Easter is quickly approaching, and what better way to celebrate than with a vibrant salad? These tasty and festive Easter salad recipes will surely wow your guests at your next dinner party.
Salads are the ideal light and refreshing appetizer or side dish that requires minimal ingredients and preparation.
Simple Locally Grown Green Salad
Salads are an easy way to improve your nutrition and add more vegetables into your meals. Plus, they can help you save money on groceries since you know exactly where your food comes from!
Homegrown salads are more economical and healthier for you than store-bought varieties, plus you get to select from a wider variety of ingredients. What’s more, homegrown salads can easily be customized to fit your personal taste preferences.
Growing greens doesn’t need much space – just a small garden plot or windowbox. Or you could try growing them in a pallet garden! All you have to do is wrap landscape fabric around the back and sides of a pallet, fill the openings with soil, plant seeds or starter plants and watch as they take root and begin growing!
Spring is an ideal time to plant lettuces. Choose from delicate butterheads, delicious heirloom crispheads and vibrant leaf lettuces that will thrive in cool spring temperatures.
Other greens to consider planting include mustard, mizuna, broadleaf cress and arugula. These vegetables add an irresistibly peppery kick to meals and can be enjoyed raw or cooked.
In addition to traditional spring greens like kale and spinach, you can grow Asian-style vegetables such as napa cabbage, tatsoi, pac choi and bok choy. These can be consumed raw or stir-fried with meat and other ingredients for added flavor; or added into salads for extra versatility.
Another option is to grow a mesclun mix from seeds. There are numerous pre-made mixes that offer various textures, colors and flavors; alternatively you can create your own custom blend using seeds from your favorite greens.
For even more tips and tricks for growing delicious salads at home, take a look at our guide to growing greens in containers or our tutorial on making your own dressing!
Tossed green salad is an incredibly quick and simple weeknight dinner choice that can be dressed with any dressing you desire. You can also toss in other fresh veggies or jarred veggies for extra flavor. For protein, try adding grilled chicken or steak to this salad for extra protein boost!
Squash Ribbon Salad with Sunflower Seeds
This salad pays homage to one of our favorite summer veggies: tomatoes. It features some of the juiciest heirloom tomatoes with plenty of crunchy sunflower seeds for an amazingly satisfying bite, finished off by a tart and refreshing dressing.
This recipe is simple enough for a weeknight dinner – all you need is either a mandoline or vegetable peeler to cut your zucchini into ribbons. While they’re baking, combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl and prepare your dressing of choice. We suggest making this at least one day ahead so the flavors have time to meld together, so don’t rush it!
Finding an excellent mandoline doesn’t need to break the bank; the best ones cost around $10 and provide smoother slices that are better for you. For even greater efficiency, invest in an electric mandoline like Cuisinart or Magimix; these multipurpose kitchen tools also double as colanders or fruit choppers! Plus, with these nifty devices, you can get more done faster – whether in the kitchen, patio or garage!
Big Green Cali Salad
This big green cali salad in a jar recipe is like the perfect combination of traditional rotisserie chicken and healthy side dish – featuring tender roast thigh meat with fresh broccoli, grapes, pumpkin seeds and bean shoots. Best of all? You can make large quantities at once and store any leftovers in the fridge for up to one week! It’s the perfect way to save money since you can store it up for up to one week in the fridge!
Make this recipe by adding all the dressing ingredients into a mason jar and shaking vigorously to emulsify. It may take some experimentation to get everything combined, but once done you will have an irresistible salad that’s healthy, delicious and easy to prepare. Enjoy it straight out of the jar or pour into a bowl for an impressive and nourishing meal that’s sure to please the whole family. Plus, this nutritious salad is packed with nutrients, antioxidants and fibre for optimal wellness benefits; plus it even boosts seratonin and GABA levels!
Watercress and Strawberry Salad
Watercress’ peppery-spicy tender tendrils make a delicious addition to a salad. Not only is this green low in calories and packed with vitamin K for healthy bones, sulforaphane to fight cancer and alpha-lipoic acid which reduces inflammation, but it’s also low in carbohydrates.
Create this delicious salad with only three ingredients! Combine watercress and strawberries in a light vinegar-and-oil dressing, season to taste with salt and pepper, then top it off with feta cheese and toasted almonds! Enjoy immediately!
This simple recipe is the perfect way to celebrate spring’s fresh produce. It balances the sweetness of strawberries with peppery spiciness of watercress, then tops it off with salty feta cheese and crunchy roasted almonds for an irresistible side dish that’s ideal for both spring and summer entertaining! Plus, the homemade salad dressing takes only minutes to whip together; only using a few ingredients and you can make ahead for easy on-the-go dinners! With such minimal effort required, this salad recipe will become your new go-to favorite!
