Healthy Salad Recipes

Salads can be healthy, satisfying meals on their own or perfect accompaniments to main dishes.

here is a selection of salad recipes guaranteed to please you. Whether you're looking for hearty main dish salad recipes or light, nutritious fare, these salads are far from ordinary.

1. Summer Corn Salad

Ingredients

• 6 ears corn, husked and cleaned 
• 1 large onion, diced 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 
• 3 large tomatoes, diced 
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook corn in boiling water for 7 to 10 minutes, or until desired tenderness. Drain, cool, and cut kernels off the cob with a sharp knife. 
2. In a large bowl, toss together the corn, tomatoes, onion, basil, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Chill until serving. 

2. BBQ Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 2 boneless, skinless thin-sliced chicken breasts 
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 
• 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce 
• 1 Roma tomato, diced 
• 3/4 cup canned corn kernels, drained 
• 3/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed 
• 1/4 cup diced red onion 
• 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 
• 1/4 cup Ranch dressing 
• 1/4 cup BBQ sauce 
• 1/4 cup tortilla strips 

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. 
2. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, to taste. Add to skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces. 
3. To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with chicken, tomato, corn, beans, onion and cheeses. Pour Ranch dressing and BBQ sauce on top of the salad and gently toss to combine. 
4. Serve immediately, topped with tortilla strips. 

3. Japanese Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

• 2 medium cucumbers, or 1 large English cucumber 
• ¼ cup rice vinegar 
• 1 teaspoon sugar 
• ¼ teaspoon salt 
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted 

Directions

1. Peel cucumbers to leave alternating green stripes. Slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise; scrape the seeds out with a spoon. Using a food processor or sharp knife, cut into very thin slices. Place in a double layer of paper towel and squeeze gently to remove any excess moisture. 
2. Combine vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium bowl, stirring to dissolve. Add the cucumbers and sesame seeds; toss well to combine. Serve immediately. 

4. Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed 
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil 
• 1 cucumber, peeled and finely chopped 
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese 
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
• 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Directions

1. In a large bowl, toss together chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, garlic, parsley flakes, dried basil, and Parmesan cheese. 
2. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and season to taste with salt. Toss until well combined, and adjust seasoning as needed. 
3. Cover and refrigerate at least 45 minutes before serving. Serve chilled. 

5. Kale and Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients

• 1 lb. cauliflower florets 
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 
• 1/4 c. lemon juice 
• 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 bunch kale, ribs removed, chopped 
• 1/4 small red onion, very thinly sliced 
• 1/3 c. crumbled feta cheese 
• 1/3 c. golden raisins 
• 1/3 c. pine nuts 

Directions

1. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss cauliflower florets with olive oil and 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Roast in 450°F oven for 25 minutes, or until stems are tender. 
2. In large bowl, whisk lemon juice, olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss kale with dressing. Let stand at least 5 minutes. 
3. To kale, add cooked cauliflower, onion, feta cheese, golden raisins and toasted pine nuts. Toss until well combined. 

6. Broccoli-Bacon Salad

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• ¼ cup low-fat mayonnaise 
• ¼ cup reduced-fat sour cream 
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar 
• 1 teaspoon sugar 
• 4 cups finely chopped broccoli crowns 
• 1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped 
• 3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled 
• 3 tablespoons dried cranberries 
• Freshly ground pepper , to taste 

Directions

1. Whisk garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar and sugar in a large bowl. Add broccoli, water chestnuts, bacon, cranberries and pepper; stir to coat with the dressing.
2. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. 

7. Egyptian egg salad

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs 
• 1 lemon, juiced 
• 1 tbsp tahini 
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil 
• 1 red onion, chopped 
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped 
• 1 tsp ground cumin 
• ½ tsp cumin seeds 
• 400g can borlotti or fava beans, juice reserved 
• 2 Little Gem lettuces cut into wedges
• 2 tomatoes cut into wedges 
• Sprinkling of dried chilli flakes and roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley, optional 

Directions

1. Bring a pan of water to the boil, lower in the eggs and boil for 8 mins. Drain and run under the cold tap to cool them a little, then peel and halve. Meanwhile, mix 1 tbsp lemon juice and 3 tbsp water with the tahini to make a dressing.

2. Heat the oil and fry the onion and garlic for 5 mins to soften them. Add the ground cumin and seeds, stir briefly then add the beans and lightly crush some of them as you heat them, adding some of the juice from the can to get a nice creamy consistency but keeping whole beans, too. Taste and add lemon juice and just a little seasoning if you need to.

3. Spoon the beans on to plates with the lettuce, then add the eggs and tomatoes, with the tahini dressing, chilli and parsley.

8. Roast carrot, beetroot and marjoram salad with fennel seed and yogurt dressing

Ingredients

• 12 small carrots, tops still attached
• 8 small beetroot (about 600g)
• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to finish
• 6 bay leaves
• Small bunch fresh marjoram (or sprinkle with 1/2 tbsp dried marjoram)
• Finely grated zest 1 lemon and juice 1/2
• 150ml natural yogurt
• 2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted in a dry pan
• Small pinch chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp clear honey
• Small handful fennel tops (optional) 

Directions 

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Cut the tops off the carrots (I like to leave a 2-3cm green stem) and discard. Scrub the veg under a cold running tap. Cut the carrots in half lengthways, if they’re big, and halve the beetroot. Put in a large roasting tin. Drizzle with half the olive oil, dot with the bay leaves, tear over the marjoram and sprinkle with the lemon zest. Season well with sea salt and pepper, then roast for 45-50 minutes until the beetroot are tender and the carrots are lightly caramelised and soft. 
2. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Combine the yogurt with the lemon juice, remaining olive oil, toasted fennel seeds, chilli flakes and 1 tbsp of the honey. Mix well. 
3. Arrange the roasted veg on a platter and spoon over the yogurt dressing. Finish with a scattering of fennel tops, if using, the remaining honey and a drizzle of olive oil. 

9. Grilled Chicken and Wheat-Berry Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup hard winter wheat berries, rinsed and drained 
• 1 bay leaf 
• 4 cups water 
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves, divided 
• 1 cup green apple, peeled and cut into julienne strips 
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper 
• 3 tablespoons 
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 
• 4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 
• Cooking spray 
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion 

Directions

1. Preheat grill. 
2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a simmer; cover and cook for 2 hours, 15 minutes or until wheat berries are almost tender. Drain and place in a bowl; discard bay leaf. Coarsely chop 1 cup spinach leaves. Add chopped spinach, apple, bell pepper, dressing, and mustard to the wheat berries, and toss well. 
3. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until done. Thinly slice chicken. 
4. Divide remaining spinach evenly among 4 plates. Place 1/2 cup wheat-berry mixture on top of spinach. Arrange chicken evenly over berry mixture; sprinkle with green onions. 

10. Greek Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pt. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved 
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced into half moons 
• 1 c. halved kalamata olives 
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 
• 3/4 c. crumbled feta 
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar 
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon 
• 1 tsp. dried oregano 
• Kosher salt 
• Freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil 

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and red onion. Gently fold in feta. 
2. In a small bowl, make dressing: Combine vinegar, lemon juice, and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Slowly add olive oil, whisking to combine. Drizzle dressing over salad.