Bored with that lackluster salad of pale iceberg lettuce, garnished with a few carrot curls and stale croutons, all drowning under a sea of thick and creamy dressing? Doesn’t sound very appetizing, does it?
Instead, why not get creative this season with a variety of sensational salads teeming with a bounty of beneficial nutrients. No matter which fruits and veggies you choose, they’re all loaded with unique blends of vitamins and antioxidants.
To help celebrate National Salad Month, here are 10 delectable salad recipes from around the world. Try a different one every night and enjoy eating fresh and tasty salads from all corners of the globe.
Chocked full of protein and nutrients that can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, this bean salad makes a great side dish or salsa.
Ingredients
- 1 can sweet corn, drained
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes cut in half
- 2 tsp cumin
- Juice from 1 lime
- ½ cup of chopped cilantro
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, tossing thoroughly.
Herb Infused Cucumber Asparagus Salad
Crisp and delicious, this bounty of fresh veggies features asparagus – nature’s detoxifier – that can help prevent certain cancers. Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs freshly picked asparagus
- 1 bunch green onions
- 3 cups fresh small cucumbers
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp fresh chervil
- 1 tbsp fresh chives
- 1 tbsp fresh mint
- 2 tsp fresh tarragon
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup light olive oil
Instructions
Par boil asparagus 1 to 2 minutes, place in ice bath and drain. Chop green onions, slice cucumbers and mix with fresh herbs. Combine lemon juice, red wine vinegar, mustard, salt and black pepper. Slowly stream in oil, whisking steadily until creamy. Toss vegetables with dressing, then spoon over plated asparagus.
You’ll feel like you’re dining in the tropics when you feast on this tasty mixture featuring savory shrimp, a source of unique antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. Serves 4.
Ingredients
- ½ lb medium shrimp
- 2 large plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ mango, chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion
- 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- ½ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 cups loosely packed red lettuce leaves
Instructions
Boil shrimp for 3-4 minutes until pink, then drain and peel. Halve shrimp crosswise, then mix with tomatoes, beans, mango, onion, jalapeno pepper, and orange and lime juices. Season with salt and pepper. Tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces, then divide among 4 plates, topping each with shrimp mixture.
Enjoy the fresh and nutritious flavors of Greece, lightly dressed with lemon juice and olive oil, which can lower your risk of heart disease. Serves 6.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups dried orzo
- 8 oz feta cheese
- 1 cup chopped Roma tomatoes
- ½ cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
- 1 tbsp snipped fresh basil
- 1 tbsp snipped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- ½ tsp snipped fresh oregano
- Salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions then chill for 1 to 2 hours. Mix feta, tomatoes, olives, basil, and parsley with the chilled pasta. Mix olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and oregano in a jar, shake vigorously, then pour over pasta and toss. Season with salt and ground black pepper, then cover and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.
Bursting with flavors of the Mideast, this salad from Israel combines colorful sweet and savory vegetables that contain powerful antioxidants that support heart, bone and eye health.
Ingredients
- 3 tomatoes
- 3 cucumbers
- 1 small onion
- 4 radishes
- 4 scallions
- 2 carrots
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 cup cabbage
- 1 avocado
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
Chop tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, peppers and avocado into small cubes. Slice radishes, carrots and cabbage into fine strips. Sliver green onions. Combine all vegetables into a bowl and gently mix. Immediately before serving, season with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Sushi and salad fuse together in this Korean delight. Featuring fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, Hwe Dub Bap can help keep your brain and heart healthy. Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 2 lb sushi-grade fish, cut into 1/2 in x 1 in pieces (red snapper, yellowtail, tuna, striped bass, etc)
- 1 head red leaf lettuce, chopped
- 1 small cucumber, sliced thinly
- 1 Asian pear, sliced thinly
- 1 small carrot, julienned
- 7 or 8 perilla leaves, sliced thinly
- 5 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup cho kochujang (seasoned chili pepper paste)
- Thin slices of roasted seaweed, for garnish (optional)
- Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Divide rice into 4 bowls. Arrange vegetables, raw fish and sliced pear on top of rice. If using garnish, dust with sesame seeds and/or sliced seaweed. Serve with small bowl of cho kochujang on the side.
