Watch How To Make Italian Salad
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- Yield:6 to 8 side servings 1x
- Category:Salad
5 from 93 reviews
Truly the best Italian chopped salad recipe, with chopped fresh greens and veggies in a simple Italian vinaigrette. This salad is vegetarian and easily vegan. Recipe yields 6 to 8 side servings or 3 to 4 meal-sized servings . If you store the salad separately from the vinaigrette, it will keep well for up to 4 days.
- 10 ounces chopped romaine lettuce*
- ½ medium head of radicchio*, finely chopped
- ½ medium red onion, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
- cup stemmed and thinly sliced pickled pepperoncini peppers
- cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and roughly chopped
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 cup ¼ cubes of provolone cheese
Italian vinaigrette
- cup extra-virgin olive oil
- cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 10 twists freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste
- Pinch of red pepper flakes, for heat
Vegetarian Italian Chopped Salad
I have a challenge for you today. I challenge us all to start making a giant fresh salad on Sundays, so we can eat salad all week long. Starting with this gigantic, colorful, dare-I-say the best Italian chopped salad.
When you have a really great salad in the fridge, you might even reach for it before you grab the bag of chips. Happened to me! Ive enjoyed four iterations of this salad over the past couple of weeks , and Im still craving more.
The motivation behind this salad recipe came when I ordered an Italian chopped salad and a pricy Neapolitan pizza down the street. I requested the chopped salad without the bacon, and it was definitely missing that salty, savory, gimme-more edge without it. Crispy bacon is the only meat I ever miss.
Sublime Vegan Salad Recipes
A roundup of 30 delicious, flavorful vegan salad recipes from around the plant-based internet.
Whether youre looking for a light, veggie-forward salad for summer or a hearty, root vegetable & grain-based salad for winter, this list has something for everyone!
I have a confession to make: I absolutely love a good vegan salad.
As Im writing this, its summertime, which means my salads are packed with seasonal summer produce corn, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, you name it. These veggies are already so flavorful they can be simply prepared raw, flash-sautéed, or even grilled.
But salads can be wonderful in fall and winter, too. I love combining root vegetables, beans, grains, and winter greens to create hearty yet healthy winter salads.
Theres really no wrong time to have a vegan salad, from light and fresh green salads as a side or more substantial lettuce-free salads as a main dish.
To help you get inspired, Ive rounded up over 30 of the best vegan salad recipes. Some are recipes of my own creation, but Ive also included a great selection from around the plant-based web.
Sweet and Spicy Smashed Cucumber Salad
Herbed Vegan Potato Salad
Grilled Corn Salad
Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Ginger Sauce
Creamy Balsamic Carrot Salad
Peach Panzanella Salad
Recommended Reading: Best Taco Salad Recipe Ever
The Best Italian Chopped Salad
I set out to create a better meatless Italian chopped salad, and here it is. Youll find most of the usual ingredients, including crisp lettuce, radicchio, red onion, fresh tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers and provolone cheese. I tried a few other kinds of cheese, but its no wonder provolone is the most commonits the tastiest. That said, you could easily skip it for a delicious dairy-free/vegan salad.
Youll find a few unexpected ingredients here that send this salad over the top. First up, chickpeas, which arent uncommon but make this salad more hearty. I also added celery for extra crunch, and sun-dried tomatoes for some extra oomph. The umami flavor in sun-dried tomatoes make up for the umami-rich pork that you usually find in Italian chopped salads.
Toss all of those ingredients in a bold, homemade Italian vinaigrette and you will have a seriously addictive salad. Ive enjoyed smaller portions as a side or larger portions as a light meal.
Quinoa Mango Black Bean Salad With Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette
So much to love in this mouth party fresh salad recipe! The chipotle lime vinaigrette is fabulous! Hearty, filling and so much flavor! Alissa said: Made this last night, and we are obsessed! Loved the spiciness of the chipotles with the sweetness of the mango and the tanginess of the lime. By far our most favourite quinoa salad to date ! This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.
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Cabbage & Carrot Thoran
Just look at the color of this salad! Ill take a whole bowl, please!
Instead of a creamy dressing, youll make a spiced coconut sambal, which involves shredded coconut, mustard and cumin seeds, shallots, garlic, green chilis, turmeric, and curry leaves.
Once this is cooked, youll toss the carrot and cabbage into the mix, and the residual heat will warm and wilt the veggies.
What You Need To Make Brown Rice Salad With Use
The rice: Start with the base of the dish. Youll need 4 to 5 cups of cooked short-grain brown rice . Any grain you have in the pantry from farro to millet to kamut to quinoa, or even a short pasta like orzo or couscous can be swapped in here .
For this dish, the rice can be cooked up to 24 hours in advance and is safe to eat cold, if cooled properly before storing. Spread the cooked rice on a sheet pan to cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to airtight containers and refrigerate. If youd like to make the rice any earlier, freeze it, then thaw.
The beans: When it comes to beans, 3 cups of cannellini, navy, butter, or even chickpeas will do, cooked from a heaping cup of dry or two cans .
