Sick of your go-to salad recipe? Check out these ideas to see if they inspire a new approach to one of your favorite summer staples!
2 Salad Remixes To Stay Fresh
1) Shaved Cucumber Salad
Cucumbers get a bad rap on having no nutritional value. On the contrary, cucumbers with skins provide fiber, water, vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese, potassium, B vitamins, and a host of antioxidants. The cucumber family has its own class of unique antioxidants called cucurbitacins which are currently being reviewed for any potential role in anti-cancer effects. Convinced yet? Well read on, then!
Serves 4
3 English cucumbers, shaved into ribbons with a vegetable peeler (stop when you get to the seeds) or sliced into thin rounds with a mandolin
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced from the end of the stalk
½ a medium white onion, thinly sliced (don’t like the bitterness of an onion? Slice first and place in an ice water bath until the rest of your veggies are prepped)
4 cups greens, rinsed and patted dry, such as arugula, watercress, or baby spinach
For dressing:
Seeds of 1 English cucumber, pureed
¼ cup mayonnaise (or preferred substitute)
¼ cup cilantro (hate cilantro? Try parsley, basil, or dill)
2 ½ teaspoons champagne or white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
– Toss cucumbers, celery, and onions in a large bowl to combine.
– Puree dressing ingredients together (no processor? Omit cucumber seeds, chop herb as small as you can get it, and whisk together in a bowl.)
– Arrange a bowl or 4 individual servings of greens. Top with cucumber salad.
– If enjoying now, top with a couple tablespoons of dressing. If bringing to work, store as it and keep dressing separate, to add at time of serving.
– If desired, top with shredded celery leaves and enjoy!
2) Roasted Fennel, Orange, and Tuna Salad
What’s faster and easier than tuna? Almost nothing. Questions about brands that are best to promote sustainable and fair fishing practices? Check out Greenpeace’s 2017 Guide to Canned Tuna (hint: Whole Foods’ 365 brand is #3!). Ever wondered about the truth regarding mercury levels in canned tuna? Check out this comprehensive review from Consumer Reports from 2011 (highlights: choose light tuna over white tuna, avoid if pregnant, and substitute canned salmon in this recipe to eliminate risks of mercury exposure).
Looking for a vegan version? Substitute tuna for 1-2 cups of soft white beans, such as cannellini or great northern beans.
Serves 4
2 fennel bulbs, cut into wedges about 1”
2 tablespoons olive oil, for roasting fennel
1 avocado, thinly sliced
2 oranges, peeled and thinly sliced to create rounds
2 cans oil-packed light tuna, drained (and patted dry if desired)
4 cups watercress, rinsed and patted or spun dry
For dressing:
Juice of ½ an orange
Equal amount of white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
– Pre-heat oven to 400F and toss fennel wedges in olive oil. Roast on lined pan about 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
– Arrange bowl or individual portions of watercress.
– Whisk in a bowl (or shake in a jar) dressing ingredients to combine.
– Arrange avocado, oranges, fennel, and tuna in sections on top of salad (rather than tossed).
– If enjoying now, top with a couple tablespoons of dressing. If bringing to work, store as it and keep dressing separate, to add at time of serving.
