We all know salad is good for us but sometimes actually getting that salad into our bodies can be a challenge. Some salads are just downright sad. Iceberg lettuce with some julienned carrots and a few soggy croutons is not exactly appetizing. Follow this guide to learn how to make some very simple and extremely delicious salads. I’m going to teach you my foolproof salad recipe that you can use with a variety of ingredients!
After a vacation I usually need a healthy food reset. Salads are my go to for that. They add a ton of fiber and are plentiful in nutrients which helps to reset my slightly sensitive gut after a week away eating fried food or more processed food than I normally do. My husband was never a huge salad eater but after I made him our post-vacation reset salad, he began to crave it too. The recipe for this is meant to be versatile. Don’t have kale? You can use spinach instead. Don’t like that either? Spring mix works! The goal is to create a framework for a delicious salad so that you have room to edit and create ingredients that work for you.
Easy to remember pneumonic
BOTS is the pneumonic that I use for my healthy and versatile salad recipe.
B is for base greens. This is your green of choice. I’m a huge fan of kale because it is hearty, packed with nutrients, and does not easily wilt so you can make and even dress ahead of time and don’t need to worry about a soggy salad. Soggy salads are a no-go for me.
O is for oil. I typically use olive oil but this will be the base of a dressing. I make all of my own salad dressings and typically they are 2-3 ingredients at most. Usually olive oil + a vinegar is perfect for a dressing. Simple!
T is for topping. What you are going for here is crunch! The more crunch the better in a salad. In the recipe below the nuts are the crunchy toppings.
S is for sweet. You want to add a hint of sweetness for your salad. This pairs well with citrus and vinegar flavors that we typically add for dressings. In the recipe below I add strawberries for sweetness.
Reset Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 head of fresh kale, chopped
- 1 cup strawberries, sliced
- 1/8 cup shallot, minced
- 1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles
- 1/4 cup sliced almond (can also use walnuts)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- White wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar for dressing
- Optional additional toppings: chia seeds, chickpeas, dried cranberries, grilled chicken or tofu
Directions
- Rinse and chop your kale. It is best to do this but pulling the leaves off of the stalk. You don’t want any thick fibrous “veins” than run through it. We just want the leaves.
- Super important step with kale is to massage it. This softens the kale and takes away some of the bitterness. The way to do this is to add your chopped kale to a big bowl and drizzle some olive oil on top. Then use your hands to scrunch the kale until every piece is coated in olive oil. You are looking for the kale to soften and turn a slightly darker green color. Don’t skip this step it really enhances the kale!
- Add your massaged kale to a pretty salad bowl
- Top with the sliced strawberries, goat cheese crumbles, minced shallot, and sliced nuts.
- Mix the salad up. Dress with a drizzle more olive oil and a vinegar of your choice. I intentionally left the units of measurement off because this is personal preference. I prefer my salads with a big vinegar punch but some people prefer a lighter dressing. Play around and find what your preference is! Another option is to do fresh squeezed lemon juice instead of a vinegar. It is less intense but still brightens this salad up beautifully
Let me know how you liked this versatile and easy salad recipe if you’ve tried it.
