We all know salads are healthy for us (unless we load them with Ranch dressing and fried toppings, which I once did) but like anything you can sometimes find yourself in a big rut.
I eat a lot of salads and rarely find myself getting bored when I do two things:
- Prep interesting ingredients on the weekend in order to toss together an easy, yet fun bowl in just minutes.
- Have combinations in mind to keep things fresh.
Today I have some of my favorites to pull you up from that rut.
Prep Ahead
- Roast a big tray of vegetables – cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, Brussel sprouts, onions.
- Bake a sweet potato for cubes in your salad.
- Bake marinated tempeh while you’re at it!
- Cook quinoa.
- Dice your veggies to make them accessible – cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, celery.
- Pull frozen items out of the freezer to thaw in the fridge – shelled edamame, green peas, artichoke hearts.
- Fruit! Always a fun addition to a light & fresh salad. – Grapefruit, grapes, apple chunks, strawberries.
- Blend up a dip. A few of my favorites are Edamame Hummus, Walnut Lentil Pate, & Buffalo Hummus.
I always prep one or several of these items on the weekend. You can bake the vegetables, sweet potato, and tempeh at the same time. Then put quinoa on the stove or in a rice cooker (it only takes 15 minutes). Cut up veggies and pull items out of the freezer to thaw in the fridge while those items are baking and cooking. There you have it! A week of creative, nourishing meals and only one mess to clean up! 
Creative Creations
1. This salad came together in just minutes with ingredients I had prepared in advance. Shredded purple cabbage, sliced cucumbers, black rice, roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, Parsley & Pumpkin Seed Chimichurri Sauce (minus the oil), and Superfood bread.
2. I like dressing. Can you tell? 
Anti-inflammatory Tumeric Tahini Dressing topped on a bed of greens, diced sweet potato, leftover roasted squash & portobello mushrooms & roasted corn from the freezer.
3. In the warmer months I typically enjoy my lunch sitting on my back steps. I just love the fresh air and fresh flavors! Greens toped with tomatoes, quinoa, artichoke hearts from the freezer, a big dollop of hummus & my favorite Mary’s Gone Crackers.
4. Greens, a variety of herbs, sprouts, heirloom tomatoes, ground flaxseed, refried beans, and Mary’s Gone Crackers made this lunch oh-so-tasty!
5. If you’re looking for a fun salad that will satisfy for dinner you won’t be disappointed by this BBQ Cauliflower Salad with Zesty Ranch Dressing. Plus, it makes great leftovers! (Note: I use half the BBQ sauce.)
6. Another great dinner-time salad with romaine lettuce, farro, baked tempeh, edamame, sunflower seeds, grapefruit, and No-Honey Mustard Dressing (#6 in this post).
7. A big Mexican style salad is always satisfying. Black beans stewed with hot sauce, cumin, and chili powder, diced red and green bell pepper, tomatoes, red onions, cilantro, roasted corn, and a creamy avocado dressing. I often use salsa and diced avocado in place of the avocado dressing. In the summer I always roast corn when we have the grill fired up, but in the winter I rely on Trader Joe’s frozen roasted corn, which is almost as equally delicious.
There you have it! Seven new salad ideas and ways to prep ahead for plant-strong, stress-free meals . Enjoy!