The veggies and pesto: Buy a pound of firm vegetables like radishes, carrots, or beets with their greens still attached, as well as a big bunch of herbs . Instead of tossing those vegetable tops and herb stems into the compost, blend everything into a verdant pesto with a little help from some pantry and fridge staples, like lemon zest and juice , toasted sunflower seeds , white miso paste , fat cloves of garlic , and a good glug of olive oil . Char the raw off the vegetables in a cast iron skillet or on the grill. Fold everything together and youre in business.
Also Check: Boiling Potatoes For Potato Salad
Ways To Serve This Marinated Vegetable Salad
This vegetable salad is pretty straightforward and basic, but its unlike any salad we make on the regular! So for us, its a treat to have found a fun new way to eat colorful veggies. Here are a few ways we like to serve it:
- As a side dish for weeknight meals: store it refrigerated
- For lunches throughout the week as a way to add veggies
- For picnics as a marinated vegetable salad
- For potlucks: consider making a double recipe!
Summer Quinoa Vegetable Salad With Fresh Mozzarella
Find all the goodies at your local farmers market and give this fabulous fresh vegetarian salad recipe a try! The flavorful balsamic lemon dressing has my heart. Kim said: Found this fantastic salad recipe on Pinterest and made it today using all the veggies I had in my kitchen! It was fabulous, healthy and pretty!!! .Loved it!! This recipe is vegetarian and gluten free.
Recommended Reading: How To Make Classic Tuna Salad
Storage Info: Lasts Up To 3 Days
The great thing about this vegetable salad, in our opinion, is that it tastes even better after a few hours in the refrigerator. You can serve it immediately after serving, or store it up to 3 days refrigerated. This makes it great for lunches that last throughout the week.
If youre serving very hungry eaters or want a large batch, we recommend making a double recipe. Click the 2x button on the recipe below.
Spinach Pecan Brown Rice Salad
A long time favorite veggie salad recipe! Creamy, crunchy, packed with hearty brown rice, this veggie summer salad is hearty, filling and full of texture: Jenn said: I LOVE this salad and so does my husband! Ive been making it once a week since I discovered it about a month ago. The only change I make is to add an extra tablespoon of olive oil =) . This recipe is vegetarian, easily vegan and gluten free.
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Important: Chop The Vegetables Small
The most important part about this vegetable salad? Chop the veggies very small, especially the broccoli and cauliflower florets! Sometimes it can be hard to digest large amounts of raw cauliflower and broccoli . But we found when we chopped them very small here, they werent overwhelming to the salad.
The chopping portion of this salad takes quite a bit of time, even for a pro home cook! But its worth it once youve got it mixed up: we promise!
Easy Indian Salad Recipes
If youre looking for healthy sides to brighten up that bland old chicken breast, you have to try some of these incredible Indian salad recipes.
Not only are they vibrant and fresh, but theyre loaded with fantastic spices and flavors.
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If Im being honest, I dont love big bowls of lettuce, and Im almost always hungry an hour later.
So, when I tell you that these salads will both fill you up and make you smile, you know theyre good!
They still contain plenty of nutrients and even some greens, but they focus more on fresh veggies to give you a boost of goodness.
Cucumber salad might not sound like a lively dish, but when you toss it with chili pepper, pepper flakes, chopped peanuts, coconut oil, lime juice, sugar, and salt, its a winner.
Plus, this cucumber salad is actually served warm.
Youll cook down some mustard seeds with cumin and a little coconut oil before pouring it over the cucumber.
Itll sizzle, the flavors will marry, and this will be the best darn cucumber salad you ever had.
Read Also: Is Chicken Salad Chick Keto Friendly
Sprouted Mung Bean Salad
Mung beans are another terrific and under-used member of the legume family.
Theyre green and look a little bit like peas, though they taste more like potatoes to most people.
This recipe calls for sprouted mung beans, which means they have even more Vitamin C, magnesium, phosphorus, and antioxidants than their unsprouted cousins.
You can sprout these beans yourself simply by adding them to a bowl of water.
Fresh Summer Vegetarian Salad Recipes Never Boring
Summer is the best time for fresh vegetarian salad recipes made with seasonal ingredients that can hang out in the fridge for days. Ive rounded up these ten meal prep ready, fresh veggie salad recipes perfect for picnics, road trips, lunch or for al fresco dinning!
These vegetarian salads are among Vanilla And Beans community favorites because theyre hearty, versatile, and texture rich. With vegan and gluten free options, theres a salad here for everyone! Which salad recipe will you try first?
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Vegetarian Recipes For Dinner
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We love a vegetarian meal for dinner. Eating a vegetarian diet can be a healthy and delicious way of eating. We know eating less meat is better for the environment and it can be good for your heart health as well.
Vegetarian dinners can often be cheaper as well. We’ve included several vegetarian pantry meal options that include chickpeas, beans, lentils, and coconut oil – all reasonably priced ingredients that are shelf-stable.
It’s so easy to eat veggie in the spring and summer when greens and fruit are plentiful, but it can be equally as rewarding in the cold weather. It just takes a little more planning to make sure your pantry is stocked.
