7 Satisfying Vegan Salads
/7 Delicious Vegan Salads Filling Enough to be a Meal
Looking for a quick and easy way to get more healthy, nourishing plants into your diet? Here are my current favorite combos that come together for a delicious and nourishing lunch or dinner.
As spring forges ahead and the temperatures heat up here in Southern California, I find salads are the way to go for a quick and healthy meal. I know for many people salad is just an afterthought, an obligatory side dish, thrown together with some wilted lettuce and dried out shredded carrots drenched in creamy dressing. But that’s not the kind of salad I’m talking about here. These salads are far from boring, and provide plenty of texture, flavor and balanced nutrients to fill you up and leave you satisfied.
Why am I so focused on salad? Because eating more plants is the simplest and most effective way to improve your health. Those who eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables have lowered risk of chronic disease, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke, and even some types of cancer. Vegetables increase your fiber intake, vitamin and mineral intake, and increase the amount of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties in your diet. You’ll increase your good gut bacteria, improve detoxification, and improve your energy levels, skin health, and immunity, among many other benefits.
Best of all, when you increase your healthy food intake, you’re essentially “crowding out” the bad stuff, without feeling deprived or guilty. Basically the more vegetables and whole, unprocessed plant foods you consume, the less room you’ll have for unhealthy alternatives. By focusing on what you ARE eating, instead of what you’re NOT, you’ll be consuming more health promoting foods and won’t even miss the junk. Nice trick, right?
The following salads are some of my favorite combinations of vegetables, plant based protein and healthy fats. I’ve included the links to recipes for some components, and left you lots of room for freedom and creativity to personalize them for your own taste. As for amounts - enjoy unlimited leafy greens, about 1/4 - 1/2 cup each of grains and legumes, and 2-3 tbsp. of fat (nuts/ seeds, olive oil, avocado). I encourage you to eat in accordance to your hunger, if you’re starving then eat a little more, there’s no need to skimp on any of these ingredients. Feel free to customize them based on what you already have at home, and of course for your taste. Hate radishes? No problem, add crunch with carrot or celery instead. Don’t have any garbanzo beans, but have another type of bean? Swap them out, it’ll be still be great! Don’t be afraid to mix and match ingredients and play around. I almost never make the exact same salad twice, and it feels empowering to create new meals based on what I want to eat in that moment. And don’t forget to plate them nicely for yourself, making it feel special. Check out my conversation with Mora Ceramics about my kale and quinoa recipe for more inspo!
My 7 Favorite Satisfying Salads
Spinach salad with roasted beets, apple and toasted walnuts with balsamic vinaigrette
Parsley lentil salad over massaged kale with chopped tomatoes, cucumber and a lemon vinaigrette
Roasted sweet potato black bean salad over romaine lettuce with tomatoes, thinly sliced purple cabbage, avocado and cilantro dressing
Greek salad with dark leafy greens, chopped tomatoes, white beans, cucumbers, Kalamata olives, bell pepper, and tahini dressing
Spring salad with arugula, blanched asparagus and peas with pesto dressing
Zoodles (zucchini noodles, made with a spiralizer or vegetable peeler) with sliced cabbage, bell pepper, carrot, organic edamame, and almond butter dressing
I hope you give some (if not all!) of these a try, and join me over here on Team Salad. If you’re looking for more salad inspiration, check out my previous blog with lots of ideas on how to make your salads more interesting and filling.