20 Healthy Vegetarian Salad Recipes For Lunch And Dinner
By Deeti Acharya | On 11 March 2024 09:46 AM
Healthy Vegetarian Salads are convenient and delicious at the same time. Salads can be enjoyed as a side dish and as a main meal. They provide plenty of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Salads provide diverse flavors and textures, and the richness of fiber assists in a healthy digestive system.
Vegetarian salad with high protein sources such as nuts, cheese, and seeds safeguards proper, stabilized meals and delivers additional nutrients. Additional zinc and calcium provide nourishment to the bones and the immune system. Here is a list of 20 healthy, simple vegetarian salad recipes perfect for a mid-day meal or a light dinner.
1. Classic Leafy Green Salad
This is a classic, popular salad recipe that everyone must have tried once. Green salad can be enjoyed as a primary or side dish. Here, the eater can use any greens available, irrespective of a specific vegetable. It takes almost half an hour to make this recipe, or it may be quick if you have speedy hands. You will need fresh leafy greens, tomatoes, some fruits, onion, and salad dressing.
To make this salad, begin by adequately washing the veggies. Place them in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt, pepper, salad dressing, or one's choice. The salad is ready to serve.
2. Green Bean Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
Green beans make a tremendous pair with cherry tomatoes. The green beans' tenderness and the juiciness of tomato with added cheese, onion, and herbs make a satisfactory meal. This is the type of salad that does not exert a watery texture when left over. You can store them in the fridge for days with the same taste. Basic ingredients are beans, tomatoes, onion, lemon, mustard, garlic, and cheese.
For a tender bean, boil it for a few minutes and let it cool before preparing the salad. Combine everything well and garnish with feta, followed by lemon-mustard dressing.
3. Avocado Tomato Mushroom and Arugula Salad
Make an arugula base with avocado, baby tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, and herbs to form a healthy salad. The quantity of ingredients used in this salad is enough to make a filling meal. The salad provides good vitamin C, and K, potassium, iron, antioxidants, and other valuable nutrients. The mushroom needs to be cooked. You can either roast or shallow-fry them.
Place the arugula leaf at the base and fill the bowl with thinly sliced avocado, chopped tomatoes, roasted mushrooms, and olives. Sprinkle some sesame seeds, salt, pepper, and cheese if necessary.
4. Edamame Onion Salad
This salad looks pretty and tastes delicious at the same time. The salad reflects a vibrant color, and it has a mix of flavor and texture you will surely love. Here, edamame is blended with fried garlic, roasted nuts, and sesame seeds before being topped with tangy tahini-soy sauce and dressed with some mint and cilantro.
Add some roasted nuts for a supreme taste. The salad is flavorful, slightly spicy, sweet, nutty, and garlicky. A complete protein, edamame salad provides iron, vitamins, and minerals necessary for the body. Season the salad with fresh mint and cilantro.
5. Super Easy Kale Salad
Kale salads are easy to make; you can only slice them thin or tear them into small bits. This is one of most people's favorite go-to salad recipes to serve with lunch or dinner. It is made with a few ingredients, including, hearty kale, parmesan cheese, roasted almond, and lemon dressing.
When all the ingredients sit together in a bowl, they make a perfect salad. To prepare the dressing, combine olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and honey and whisk well. Sprinkle salt and pepper and pour it over the kale.
6. Cabbage Mango Slaw
Light, refreshing, and crisp slaw has low fat, making it perfect for someone trying to maintain weight. This salad is enjoyed mainly during the summer with burgers and fleshy foods. Using underripe mangoes makes it easy to cut into thin slices.
This slaw is prepared using shredded cabbage, ribbon carrots, and sliced mangoes. For the dressing combine rice vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil and seed. Combine the items well and sprinkle salt and sesame seeds from above.
7. Orange Salad with Carrot Ribbons and Halloumi
Fried halloumi, with mustard and honey dressing, gives this salad an exciting taste. The carrot ribbon provides the salad with a colorful and playful look. This salad is prepared with basic ingredients such as orange, Carrot, halloumi, mustard seed, herbs, and spices.
Divide the orange in a bowl and mix the leftover juice with vinegar, oil, and mustard. Season it with some salt and pepper. Grate the carrot into ribbons with the help of a vegetable peeler. Next, toss the halloumi gently on both sides. When done, place everything together and serve it with some fresh herbs.
