As a dietitian, one of the things I hear on a regular basis is that people don’t like eating salads because “they’re too boring”. Sure, if you use only lettuce, raw tomatoes, raw carrots, and cucumbers, salads CAN be boring. And let’s face it, no one gets excited over eating a boring plate of food.
But here’s the thing: salads don’t have to be boring. There are so many fun and delicious ingredients you can add to your salads to spruce them up and make them a quick and easy meal that you’re actually excited about eating!
Here are a few tips I have for you to help you create a salad that’s more fun:
- Add lots of color: Plain green salads can be so boring and unappealing. Adding lots of color will make your salad look more fun, and chances are that when your plate looks appealing, it will taste more appealing, as well. Plus, the more colors you add to your plate, the more nutrients you’re getting. So go ahead… eat the rainbow!
- Mix hot and cold: Yes, cold salads can taste great on a hot day, and likewise, warm salads taste good on a cool day. But have you ever tried mixing the two? Try topping a warm salad (like a grain salad) on top of a bed of cool salad for the perfect mix of hot and cold!
- Add a variety of textures: No one wants a plate full of mushy veggies, so to avoid that, be sure to incorporate a variety of textures to your salad. Steaming ingredients (like sweet potatoes or eggplant) or using ingredients such as feta cheese or avocado slices provide you with a soft and smooth texture, while toasting ingredients (such as nuts or seeds) or using fresh ingredients like cucumbers or pomegranate arils provides you with a bit of a crunch. Adding equal amounts of both soft and crunchy ingredients will leave you with a perfect salad!
- Add protein: To make your salads more satisfying and filling, try adding some protein. Chicken or salmon make great salad-toppers, or if you’re vegetarian, tofu and beans also work really well. If you’re using a protein, try marinating it before-hand to provide some additional flavor and leave your taste buds feeling just as happy as your stomach.
- Add some fruit: Fruit is a great way to satisfy that sweet tooth, as it contains natural sources of sugar. Not only that, but the sweetness from the fruit really compliments the slightly bitter taste found in some greens. Adding seasonal fruit is my favorite way to spice up an otherwise boring salad, but you can use any fruit your heart desires!
- Use lots of herbs and spices: No one likes a bland, boring salad, right? So to avoid this, use lots of herbs and spices to add a kick of flavor. If you’re using protein in your salad, try seasoning them before-hand to give you an extra pop of flavor!
- Top it with grains: Adding grains such as rice, quinoa, freekeh, or barley (to name a few) are an easy way to make your salad more filling and satisfying. To take it up one notch further, season your grains with herbs and spices while cooking to provide an extra bit of flavor!
As you can see, there are several different ways to spice up your salads and make them less boring. Personally, the idea of a salad with just lettuce and raw veggies does not sound appealing to me. At all. It’s way too boring, and I know that I’ll be left feeling hungry and wishing I had something else. Therefore, I like to spice my salads up as much as possible and make them meals I’m actually excited about eating!
When I started preparing this salad, I wasn’t really sure what I was going for. I knew I wanted a mixture of hot and cold (since it’s been unusually cold here in the end of March!), but other than that, I had no idea what I wanted. So therefore, I raided my pantry and fridge, found a bunch of ingredients I wanted to get rid of, and started throwing it all together.
Thankfully, this salad ended up tasting delicious. It was colorful, had a variety of textures and temperatures, and left my stomach feeling super happy. And when Marisa’s tummy is happy, Marisa is happy herself!
- 1 cup uncooked freekeh
- 2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1½ - 2 cups diced pears
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
- 1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- Fresh arugula (or spinach)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 TBSP apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp. honey (or use 2 tsp. balsamic)
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- ½ tsp. rubbed sage
- Add 2½ cups water to a small saucepan, and then add the freekeh. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until freekeh is fluffy and all moisture has been absorbed, about 30 or so minutes.
- Peel and dice 2-3 sweet potatoes. Throw them in a pressure cooker to quickly steam them or boil them in a pot of water until just tender. You can also peel them, leave them whole, pierce them a few times with a fork, and microwave them until tender. Once cooked, remove from microwave, allow to cool, and then dice.
- Once sweet potatoes are done cooking, drain them and set aside to cool completely.
- In a large bowl, combine the black beans, almonds, freekeh, and diced pears. Mix thoroughly, and then add the sweet potatoes. Mix again.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing, and then pour into the freekeh salad. Mix well.
- When ready to serve, fill each individual salad bowl with fresh arugula (can also use spinach), and dish out some of the freekeh salad mixture on top of each dish.
