How to Build the Perfect Salad & 3 Recipes

With warmer temperatures comes the desire for cooler menu options. Here are 5 tips to keep in mind when building the perfect salad, and some recipes to keep on rotation. 

Thank you to Levels Health for providing these great insights and recipes. Enjoy! 

1. Start with a darker green:

Iceberg lettuce is mostly water. Darker greens like spinach, kale, arugula, and watercress pack more fiber and micronutrients — including manganese, which may help reduce insulin resistance. More color variety in your bowl generally means a broader nutrient spread

2. Build in at least 20g of protein:

Protein slows digestion and blunts blood sugar spikes — and it helps you feel full. Grilled meat, seafood, tofu, or Greek yogurt-based dressings all count. Aim for 20 grams as a rough target

3. Add fibre rich veggies and skip the croutons

Red cabbage, avocado, broccoli, and beans add meaningful fiber (aim for 6–10g) and the kind of satisfying bulk that croutons fake with refined carbs. For crunch, reach for raw seeds, dry-roasted nuts, or roasted chickpeas instead

4. Make your own dressing

Store-bought dressings routinely contain added sugars, refined seed oils, and emulsifiers you don't need. A simple DIY version,  olive or avocado oil, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, herbs. It takes two minutes and avoids all of it.

5. Load up on colour

Different-colored produce signals different phytonutrients: lycopene in red 

tomatoes, beta-carotene in orange and yellow peppers and carrots, antioxidants in dark beets and berries. A colourful plate isn't just more appetizing, it means you're getting a wider range of compounds that support metabolic health

 

Recipes:

Spicy Cashew Chickpea Broccoli Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 medium head broccoli, VERY finely chopped into bite sized pieces (3-4 cups VERY FINELY diced)
• 2-3 cups packed shredded red cabbage
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• ⅓ cup diced green onions (mostly green part)
• 1 jalapeno, finely diced (remove seeds if you are heat sensitive)
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

For the dressing:

• ¼ cup natural creamy peanut butter (just nuts and salt)
• 2 ½ tablespoons low sodium gluten free soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 tablespoon honey (or pure maple syrup to keep vegan)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil (or sub olive oil)
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• Optional: ¼ teaspoon red cayenne pepper, plus more if you like it extra spicy!
• 2-3 tablespoons warm water, to thin dressing

To garnish:

• ½ cup roasted cashew halves (honey roasted or a fun flavor is yummy!)

Instructions:

• In a large bowl, add the chickpeas, finely chopped broccoli, shredded red cabbage, shredded carrots, red bell pepper, green onion, jalapeno and cilantro. Set aside.
  
• Make the dressing by whisking together the following ingredients in a small bowl: peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper and water. Drizzle over the salad and toss well to combine.
  
• Serve immediately with a fresh squeeze of lime juice and sprinkle roasted cashews on top and toss a few more times, or place in the fridge for later (do not add cashews until you are ready to eat for optimal crunch!) 
• Salad will keep well covered in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. Serves 4.

 

Green Goddess Salad

Ingredients:

Salad

• 1 head of green leaf lettuce, chopped (4–5 cups)
• 1/2 cup diced green pepper
• 1 cup diced english cucumber
• 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/3 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 cooked chicken breast

Instructions:

• To a large bowl, add lettuce, green pepper, cucumber, red onion, cherry tomato, sunflower seeds and chicken
• Drizzle with green goddess dressing. Toss with two wooden spoons to coat everything.
• Top with sliced avocado and serve.

 

Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion (or chives)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth

Chopped Salad with Shrimp, Apples & Pecans 

Ingredients :

5 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt 

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

3 tablespoons cider vinegar 

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro 

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot 

1 clove garlic, 

minced ¾ teaspoon dry mustard 

¼ teaspoon salt 

¼ teaspoon ground pepper 

5 cups chopped romaine lettuce 

1 pound cooked shrimp, chopped 

1 medium red apple, chopped 

1 cup chopped radicchio 

1 cup chopped celery 

Directions:

Step 1 Whisk sour cream (or yogurt), oil, vinegar, cilantro, shallot, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl. 

Add romaine, shrimp, apple, radicchio, celery, pecans and carrots; toss to coat