Easy Salad recipes

When you think salads, do you think boring and unappetizing! Well, its time that your salads took a makeover. Make interesting, healthy and appealing salads at home. Learn some easy salad recipes. Whip up easy salads for an impromptu get-together. Learn simple salad decorating tips.

Have your salad along with your meal, before your meal or even make a meal of it! Any which way, salads are packed with health and goodness. With some simple and easy-to-make salad recipes, you can serve interesting salads, with a variety of dressings and ingredients.

Salad decorating tips

Add color to your salad to make it eye-catching. Opt for bright greens, vivid reds and yellows and plenty of white too! Serve your salad in an attractive bowl or wooden cutlery. You can even scoop out a big watermelon or fruit to present your salad. Use vegetables, fruits, nuts, meat, beans and dairy judiciously to come up with a delectable nutritious offering.

Wash greens thoroughly and chill till needed.

Fruits like apples, bananas and pears tend to darken on slicing. Use lemon juice to prevent them from blackening.

Combine various textures - delicate fruits, soft beans, crunchy vegetables, fibrous greens, crumbled tofu, crisp nuts and smooth yogurt.

Ensure that your salad dressing is not too high on calories, salt or flavor. It must be subtle and add punch to the salad, not overpower it.

Pack in some protein with your salad. Add hard-boiled eggs, chickpeas or lentils.

Citrus fruits would provide not just flavor but also plenty of vitamins and antioxidants.

Chill the salad plates to keep the salad crisp for longer.

Adding pasta can give your salad an unusual twist.

Bean Salad recipe

Olive oil 1/3 cup
Red Wine Vinegar 2 tablespoons
Garlic 2 cloves
Red onion 1/2 cup
Dried Tarragon 1 teaspoon
Ground nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon
Parsley 1/4 cup
Red Onion 1/2 cup.
Tomatoes 4
Pepper 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste.
Pick a suitable jar with a lid to put certain ingredients and to shake them well. Use the jar to prepare the Vinaigrette by combining olive oil, vinegar, and garlic duly crushed or minced. Take a bowl or a plastic container. Transfer boiled beans and pour on the vinaigrette. Chop red onions and stir it into the mixture. Add parsley and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate or simply keep aside for 1 hour so that the vinaigrette blends with the beans. Just before serving, place lettuce leaves on plates and surround with tomato slices.

Alternatives:You can substitute tarragon with Chervil, dash fennel seed or dash aniseed. Instead of beans, opt for garbanzo, red kidney beans or black-eyed peas.

Mixed Vegetable Salad

Red onion 1 cup
Cucumber 2 cups
Carrots 1/2 cup
Tomatoes 1/2 cup
Chopped coriander 1 teaspoon
Sugar 2 tablespoon
Vinegar 1/3 cup
Salt to taste.
Wash the cucumbers, cut into medium-size cubes. Cut onions into tiny pieces. Grate or cut carrots. Chop tomatoes into tiny pieces. Mix vinegar, sugar and salt together. Heat over medium heat. Check if sugar and salt are dissolved. Wait till the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool. Take a wide bottomed container. Transfer onion, tomatoes, cucumber and carrot. Just before serving, pour the sauce over the vegetables. Sprinkle chopped coriander over it.

Alternatives: Try adding cut beet root or shredded beetroot and green capsicum. Substitute vinegar with lemon juice but skip heating.

Sprouted green gram salad

Sprouted green gram 1 cup
White onion i/2 cup
Cucumber 1/2 cup
Green capsicum 1/2 cup
Tomato 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves 2 tablespoons
Salt
Pepper powder 2 teaspoons.
Lime juice few drops.

Cut onion, cucumber and green capsicum into desired shape of even size. Scoop out seeds from tomato and cut into tiny pieces. Transfer these into a wide bottomed container. Add sprouted green gram. Add salt, pepper powder and few drops of lime juice. Serve after 15 minutes.

Grated carrot salad

Grated carrot 2 cups
Tomatoes ½ cup
Green chilli 2 nos
Coriander leaves 2 teaspoons
Lemon juice 10 drops

Take a bowl; put grated carrot, finely cut tomato and chili pieces. Add lemon juice and stir well. Keep aside for 15 minutes. Just before serving add coriander leaves.

Strawberry, pineapple, spinach salad

Fresh strawberry 15 nos.
Pineapple (cubed) 100 grams.
Fresh spinach 1 bunch
Almonds 10 nos.
Vinegar 1/2 tablespoon
Honey 1/2 tablespoon
Sugar 1/2 teaspoon
Slice strawberries and almonds. Chop spinach. Take a bowl and transfer strawberries, pineapple, spinach and almonds. Take a jar with lid. Put vinegar, honey and sugar and shake well. Before serving, sprinkle the mixture over salad. Toss and then serve.

Potato Salad

Potatoes (medium size) 4 nos.
Fresh yogurt (non-fat) 3/4 cup
Lemon juice 4 tablespoon.
Tomato 1 no.
Red or white onion 1 cup.
Coriander leaves or green celery 3 tablespoon.
Mint leaves 1 tablespoon.
Indian spice powder 1 tablespoon.

Make Indian spice powder and store in an airtight container. Cut onions into small pieces. Remove seeds from tomatoes. Cut into small pieces. Cut coriander or cilantro. Scrub potatoes. Dice and cook in hot water until tender for 5-10 minutes. Drain the water from potatoes and keep aside in a colander. Add a tablespoon of spice mix in a cup of yogurt. Add the lemon juice to this mixture. Pour the mixture over the potatoes and let it cool. Before serving add onions, tomatoes, coriander or celery. Add salt and pepper powder. Correct the seasoning if required by adding salt, lemon juice, and Indian spice powder. Transfer salad to serving bowl. In the center make space and add few spoons of yogurt. Sprinkle coriander or cilantro and serve.

Indian spice powder

Cumin seeds 2 tablespoons
Coriander seeds 2 tablespoons
Cardamom seeds 2 tablespoons
Black peppercorns 2 tablespoons
Cinnamon stick (3 inch) 1 stick
Whole cloves 1 teaspoon
Grated nutmeg 1 teaspoon.
Saffron 1/2 teaspoon (optional)

Take a heavy skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Put cumin, coriander, cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon, and cloves. Toast the spices. Stir occasionally. Let it turn several shades darker. Continue till a sweet smoky aroma arises. Transfer contents to a separate plate and let it cool completely. Make a powder. Use coffee grinder or a spice mill. Stir in the nutmeg and saffron. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Use within 3 months.

White radish salad

White radish (medium size) 4 nos.
Cooking apples 2 nos.
Spring onions 3 nos.
Lemon juice 2 teaspoons.
Soy sauce 1 tablespoon
Tomato sauce 1 tablespoon
Sugar 2 teaspoons.
Salt
Vinegar 2 tablespoons

Peel radishes. Clean and cut into round or straight, long strips. Peel apples. Clean and cut into the same length and shape as that of radishes. Slice spring onions including the white and green portions. Take a wide bowl and put apples and spring onions. Add soy sauce, tomato sauce, salad oil, vinegar, sugar and salt. Toss it. Garnish with few sprigs of mint. Refrigerate for 15 minutes and then serve.

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