When it comes to salads — the more, the merrier. If you’re trying to eat better, a common rule of thumb is to add instead of subtracting. So, instead of eliminating your favourite elements, you can add more nutrition to your plate! Be it some lean protein, some flavourful leftovers or even some hearty seafood — this season indulge with the right recipes featuring fish, pork, fat-free cream cheese, gnocchi and chicken that break the monotony.
Spinach, tuna and red potato salad
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Love all things tuna and need a salad on the go that’s healthy and yummy? All you need is 20 minutes and this cafe-style salad bowl!
Ingredients
- Canned Tuna (Preferably with water): 200 gm
- Finely chopped garlic: 1 tablespoon
- Finely chopped green chilli: 1 tablespoon
- Spinach: 200 gm
- Finely sliced red potatoes: 2 large
- Finely sliced tomatoes: 2 large
- Finely sliced onion: 1 large
- Lime juice: 1 tablespoon
- Olive oil: 2 tablespoons for salad; 1 tablespoon for sauteing
- Rock salt
Recipe
- Boil the red potatoes and drain the water
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a nonstick pan and heat. Saute the spinach for 5-10 seconds and keep aside
- Add the chopped garlic and green chillies and saute for 45 seconds to a minute, on low flame
- Add the tuna and saute for 2-3 minutes
- In a mixing bowl, add the tuna, spinach, red potatoes, tomatoes, onion, olive oil, salt and lemon juice
- Mix well and serve. You can also store it in the fridge for 2-3 days (don’t add salt if you are planning to batch cook though)
Chicken pinwheels in a leafy salad
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Chicken pinwheels can be artsy additions to your salads. You can give these beauties a healthy twist by pairing them with some seasonal veggies.
Ingredients:
- Finely sliced chicken breast: 300 gm
- Pesto: 2 tablespoon
- Tortillas: 3
- Fat-free cream cheese: 4-5 tablespoons
- Cheese slice: 6-7
- Black pepper: 1 tablespoon
- Lettuce: 100 gm
- Finely sliced tomatoes: 2 large
- Finely sliced onion: 1 large
- Green olives: 8-10
- Lime juice: 1 tablespoon
- Olive oil: 2 tablespoons for salad; 2 tablespoons for chicken saute
- Salt
Recipe
For chicken pinwheel:
- Marinate the sliced chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper and some lime juice and saute well
- Add the chicken, pesto, cream cheese, and black pepper powder to a blender and mix. Check to season
- Take each tortilla and spread the mix evenly. Add sliced tomatoes, onions and cheese slices
- Roll tightly using a wrapper or aluminium foil
- Unwrap and cut into equal slices after the salad preparation is ready
For the salad:
- Take the tomatoes, onions, olives and lettuce into a mixing bowl. Add salt, lime juice, some black pepper powder and olive oil and mix well
- Add the chicken pinwheels and dig in!
Tip
- Blanch lettuce in ice-cold water to keep it green when you’re making a salad
Leftover pork meatball salad
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If you’re making some pork meatballs for dinner, you can always plan some leftovers. Turn this delicious Sunday staple into a healthy, work lunch by repurposing it into a salad.
Ingredients
- Leftover meatballs: 10-12
- Sliced green zucchini: ½
- Sliced yellow zucchini: ½
- Spinach: 100 gm
- Sliced avocado: 1 large
- Sliced tomato: 1 large
- Sliced English cucumber: 1 large
- Chopped green chilli: 1 tablespoon
- Lemon juice: 1 and ½ tablespoon
- Olive oil: 1 tablespoon for salad, 1 tablespoon for sauteing
- Crushed black pepper: 1 tablespoon
- Salt
Recipe
- Saute zucchini and spinach for 30-45 seconds
- In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and assemble
- Check the seasoning and serve
Tip
- You can also use chicken, mutton or beef meatballs or leftover keema in this recipe
- You can add carrot, beet, french beans, asparagus and other vegetables of your choice
- Try guacamole or hummus as a salad dressing if you like
Gnocchi and tomato salad
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Gnocchi in a salad? Don’t mind if we do!
Ingredients
- Gnocchi: 15-20
- Finely sliced tomato: 1 large
- Finely sliced English cucumber: 1 large
- Finely sliced carrot: 1 large
- Finely sliced beetroot: 1 medium
- Finely sliced yellow zucchini: 1 large
- Lettuce: 5-7 leaves
- Finely chopped spring onion: 3 tablespoons
- Finely chopped basil: 1 teaspoon
- Chopped asparagus: 2-3
- Grated feta cheese: 3 tablespoon
- Crushed black pepper: 1 tablespoon
- Chilli oil: ½ tablespoon
- Lime juice: 1 tablespoon
- Olive oil: 2 tablespoon
- Salt
Recipe
- Take a tomato, cucumber, carrot, beetroot, zucchini, spring onion, asparagus and basil in a bowl
- Add salt, lime juice, black pepper powder and olive oil. Mix well
- Now add gnocchi and lettuce
- Check seasoning and add the feta cheese, and the salad is ready!
Smoked bekti, feta and nuts salad
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The pairing of bekti and feta with some crunchy nuts and pesto could be a year-round superstar.
Ingredients
- Betki fillet cubes: 200 gm
- Grated feta cheese: ½ cup
- Black olives: 5-7
- Green olives: 5-7
- Jalapenos: 5-7
- Small onions: 5-6
- Cherry tomatoes: 8-10
- Lettuce: 8-10 leaves
- Finely sliced English cucumber: 1 large
- Finely sliced carrot: 1 large
- Finely chopped thyme: 1 tablespoon
- Basil: 1 teaspoon
- Toasted peanuts: 50 gm
- Walnuts: 30 gm
- Lime juice: 2 tablespoon
- Pesto: 2 tablespoon
- Olive oil: 2 tablespoons for salad; 2 tablespoons for filet
- Black pepper powder: 1 tablespoon
- Salt
Recipe
- Marinate bekti cubes with salt, a pinch of black pepper powder, and 1 tablespoon of lime juice and set aside for a minimum of 15 minutes
- In a mixing bowl, take olives, jalapenos, onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, carrot, peanuts, walnuts and lime juice and mix
- Saute the bekti cubes in low to medium flame till it is cooked and has a golden colour
- Hold each bekti cube with a tong and cook it on an open flame to give a smoky effect
- Now add lettuce, pesto, olive oil, salt and black pepper powder to the salad veggies and give a good mix
- Add thyme, basil, feta and the bekti cubes and go for one final light-handed fold
- Check seasoning, garnish with some basil and serve
Tip
- If you want to use a microwave oven to cook the bekti cubes — preheat at 180 degrees and grill at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Don’t forget to grease the baking tray well and use a toothpick to check the status of the fish
- You can also use leftover spare ribs or any protein of your choice