Easy Quick Savory Salads

Pickled Beets/Cucumber Salad

Handful of garden lettece

Handfull of spinach

2 sticks of celery

Pickled cucumbers

Pickled beets

1/4+ cup Saurkraut

2 slices of red onions

1 diced carrot

1 sliced egg

Handful of blueberries

4 sliced strawberries

Sprinkle with Nutritional Yeast

Sprinkle Himalayan salt, any other spice you’d like, with a balsomic dressing.

Nutritional Benefits:

This salad is full of probiotics, vitamin C.

Nutritional Yeast-B vitamins.

Red onion-onions are an excellent source of antioxidants and contain at least 17 types of flavonoids.  These may protect against diabetes and certain types of cancer .

Pickled Beets-improved digestion, physical performance, blood sugar levels, and heart health.

Lettece is rich source of vitamins A, K, and folate.

Egg-antioxidants, potassium, and good cholesterol

I usually eat three fresh salads a week. Important for your health to get the greens and fiber! A low anti-inflammatory food/meal.

Remember Food is Medicine…Salads are a must eat part of your diet. There are such a variety to make. So many different ingredients to choose from; just about anything can go into a salad from a variety of meats, fruit, lettece, cheese, nuts and you can choose most any vegetable! This salad is quick and savory on many levels!

Mediterranean Salad/chicken/black olives

Handful of spinach

Handful of lettece

Slices of cucumber

4 Seasoned canned Artichoke Hearts

1/2 cup of chickpeas

5 red cherry tomatoes cut in halves

Sprinkle of feta cheese

Your choice of olives

Chicken chunks

Garnish with red onions slices and slices of red peppers

Optional – 1 sliced avocado

I usually use balsamic dressing

Enjoy!

Quick and Easy to make!

Tahini Rainbow Cabbage Salad

Quick and easy Salad…Very Good!

Serves 4

Prep time 20 minutes

Tahini Dressing

1/4 cup tahini

3 tabespoons virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons filtered water

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos

2 teaspons pressed garlic

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salad

2 cups shredded purple cabbage

3 cups shredded purple cabbbage or finely chopped

3 cups finely choppedc spinach

1 cup finely diced red bell peper

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped

1/4 cup crumbled goat feta cheese

1. Dressing: Combine all ingredients in a jar and mix until fully blended.
2. Assemble the salad: Combine the cabbage, spinach, bell pepper, carrots, and cilantro in a large salad bowl and toss to combine. Just befoe serving, add the dressing and massage the salad until will combined. Add the eggs, avocado, and feta, gently turning the mixture once to lightly coat the dressing.

High-Protein Vegan Quinoa Bowl with Black Beans and Vegetables

I found this recipe on Pinterest and loved it!!

This is a High-Protein Vegan Quinoa Bowl, is dinner salad with two sources of protein … organic quinoa and black beans, with veggies.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1.5 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth, or water
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 3 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
• Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado, hot sauce, limes, etc.

Instructions:

In a deep skillet or roaster pan, heat the extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and red bell pepper. Sauté until softened and browned. Add minced garlic and sauté for an additional thirty seconds.

Cook the quinoa…stir in the rinsed quinoa, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, and black pepper.

Add the vegetable broth, stir, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes (until the quinoa is cooked and the liquid is absorbed.

 Stir in the cooked black beans and frozen corn. Cook on low heat until the corn and beans are heated through (5 minutes). Add the cilantro and seasoning.

Enjoy!!

Apple Cranberry walnut salad

• 6 cups salad – leaf lettece …. any spring green mix will do)
• 1/2 cup shredded cabbage
• 2 sliced/diced celery stalk
• 1/2 cup carrots grated
• 1 red apple sliced
• 3 slices purple onion chopped
• 1 cup walnuts – roughly chopped,
• 4-6 bacon strips – cooked and chopped (optional)
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• Cranberry vinaigrette dressing
• Optional Protein – you can add roasted chicken slices.

Nutritional Benefits

Dried cranberries have great nutrional benefits promoting heart health, preventing cancers, enhancing hair growth and treating joint pain and urinary tract infections.

Celery is low in caloriess but rich in mironutrients … vitamin C,K,E, folatae, riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid, also minerals like magnesium, calcium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium and zinc.

