Filling Salad Recipe and Salad Ideas

Are you looking for salad ideas?? A rockin’ salad is the best!

I love a hearty salad full of veggies, greens and sometimes fruit. There’s a lot to be said about variety, which means every so often I try a new veggie or a “new to my salad” veggie.

I’m wary of salad ruts so I try and find dressings, combinations, and then serve on dishware that is aesthetically pleasing.

This usually helps keep my salad enthusiasm strong, but here’s a few more tips that might help out.

Make an Easy Dressing

The Processed: I really really like Girard’s Light Champagne dressing (I would love to make my own)
My homemade favorite: extra virgin olive oil, toasted sesame oil, a soy sauce (Bragg’s liquid aminos or organic tamari), fresh lime juice, minced garlic, and sometimes minced ginger – I can get you measurements but it’s more of a toss to taste depending on the size of my greens
Simplicity #1: extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice
Simplicity #2: extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Simplicity #3: extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar
Simplicity #4: toasted sesame oil and rice wine vinegar
Simplicity #5: extra virgin olive oil, mustard, fresh lemon juice, and sometimes mashed avocado

Going over that list of dressings is making my mouth water!

Favorite Fixings

Greens (a blend or separate): kale, spinach, swiss chard, arugula, bok choy, romaine, butter lettuce, and cabbage
Herbs: cilantro, parsley, basil, and dill
Veggies: shredded carrot, green onion, red onion, english cucumber, avocado, tomato, shredded beets, shredded sweet potato, red/yellow/orange peppers, ginger, shredded parsnip, daikon radish, radishes, sprouts, olives, celery, raw sauerkraut, raw kimchi, jicama, radishes, mushrooms, zucchini, and SO MANY MORE
Nuts/seeds: pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, raw-vegan cheeses made from nuts (yum!)
Fruits: apple, mango, dried cranberries, dried raisins, dried apricots, pear, pineapple,
If I do cheeses (rare occasions): mozzarella, Parmesan, blue cheese, Gorgonzola, feta, and pecorino

The Aesthetics

Put your salad in a dish that makes the colors pop and brings you joy.

Fiesta ware – I love the bright colors of our fiesta ware collection (see bowl below)
Antique pyrex bowls – you might know these, they are white on the inside with different colors on the outside. I’ve collected one so far, it was from an estate sale.
A pattern or design that speaks to you! – I would love to find a day of the dead type bowl