Salad has a few basic ingredients.

Usually, that consists of lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and carrots.

That simple, basic salad is great and very nutrient dense, but after eating it for two weeks,

you’re probably going to be tired of it.

That’s why these seasonal plant-based salads like the ones below are such tasty treats to make.

They are so good and healthy you will want to eat them all year round.

 

Apple Cranberry Walnut Salad

Fruit in salad doesn’t have to make it an actual fruit salad.

Apples come into season in the fall and winter, so you can start incorporating salad into your

diet mid-winter.

This works well for anyone who includes getting healthy as part of their New Year’s resolutions.

This particular salad is pretty easy.

You just mix together the greens, whichever kind you prefer, cut up one red and one green

apple, do a rough chop on the walnuts, and toss in about 1/3 cup of cranberries.

For the salad dressing, mix:

1 cup apple juice

4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons honey (or vegan alternative)

¼ cup olive oil

and a pinch of salt and pepper

The sweetness of the dressing is actually a perfect complement to the leafy greens and

nuttiness of the walnuts.

 

Meatless Taco Salad

Taco Tuesday!

Or really, whenever you’d like.

Yes, it’s meatless.

If you don’t like that idea, you can always cook up some tofu for it.

Half a cup of tofu has about 10 grams of protein, so adding this to any salad is a great way to

stay full longer.

Typically taco salad also has cheese, but you can easily skip it any not notice.

Leafy greens, corn, black beans, onion, peppers, salsa and avocado combine to make this a huge,

filling meal.

If you want to add a crunch, some tortilla chips crumbled on top won’t make or break you.

Plus, with the salsa mixed in, you don’t really need any dressing.

 

Blueberry Broccoli Spinach Salad

Again, mixing the fruit and the veggies!

This particular salad is great for when you feel a bit lazy and don’t want to cut as much stuff up.

Spinach and broccoli alone cover a lot of your vitamins and minerals for the day, so toss in

some blueberries and sunflower seeds for some fun flavors and you’ve got a powerhouse of a lunch.

The original calls for a homemade ranch dressing, but a blueberry option keeps it totally vegan!

Just add in equal parts:

blueberries

oil

balsamic vinegar

a little bit of honey (or vegan alternative)

mustard

then blend and pour on.

You might be surprised at much you want to use it!

 

Tofu Salad with Chia and Honey Mustard Dressing

The original recipe calls for chicken, but tofu is a great substitute.

This actually starts with the whole basic salad, lettuce, cucumber, tomato and carrots.

To this you want to add avocado, chia seeds, and tofu.

The avocado is a great, healthy fat that provides a wonderfully appealing creamy texture, and

chia seeds provide another texture and a whole lot of fiber.

They’re actually about 40% fiber, which means 11 grams per ounce.

Add that in and you won’t need to worry about any supplements.

The dressing is just:

mustard

honey (or vegan alternative)

lemon juice

salt and pepper

It’s one of the easiest ones to make, so make it for everything!

 

Crunchy Thai Noodle Salad

Noodles aren’t a traditional salad component, but they’ll really help mix up your routine.

If you own a spiralizer, then you might want to use it for some of these veggies because

it’ll make your salad beautiful!

Mix in the traditional salad ingredients, but be sure to add some:

shelled edamame

purple cabbage

and, of course, noodles!

Brown rice noodles are a good go-to, but you can use pretty much whatever you prefer.

If you really want to top it off, crush up some peanuts for an added crunch.

As for the dressing:

peanut butter

rice vinegar

maple syrup (or agave)

soy sauce

ginger are all you really need.

The peanut butter takes a little longer to mix in with everything else, to leave the fork and

break out a whisk!

If you want, add some red pepper flakes to make it a little spicy!

 

Roasted Chickpea Salad

Finding a way to add beans to your salad is a great way to add protein without the

heaviness of meat.

Plus, a cup of chickpeas has a lot of iron and B-12 for energy.

Chickpeas are very versatile and so easy to roast.

Just roast them in a pan for a bit then toss in some oil and whatever spices you like,

such as garlic and onion or soy sauce and wasabi powder, let them cook.

For the salad, just add in some greens and whatever veggies you like.

Tomatoes and avocado go very well with this mix, although you can use hummus as well.

This is simple enough that you can use pretty much whatever dressing you want.

The peanut Thai dressing sounds pretty appealing thought!

Salads don’t have to be boring.

Just trust yourself to be a little inventive.

Then you’ll enjoy having them daily, and never need a cheat day again!

 

About the Author
Kacey is a lifestyle blogger for The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts. Connect with Kacey at https://twitter.com/kacey_mya; https://www.pinterest.com/kaceymya/;  https://www.instagram.com/thedriftercollective/

 

What are your favorite seasonal salad combinations?

Share your thoughts and comments with us.

 

“PIN & SHARE”