A little while ago I saw a post on instagram about people not enjoying their salads because they don’t season the individual ingredients going into their salad. The post went on to explain this more in-depth, and to give examples of seasoning each individual ingredient on its own before throwing it into a salad. When I read the post, it seemed like maybe this should be common sense, or that to some people this would be super obvious, but to me it was life changing. Whenever I use to make salads, I would usually just put a bunch of raw veggies into a bowl with some kind of lettuce, throw some dressing on top of it, and try to miserably convince myself that it was delicious and satisfying. But it never was. It was always bland, the flavour was never exciting, and I’d always find myself starving about 20 minutes later. I honestly couldn’t understand how people could eat a salad as a meal and feel both full and satisfied. And then that instagram post opened my eyes to how wonderful salads can be.
I’m going to walk you through an example of how I make salads now so that you can start enjoying salads too! Gotta get those greens in!
Base and Dressing
The base of the salad isn’t anything magical or exciting. I like to use spinach leaves because they’re a bit heartier, or arugula mixed with spinach leaves. For a dressing I usually go with a simple balsamic vinaigrette, because it’s a neutral flavour that goes with everything. And I use it sparingly – mostly just for the leaves – because I no longer rely on the dressing to bring the flavour to my salads!
Protein
I don’t know why I wasn’t adding protein to my salads before, but if you’re going to have your salad as your meal for lunch or dinner, then definitely add protein. Not only will it help in filling you up, but you also need protein in a well-rounded meal!
For this salad, I added in some shredded chicken. This is the recipe I used the first time I attempted shredded chicken. It’s super easy though, and these are basically the steps to make it:
- Put chicken breasts in pot or pan, and pour enough water in it so that the chicken is covered by about an inch of water
- Put it on the stove and turn on the heat, bringing the water to a boil
- Once boiling, turn the heat down slightly, cover, and let it poach for about 16 minutes, or until internal temperature is 165F (remove the chicken from boiling water before checking the temperature)
- Once chicken is cooked, pull it apart using forks or a handheld mixer
The first couple times I made shredded chicken, I just used two forks to pull it apart, but it took a while and also made my arms hella sore. This time I opted for using the whisk in our Kitchenaid mixer, and it shredded it so much quicker and much nicer!
I used three chicken breasts so that I could prepare a bunch for the next few days. I stored it plain in a container in the fridge, so each time I use it I can portion out the amount I want to use and mix in whatever sauce I want that day. This time I used a “Korean-Style” marinade.
Other protein options you could try: steak, hardboiled egg, roasted chicken, fish, fried tofu, beans, roasted chickpeas, bacon
Roasted Veggies
I quite like having warmer/cooked food in my salad, because it makes it feel like more of a proper meal to me. Plus, the roasted veggies add some dimension and make it a lot more satisfying, in my opinion.
I roasted some zucchini at 450F for about 7 minutes on each side. I drizzled oil on the slices, and then sprinkled them with some garlic salt for flavour. After they’re done roasting, I cut them into quarters and then let them cool a bit before adding to the salad.
Other roasted veggie options: roasted corn, broccoli, brussel sprouts, asparagus, beets, bell peppers, onions (red onions in particular)
Raw Veggies
Obviously it’s a give-in that you’ll have raw veggies in your salad as well, but make sure you season them appropriately so they don’t get pushed aside and go uneaten.
My avocado was unfortunately hard as a rock when I cut into it, but I carried on with it for the sake of this post.
I seasoned the cherry tomatoes with salt and pepper, because I quite like the flavour of cherry tomatoes, so I don’t feel like they need much help (and I’m not sure what other seasonings might compliment their flavour).
For the sad avocado, I used some Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper seasoning. I love using this seasoning if I ever have avocado toast, too! It just complements the avocado so well, and I’m a huge fan of lemony flavours.
Honestly, you can obviously use any raw vegetables in a salad and it’ll work. Just make sure you add your favourite seasonings to them to make it more flavourful!
Assembly Time
Assemble all your ingredients into a large bowl, and drizzle a bit of your favourite dressing over it, and voila! A super tasty salad that’ll leave you feeling satisfied and dreaming of your next one.
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