Salad: 3 Ways

Three ways to make salads more delicious and exciting: a hearty rainbow bowl, a quinoa/tabbouleh and massaged kale! All pilled high with avocado, fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts!

I absolutely adore a good salad pilled high with toppings so much so that I forget I’m eating a salad and just an array of great veggies and nuts! But I also know that many people would rather enjoy a sandwich or something a bit more “tasty”. In order to get over any aversion to leafy greens, simply add a great dressing and top it with all the goodness you can find – for me, this is always loads of avocado and fruit! These are 3 types of salads, each one offering a different twist on an otherwise leafy classic.

The Rainbow Bowl

This really is the best type of salad for anyone who is new to salads or has the mindset that they are all terrible and should never be considered a real meal. Rainbow bowls are filled with heaps of delicious foods! When making a rainbow bowl I use leftover ingredients, like a side of brown rice, hummus or avocado, and then I’ll just sauté any vegetable I have on hand. I love sautéing spinach, swiss chard or kale in an olive oil and garlic sauce. This is a wonderful salad and one you really can make your own – add nuts, quinoa, sautéed zucchini or anything you have on hand!

The Quinoa and Tabbouleh Bowl

This is a style of salad that uses the goodness of seeds or whole grains (in this case it’s a seed because we’re talking about quinoa) to really add another dimension that might be less explored in salads. Quinoa makes the base as you add in any fresh herbs or leafy greens. For these types of salads I love to pair the cooked quinoa with raw vegetables like cucumbers and thin slices of zucchini with avocado slices. I also find that quinoa salads pair beautifully with a simple dressing of a squeeze of fresh lemon and honey (you can find the recipes here and here)

Massaged Kale Salad

I’ve mentioned my adoration with massaged kale on the blog in a few posts before (here and here) but all in good reason! Kale is the perfect base for a salad, especially if you are leading a fast passed life and don’t have time to always make a salad each morning. The sturdy leaves allow you to prepare the salad the night before and let sit in the refrigerator to soften overnight. Come morning you are left with a crunchy salad that is lightly dressed in a creamy tahini sauce. From here, top with anything you have on hand. My favorite toppings for kale salads are avocado, roasted beets, apple slices, almonds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds! 

I hope these three styles inspire you to try new salads by exploring with the foods you already have at home! Salads don’t have to be leaf centric – add whatever you want to make it delicious and your own! 

Share your recreations with me on Instagram using #8thandlake I love seeing them!

xx Marie