Here are 33 of our favorite vegetarian recipes for dinner. Let us know your favorites in the comments below!
Mashed White Bean Salad
If youre looking for something to spread over bread, this ones for you. Its not actually mashed, as the recipe uses a food processor to make this in 5 minutes, but it will definitely work without food processor as well. Recipe here.
This healthy black bean salad is packed with protein, fiber and antioxidants thanks to the canned black beans, fresh herbs and vegetables. Its also ready in about 10 minutes. Recipe here.
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Garbanzo Summer Salad With Creamy Dill Dressing
Meal prep ready, hearty and so perfect for weekday lunches! Versatile enough to include different grains as desired my version calls for wheat berries, but quinoa or short grain brown rice is fabulous too! You gotta give this healthy salad a go! Kari said: Colorful, FLAVORFUL, healthy, and delicious. A great go-to summer lunch at work! It makes me feel like I am sticking to my healthy eating goals just by looking at it! This veggie salad idea is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.
How To Make Vegan Cobb Salad
Making a vegan cobb salad is as easy as chopping and layering the salad parts!
- Wash, dry, and chop the romaine.
- Cut the corn off the cob.
- Slice the onion, radishes, tomatoes, and avocado.
- Build the cobb salad by adding the ingredients to individual serving bowls, starting with the romaine first, arranging the remaining ingredients, and drizzling with dressing.
And now youre ready to dig in and enjoy!
Read Also: Best Salad Mix For Weight Loss
Vegetarian Main Dish Salad Recipes
If you all havent noticed yet, I love salads! I eat them all year round and cant help myself when it comes to piling them high with tons of ingredients. While I can respect a good side salad, I tend to gravitate towards salads that are filling enough that you can eat it for an entire meal. This means that they have to be packed with protein, vegetables, a little starch and, of course, a delicious dressing to top it all off with.
Today Im sharing with you 30 Vegetarian Main Dish Salad Recipes, or meal salads as I like to refer to them. I hope you all love this roundup as much as I do! Not only do these salads make for great meals, but they also are all great if you want to make them ahead and take them for lunch during the week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend
Notes On Making Marinated Veggie Salad:
- Cucumber: You can use two regular cucumbers, peeled and extra seeds removed, or you could substitute an English or hot house cucumber.
- Tomatoes: Cherry or grape tomatoes are reliably available and delicious year round, but you could swap in some fresh summer tomatoes if they are in season.
- Green pepper: We always use a regular green pepper for this salad, but a yellow, orange or red bell pepper would be fine, too.
- Red onion: I personally love red onion, raw, cooked, pickled, however. But if you are sensitive to them or yours is especially pungent, chop the red onion and soak the pieces in cold water for about 5-10 minutes. Then drain the water off and use the pieces for your salad.
Do plan ahead though and let this in the fridge for a couple of hours. It helps the veggies get good and coated in the dressing. Which is delicious. Because of the sugar
Making this veggie salad ahead of time is also great because it makes party prep a breeze when you can knock out a couple of things in advance. Less stress when you have guests over is always a good thing.
Plus, its fine for this salad to sit out at a picnic or potluck for an hour or two. Theres no dairy here so no spoilage concerns.
Last thing what to do with leftovers, if you have any.
Leftover marinated veggie salad will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. It starts to lose some of its crunch after that.
Enjoy a bowlful or two!
Enjoy!
Also Check: Wendy’s Chicken Avocado Salad
Masala Lentil Salad With Cumin Roasted Carrots
If youre looking for some high-protein, gluten-free alternatives to pasta or rice, lentils are the best choice.
They give any dish the same texture as rice, but they have a bean-like quality too, which is firm yet buttery.
If youre unfamiliar with cooking lentils, check out this post for the easiest way to make them without them turning mushy.
Forbidden Rice Salad With Mango Bok Choy And Coconut Curried Dressing
A ton of umami flavors in this crunchy-creamy flavorful healthy salad! The coconut curried dressing is over the top!: Selva said: Made this last night, and its now my new very favorite salad! Shared the recipe on line and everyone is excited to try it! This veggie salad is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.
A hearty and flavor packed Panzanella Salad Recipe with grilled Multigrain Sourdough, chickpeas and quinoa to round out this main course Tuscan bean salad! This salad is vegan, vegetarian and easily gluten free.
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Vegetarian Salad Recipes To Lose Weight
Want to lose weight? Then try out these simple vegetarian salads. It is easy to prepare and not time consuming.
These ten best salads to help you lose weight should be enjoyed with dressing that does not contain mayonnaise, cream and other high calorie ingredients. However, for some of these vegetarian salads you might need to add a little mayonnaise or cream to enhance the taste. In cases like that, it is best to use low calorie dressing.
These salads to lose weight benefit in rapid weight loss. It is good to consume these salads at lunch or dinner. Most of these salads mentioned on the list contains vegetables which are rich in fibre, sodium, calcium and iron. To make your salad a little interesting, add boiled pieces of chicken or turkey . These two lean meats are an added advantage to your salads for weight loss.
Take a look at these delicious 10 best vegetarian salads to lose weight.