This holiday season, you can bring special moments through delicious and healthy holiday dishes. Whether you’re hosting a gathering or bringing a dish to share this New Year’s Eve, toss in some healthy and simple protein-rich salad recipes that you and your loved ones can dig into?
Salads can be a meal in themselves. They can be made with raw or cooked and chilled ingredients. They are simple to prepare, adhere easily to food-combining rules, and can be a staple in a health-building diet.
Here are a few recipe ideas for nutritious and tasty salads that you can easily whip up.
A. Classic Protein-Rich Chopped Salad
Ingredients
Salad:
1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 cup jicama, peeled, diced
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced
1 cup sliced arugula, tough stems removed
1 cup thinly sliced napa, savoy or other soft
cabbage, parboiled, chilled, chopped
(see sidebar)
2 cups celery, diced
3 cups turkey breast, diced
2 tablespoons scallions, chopped
Dressing:
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 teaspoons shallots, minced
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup raw, organic apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
11/3 cups organic, unfiltered olive oil
½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt, or more to taste
Directions
1. Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl and chill.
2. Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl and
chill for at least one hour.
3. Toss dressing with salad ingredients just before
serving in large individual salad bowls.
Tips:
How to cut lettuce for a perfect chopped salad
1. Wash and spin dry romaine lettuce leaves.
2. Stack leaves and cut lengthwise into strips about ½ inch wide.
3. Turn the stack and chop leaves into 1/2 inch dice.
B. Turkey Salad
Ingredients
Salad:
4 cups cooked turkey, chopped into bite-size
pieces
1 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 cup celery, finely chopped
1 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
Mixed field greens
Vinaigrette:
½ cup raw, organic apple cider vinegar
½ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1 cup organic, unfiltered olive oil
1 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)
Directions
1. Blend vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl.
Slowly whisk in olive oil and xanthan gum, if
using.
2. Toss all ingredients with the vinaigrette in a
medium-sized bowl. Refrigerate several hours to
marinate flavors. Serve over mixed field greens.
If you’re searching for more salad recipes, here’s what Body Ecology suggests:
Grilled Steak Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette
