I remember a friend staying with me shortly after I’d turned to a plant-based lifestyle.
An omnivore themselves, they opted to eat out or get takeaway that suited their diet choice, but one night I asked if they’d like to have the salad I was making for myself.
“Salad?” they inquired. They couldn’t believe that I’d only have salad for dinner, but they did take me up on the offer and, though I say it myself, were more than grateful they did!
You see, there’s salad, and then there’s a proper, balanced, plant-based salad that is a complete and nourishing meal.
Most people think of salad as little more than lettuce, cucumber and tomato on the side, but done right, a salad can be as good as any pasta, pie or paella!
Here’s a five-step guide to building a better salad:
Start With Greens
Every salad starts with some foliage, and when you start paying attention, you’ll find there are lots of options open to you. Tangy lettuces, peppery arugula, tasty baby spinach, crunchy cabbage or hearty kale — try out a few and see which ones you prefer.
Personally, I like the freshness of a arugula-spinach combo, with a bit of kale mixed in. Kale and other dark leafy greens are high in iron and fibre, and excellent for a plant-based diet. But they’re often quite tough and can be hard to digest properly. Chop it up small and massage with a little bit of apple cider vinegar and olive oil. This breaks down the fibres for easier digestion and adds a nice added tang to your salad.
Pile On Your Fillers
‘Fillers’ are what I call the more conventional salad ingredients; cucumber, tomatoes, radishes, celery, grated carrots and beets, and fresh beans (green beans, snow peas and so on). They’re fresh and healthy and good for bulking out a salad, but aren’t key nutritional components. Slice some fresh corn off the cob, even dice up an apple — you can go crazy…