Carrots have so many health benefits…I’ll try to condense…they contain carotenoids, an antioxidant ipgmeent they may help reduce macular degeneration. They help lower cholesterol levels reducing heart disease. Cartenioids may also hlep against prostate , colon, and stomach cancer . Because of being high in fiber helps prevent constipation, and bloating.

Carrots contain luteolin which may help boost memory and prevent cognitive decline, supports the immune system. They are packed with B vitamins (niacin and B6, this helps the body use energy from the food you eat. Excellent for skin, hair, and nerves and our muscles.

Walnuts is another food that has many benefits…more important they have been shown to aid in the development of over thirty neuro-transmitters in the brain. This promotes effective signaling and promotes communication between the brain cells. They are rich in omega-3- fatty acid…crucial for optimal brain function.

All these nutrients in the a single bowl of salad. I usally eat a variety of salads probably 4 times a week. One of the healthest foods on the table!!

Green Garden Salad with Garbanzo Beans

Every summer when I plant my garden my goal is to be able to eat summer salad totally from my garden. So this summer I planted herbs…sage, thyme, and oregano for the purpose of keeping the bugs/insects away from my lettece, tomotoes, and bush beans. Now I am enjoying these herbs in my garden salads!

All ingredient are from the garden except the garbanzo beans and nutritional yeast.

Ingredients

Cut into small pieces, then toss to mix together.

Spring mix lettece

Leaf lettece

Micro greens

10 Sage leaves

5 Thyme stems

Oregano leaves

parsley

Cilantro

ADD

10-12 cucumber slices

5 finely sliced purple onion

1/2 diced avocado

1/3 cup sauerkraut

1/3 cup garbanzo beans (for Protein)

A sprinkle of nutritional yeast

Top with sliced strawberries

Salad dressing of choice. I used Strawberry balsamic.

10 minutes prepare time

Nutritional Benefits:

Nutritional yeast: high in thiamin, potassium, niacin vitamin B6 & 12, folate.

Garbanzo beans: Plant based protein, fiber, improve blood sugar and reduce heart disease risk factors.

Cucumber: Blood sugar control, antioxidant, cancer prevention, digestion.

Cilantro: Helps removed metals such as mercury, lead, and aluminum for the body, improve heart health, lower blood sugar levels.

Sage: Loaded with antioxidants, support oral health,, reduce blood sugar levels, support manory and grain health, may protect against certain cancers.

Thyme: is an excellent source of fiber, calcium, iron, manganese, and vitamins A, B6, C. There are also robust phenols inside the plant–thymol, eugenol, and carvacro.

Strawberries: Antioxidants in strawberries, including vitamin C, can support your immune system. Some consider strawberries a kind of “Super Fruit” because, even though they’re small, they have loads of vitamins and other beneficial compounds. They are loaded with flavonoids.

Avocados: healthy for the heart. In every 100 g of avocado, there are 76 milligrams of natural plant sterol called betasitosterol. Great for vision, may help prevent osteoporosis, natural detoxification and may hlep prevent cancer.

Microgreens: Have many health benefits due to their high rutrient density. The contain vitamins A, C, E, K, and B6 as well as iron, folate, protein, and healthy fats. They help manage Type 2 diabetes, prevent cancer, protect vision, and lower the risk of heart disease.

Sauerkraut: is a nutritious food that contains many nutrients, including probiotics, vitamin K2, fiber, antioxidants, and enzymes. Its probiotics can boost digestive health as it supports gut flora and keep the stomach lining healthy, which make it harder for toxins to enter trhe body. Also, helps balance cholesterol levels.

Just one salad bowl provides all these health benefits! This salad is a must to regain your health…this is why I eat salad 3-4 times a week, as well as my home made bone broth.

Summer green Cilantro Salad

Cilantro health benefits include imporved heart health, lower blood sugar levels, protection against oxidative stress and helps in the detoxifaction of heavy metals. Also contains vitamin K and vitamin A.

Ingredients

5 large lettece leaves

1/2 bunch of cilantro

Large stalk of celery chopped

1/2 cup grated carrots

1/2 cup finely chopped purple cabbage

Purple onion slices

5 fermented cucumber slices

2 pickled beet slices sliced in strips

Squeeze 1/2 lime over the top

Sprinkled on top with sauerkraut and fetta cheese

Add 1 tablespoon of greek yogart for dressing…salt to taste

18 Great Mediterranean Salad links

https://www.brit.co/mediterranean-diet-lunch-ideas/

Mango Avocado Salad with Blackened Tofu

This mango avocado salad with a cool, creamy avocado lime dressing and added with blackened tofu bites (or shrimp or chicken, if you prefer) for protein! It’s a tasty combination of sweet, salty, and spicy flavors, with crunchy and creamy textures, and it’s great for meal prep, too.

Prep Time: 10minutes minutes

Ingredients

For the salad

• 5 oz. salad greens
• 1 mango diced (see notes)
• 2 small avocados
• ½ cup thinly sliced red onion (from about ½ a medium onion)
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, dill, mint, and/or basil

For the dressing

• 1 small avocado 
• ¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons lime juice (from about 1 lime)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

For the blackened tofu

• 14 oz. firm tofu (or protein of choice, see notes)
• 1 tablespoon blackening seasoning or other seasoning of choice, store-bought or homemade (see notes)
• 1 tablespoon butter (plus more if needed)

Instructions

• Drain the 14 oz. firm tofu and cut into cubes about 1-inch large. Pat the surface dry with a clean paper or kitchen towel, and mix in a bowl with the 1 tablespoon blackening seasoning. Heat a large heavy skillet until very hot, then add the 1 tablespoon butter and melt. Add the tofu and cook on each side until spices and butter have turned a deep, dark color and have crisped a bit on the outside. Add more butter if necessary. This will take approximately 6-8 minutes total.
• Meanwhile, make the dressing. In a food processor, combine the remaining 1 small avocado, the ¼ cup sour cream, the 2 tablespoons lime juice, the ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and the 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Turn the food processor on until everything is very smooth. Add water as necessary to thin out the texture to desired consistency – I like to be able to drizzle mine.
• Arrange the salad ingredients in salad bowl: starting with the greens and topping with the diced 1 mango, diced 2 small avocados, ½ cup thinly sliced red onion, and ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, dill, mint, and/or basil.
• When you are ready to serve, add the tofu to the salad and drizzle with the dressing.

Added alternatives

• Blackening seasoning is a mix of spices that may vary and are usually spicy, and often include paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. You can buy it premade, or make your own. But blackening really is more the process of cooking something coated in the dry spices in butter over high heat – the high heat creates a black color and crust on the outside from cooking the dairy particles in the butter and really toasting those spices. So really, the combination of spices isn’t super important here – use what you have!
• Tofu alternatives: Shrimp would be delicious, as would any other blackened or spicy protein, like blackened fish (salmon is very good) or chicken. A spicy seared flank or skirt steak would be so good here too! For another vegetarian/vegan option, try crispy roasted chickpeas.

Classic Sauerkraut Salad

• Sauerkraut – use any variety of raw or shelf stable sauerkraut, or try carrot or beet kraut for a delicious twist
• Red bell pepper – use orange, yellow or green pepper instead, or substitute pimentos
• Sweet onion – regular yellow, white or red onions work too!
• Celery – substitute another crunchy vegetable such as green pepper or carrots, or use chopped apples
• Olive oil – substitute avocado oil.
• Apple cider vinegar – use white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar or red wine vinegar instead
• White sugar – substitute coconut sugar, brown sugar or honey (or leave out for sugar-free)
• Caraway seeds – use celery seeds instead, or just leave out; you can also leave these out if your sauerkraut already contains caraway seeds in the ingredient list.
• Ingredients
• 2 cups sauerkraut drained (see notes)
• ½ red bell pepper
• ¼ sweet onion
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white sugar or more to taste, or honey
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Nutritional Benefits

Sauerkraut is a rich source of probiotics and vitamins. It can aid digestion, boost immunity, and provide other health benefits. It’s also easy to make.

Sauerkraut is particularly nutritious because it undergoes fermentation, a process during which microorganisms on the cabbage digest its natural sugars and convert them into carbon dioxide and organic acids.

Fermentation starts when naturally present yeast and bacteria come into contact with the sugars in the cabbage.

Sauerkraut fermentation creates conditions that promote the growth of beneficial probiotics, bacteria that provide powerful health benefits. Probiotics also help make foods more digestible, which increasesTrusted Source your gut’s ability to absorb the vitamins and minerals they contain.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-sauerkraut#digestion