it’s no secret: i’m a salad-eater. i grew up the child of a salad-eater. it’s in my dna. but having made quite a few salads for myself over the years, i’ve come across ways to make them much, MUCH better than your basic iceberg lettuce / tomato / french dressing combo. i shared a post on salad tips + tricks a while ago, but today’s focuses on the interesting, fun, healthy, and delish ingredients i add on a regular basis to keep them fresh and exciting.
the greens
let’s get the “boring” piece out of the way: the base. we all know that greens are good for you, but after hearing time and time again how good they are for your gut, i’ve become a lettuce nazi in the sense that i always have a lot. not just a handful, but many handfuls. you need a lot more than you think to add that volume you need to feel full, and you can’t really overdo it. it’s funny to look back, because i go in waves on what kinds of lettuce and dark leafy greens i eat. towards the end of my pregnancy with cole i was OBSESSED with butter lettuce, and i know i went through a very long phase with arugula. here’s what i love about all the leafy stuff:
- arugula: i wrote a whole post about how good it is for you, so check that out here. in addition to feeding the good gut bugs, it’s peppery taste adds a nice change to the base of your salad. the leaves are also small enough to eat that you don’t look like an rabbit and shoving huge pieces into your mouth (like i do, on the reg.).
- mixed greens: it’s nice to get something other than just standard lettuce, so i have recently been buying huge tubs of mixed greens and eating those.
- butter lettuce: crunchy and refreshing, i love to have a butter lettuce salad with a protein that’s a little more dense (venison, beef, etc.) since it’s a little lighter.
protein
- salmon: salmon is probably my number one favorite protein to add to salads. it feels fancier than your standard chicken. i buy the pre-made salmon from trader joe’s and can usually make it last for two salads, since i add…
- eggs: eggs are delicious and full of protein and other good-for-you elements. i eat them as snacks and put them on my salads as well. when you chop them up they add volume and i end up more satisfied (that’s the fat in them, for ya!). i eat a LOT of eggs, and not just because i’m doing a soft whole 30.
- leftover burgers: my husband is a hunter, so we typically have some sort of ground meat around. in the summer we grill burgers quite a bit, so there’s usually some leftover. i chop them up and add them to salads. bonus if they are cheese burgers!
- rotisserie chicken: when it’s not grilling season (aka winter in minnesota), i will buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it for the week. for some reason, i like that better than slicing chicken breast. idk, it feels fancier, maybe?
herbs + spices
- cilantro: chop some up and toss it in your salad. i promise you will thank me later. between the salsa joey makes and salads, we always seem to have some on hand.
- dill: make sure it’s fresh. a little goes a long way.
- trader joe’s ebtb seasoning: i’ll toss the salad in some olive oil and add the seasoning, and it makes for a very fun dressing situation.
the extras
i am not sure why, but i feel like i can’t just have a few ingredients on my salad; it always needs a little extra. some detail. i’ve found a couple of things i like to add for even more of a health, flavor, and texture kick:
- hempseeds: lots of protein and fat in those lil guys, and they give a really satisfying chew to what might be a boring bite with just leaves. trust me on this one.
- nutritional yeast: it’s kind of like cheese, but not. full disclosure: i add cheese to my salads quite often in addition to nutritional yeast. nutritional yeast packs protein and B vitamins for a relatively low cost and caloric count, so why not?
- pickles: HEAR ME OUT. i had a salad (this one i tried to recreate, to be exact) that had cornichons on it, and it was life changing. the tiny little guys add some much needed crunch and flavor.
this goes without saying, but be picky with your dressings. so many of them have artificial ingredients, and it’s SO easy to find pre-made ones that are good for you these days. i love primal kitchen, tessemae’s, and the trader joe’s brand ones (you find them in the refrigerated section). my rule of thumb is that if they don’t go bad relatively quickly and/or aren’t found in the refrigerated section, they’re a no go.
have i convinced you that salads don’t have to be boring yet? if not, the same rules can apply to toppings for things like zoodles, cauliflower rice, and spaghetti squash. heck, make it a “bowl;” it’s very on-trend right now!