Gourmet Mixed Green Salad Recipe

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This easy Gourmet Mixed Green Salad Recipe is my favorite go-to for weekly dinners. It makes a great mason jar lunch as well. Packed with super greens, crunchy vegetables, nuts, and dried fruits and drizzled with creamy tangy french Vinaigrette, this is really a superfood, that whips together in minutes.

Serve as a side dish, or make it a complete meal with proteins, you can get creative, and make it your own.

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SOME REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD TRY THIS SALAD

• Quick and Easy – comes together in minutes.
• Superfoods like dark green salad leaves, and crunchy vegetables are all combined together with nuts and seeds.
• Healthy fats with Omega 3 and gut-friendly fibers.
• Vegan friendly
• Put in a sandwich or a wrap for portable lunch or have a mason jar lunch
• Great balance of crunch and creaminess.

INGREDIENT LIST

• Mix Salad Leaves: If your grocery store sells a mixed salad bag, it is probably washed already. If not, pick a mix of baby spinach leaves, rocket leaves, green/red leaf lettuce, arugula, Napa cabbage, frisee, chicory, romaine, and iceberg lettuce. As much as possible, pick dark leafy greens. They are our superfoods!
• Add Crunch: Add some shredded crunchy colored vegetables like carrots, beetroot, red cabbage, red onions, etc.
• Cool Cucumbers: Cucumbers make the perfect summer salad ingredient. Zucchini works well too
• Good Fats: Some good fats like nuts, seeds, and olives. For nuts, I have used walnuts and cashews. They also add to the much-needed crunch to a salad.
• Nature’s Candy: Sweeten the deal with dried cranberries, and citrusy goodness like grapefruits. Skip this step if you stick to keto macros.
• Dress It Up: This creamy tangy French Vinaigrette Salad Dressing adds healthy vinegar, as well as olive oil.

Ingredients To Make Gourmet Mixed Green Salad

Steps To Create Gourmet Mixed Green Salad Recipe

Washing Salad Leaves

If you buy salad leaves in a bag, look for the label saying if it’s washed or not. If buying open salad, it’s always a good idea to give it a quick rinse under cold water. Shake out the water as much as possible or use a salad spinner to drive all the water out. If you are going to keep this in the fridge for a couple of days, dry the leaves with a clean cloth or paper towels. Reduced moisture prolongs the salad’s life and keeps it from wilting too quickly.

Prepping Vegetables

Chopping vegetables comes down to personal preference. I have prepared the vegetables as follows

Cucumbers, Zucchini (if using) – Prep cucumbers, and zucchinis in bite-sized cubes or slices.

Beetroots and Carrots: I have julienned, grated, or cut into thin sticks. If you are like me, you would appreciate the reduction in loud crunching chewing noises around you. Grating tougher vegetables is always a good idea for this reason.

Onions: Use red salad onions for salads, as they are sweeter and milder than the other varieties. You can also use pickled onions or shallots for this.

Olives: I have used bottled, pitted Kalamata Olives. You can also pick some from your local deli.

Toppings

Alternatives To Nuts: To make this salad nut-free, substitute them with seeds like sunflower, papaya, chia, etc.

Adding proteins to a salad:

Vegan Protein Additions To Your Salad: Tofu, edamame, tempeh, lentils, soy nuggets, and beans.

Vegetarian Protein Additions To A Salad: Paneer, cottage cheese, ricotta, feta, and other cheeses

Animal Based Proteins: Boiled eggs, deli chicken, and other cooked meats.

French Vinaigrette Salad Dressing:

Add all ingredients to a clean jar, and shake vigorously.

Layering Your Salad In A Mason Jar

This salad is suitable for layering in a mason jar. Following is the suggested order to layer your salad. The order is from the bottom (first layer) to the top (last layer).

Bottom (First) Layer: Salad Dressing

Second Layer: Hard vegetables like carrots, and beets.

Third Layer: Softer vegetables like cucumbers, zucchini, onions, etc

Fourth Layer: Proteins, if used.

Fifth Layer: Leafy vegetables – packed till the top

Last layer (Top Layer): Nuts and other crunchy garnishes.

Pack your jar well, to ensure minimum space left. Seal tight with the lid, and store in the fridge for up to three days. Pour all contents of your salad mason into a bowl, mix, and enjoy.

For your carb-loving tribe, try some Pesto Pasta by Splash Of Taste. Or how about a Teriyaki Chicken Sheet Pan by Cook Like A Master. Here is some Smoked Whole Chicken by Burrata and Bubbles.

Some Useful Tips

• Soak onions in water or water and vinegar solution to eliminate a bit of the strong smell.
• If you intend to store the salad, do not add the dressing to it. The extra moisture from the vinegar will wilt the leaves, and salt will draw moisture from vegetables making them lose their crunch, and become watery. Store the dressing separately, and add just before eating.

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Disclaimer:

Nutritional Panel: Our nutritional values are calculated by Spooncular API. While we try our best to ensure these values are correct, please confirm these independently.

We are not medical professionals. Please consult your doctor if a diet, particular foods, or way of eating is suitable for you.