Made with gluten-free buckwheat noodles, wasabi paste and ginger, this flavorful Japanese salad offers aid for digestion, congestion and inflammation. Serves 2.
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 8 oz dried buckwheat soba noodles
- 1/3 cup creamy almond butter
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 ½ tbsp honey
- 2 tsp wasabi paste
- One 1 ½-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
- One 1 ½-lb head Napa cabbage, cored and shredded
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 hothouse cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick half-moon shapes
- 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
- 3 tablespoons black sesame seeds
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil noodles 4-5 minutes until tender, then rinse, drain and place in a large bowl. Blend almond butter, soy sauce, lime juice, olive oil, sesame oil, honey, wasabi and ginger in a blender, then pour over noodles. Toast almonds 6-8 minutes in oven. Add sliced vegetables, toss and garnish with sesame seeds.
Filled with fiber and slow-digesting carbohydrates, root vegetables are even better when pickled: vinegar can help prevent heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 2 medium golden beets, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
- 1 medium parsnip, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
- 2 medium red beets, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cups apple cider vinegar
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp celery seed
- ½ tsp whole black peppercorns
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
- ¼ cup pistachios, roughly chopped
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- *Special equipment: Mandolin slicer or slicing attachment for food processor
Instructions
Boil vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seeds, celery seed, peppercorns, garlic and 1 cup water. In separate heatproof bowls to prevent bleeding, pour liquid over golden beets, parsnips and sweet potatoes; red beets and onions. Steep for 1 hour; drain. Plate red beets and onions; add other vegetables, goat cheese, parsley, pistachios and olive oil.
Avocado, Mango and Pineapple Salad with Pistachios and Pickled Shallots
In this Latin American salad, creamy avocados and sweet tropical fruits work together to help improve heart health, control blood pressure and protect the body from cancer. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
- 1 medium shallot (1 to 2 oz), sliced into very thin rings
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 cups baby arugula or watercress
- ¼ cup roasted and salted pistachios, coarsely chopped
- 1 tbsp thinly sliced fresh mint
- 1 tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 medium firm-ripe avocados (6 to 7 oz each), pitted, peeled and sliced lengthwise ¼-inch thick
- 2 kiwis, peeled, halved and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 medium mango seeded, peeled and sliced lengthwise ¼-inch thick
- ½ medium pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch dice (about 2 cups)
Instructions
Toss shallot, rice vinegar, and a pinch of salt; steep 10 minutes. Remove shallot; whisk mixture, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Toss pickled shallots, greens, pistachios, mint, basil, salt and pepper with 1 tbsp of mixture. Drizzle remaining mixture over arranged avocado, kiwi, mango and pineapple. Top with the arugula.
Combining the buttery texture of papaya with the spices of Thailand, this antioxidant-rich salad helps support eye, heart and digestive health. Serves 6.
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 3 tbsp (packed) palm sugar or golden brown sugar
- 2 tbsp plus 2 tsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp dried shrimp, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Chinese long beans, halved crosswise, or 15 green beans
- 1 ¾ pound green papaya, peeled, halved and seeded
- 10 large cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 green onions, very thinly sliced
- 1 fresh red Thai chili with seeds, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp coarsely chopped salted peanuts
- *Special equipment: Julienne peeler or box grater
Instructions
Whisk together lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, dried shrimp and garlic. Boil beans about 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Rinse under cold water then cut into 2-inch pieces. Using julienne peeler to create 6 cups papaya. Add tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, chili and green beans. Toss with dressing and sprinkle peanuts over salad.
If this article has inspired you to become an adventurous salad sampler, consider sharing it with friends and family who may also benefit.
Sources
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?pfriendly=1&tname=foodspice&dbid=42
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/RCP00221/roasted-root-vegetables.html
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=47
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