil. Leave the mixture still for minimum 10 minutes and maximum 2 hours.
Now, add a bowl of sprouts to it and mix well. Feel free to add romaine lettuce, ricotta salata, cranberries and almonds and toss the entire mixture well to ensure the flavour of each ingredient is highlighted.
Greek Salad:
Although a Mediterranean dish, it's extremely easy to make. In small bowl, whisk vinegar, olive oil, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Then add 2 tbsp capers and 1 tsp freshly chopped oregano.
The second step is to neatly arrange tomatoes and cucumbers on a platter and add onion and olives on the top. The salad is almost ready, but you can add some healthy dressing of your choice before you finally serve it.