8. Simple Creamy Potato Salad
Potato salad is easy to make, and you can master it quite quickly. Puny, thin-skinned potatoes work well for a potato salad. Red-skinned potatoes are perfect since they are cooked quickly, and their size makes them ideal for a salad. You can cut the potatoes in half if you do not have small potatoes.
For making a potato salad, boil the potatoes in salt water. Remove the peel and let it cool. For the dressing, use mayonnaise and sour cream. Since mayonnaise is heavy, sour cream balances the taste. Sprinkle some herbs, salt, and pepper for enhanced flavor.
9. BBQ Cauliflower Salad with Greens
Barbeque cauliflower salad with greens generates diverse flavors and textures. This recipe can be stored in the fridge for a few days without damage. Tofu and beans add rich protein to the meal. When served with plenty of greens, roasted cauliflower provides a filling experience. Therefore, you can enjoy this as a side dish to some heavy meals or as a main meal.
You can use lettuce, cabbage, kale, carrots, radish, and any other raw vegetables for the greens. Prepared within half an hour, serve it with tahini ranch for a creamy texture.
10. Roasted Baked Tofu Salad
Roasted baked tofu with plenty of vegetables and nuts makes a perfect summer salad recipe. The crispy texture of roasted tofu dressed with crunchy veggies leaves a fantastic taste in the mouth. It is refreshing, delicious, and convenient. All you need is roasted tofu, fresh, crunchy veggies, bell peppers, and herbs.
You can combine a mixture of lime juice, grated cheese, and olive oil for the dressing. Pour the mixture and sprinkle some sesame seeds from above. Enjoy your satisfying meal, which is ideal for lunch and dinner. Suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.
11. Shaved Brussel Sprouts Salad
Someone who does not like raw vegetables might find this recipe quite interesting. Shaved Brussels sprouts salad includes thinly sliced sprouts, which give a different taste when formed into a salad. It is prepared using a simple lemon-vinegar dressing and topped with apple slices, roasted hazelnuts, dried cranberries, and goat cheese. This makes a delicious combination.
Perfectly great for the fall season, this delicious recipe will be loved by everyone in the family. Fiber, vitamins K and C, and many other nutrients make this salad a nutritional meal.
12. Rainbow Salad with Chickpea, Tomato, Cucumber and more
Rainbow salad includes a whole lot of colorful food. This vegetarian salad, also ideal for vegans, is fun and healthy to prepare. Boiled or roasted chickpeas of any kind work well. You can experiment with this recipe with diverse vegetables to form a colorful, vibrant salad. The salad could be a detoxifying meal after a hectic weekend party or extended vacation.
Some ingredients that go well with this meal are boiled chickpea, ribbon carrot, cucumber, radish, cherry tomato, and leafy greens. Dress the salad with olive oil, salt, pepper, vinegar, and mustard vinaigrette.
13. Watermelon, Edamame Salad Topped with Feta Cheese
Some dishes are as refreshing as watermelon. This salad recipe is one of them. It combines fresh watermelon, salty feta cheese, edamame, soft mint, buttery avocado, onions, and plain lime dressing. Perfect meal for hot weather. It is easy to make and easy to enjoy with friends and family.
Watermelon salad is light and refreshing but simultaneously satisfying, which implies that you can enjoy it as a simple dinner meal. Edamame adds protein to the meal, while watermelon loads it with fiber and hydrating value.
14. Tomato, Cucumber and Onion Salad
Juicy, savory, and crunchy tomato cucumber salad with onion is another versatile and popular salad recipe consumed widely. It goes best with spicy curry. It requires a few ingredients, including tomatoes, cucumber, onion, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. This is an effective way to make use of your excess garden tomatoes.
There are different ways to prepare this recipe. You may exclude some of the ingredients mentioned above or add cheese, olives, corn, and more on the extra board. Serve it along bread, tortilla, or plain rice.
15. Vibrant Beetroot, Orange, Avocado Salad
This vibrant, colorful salad includes roasted beetroots, fresh oranges, buttery avocado, and lemon sauce. The recipe goes well as a side dish and light meal. Rich in vitamin C, this recipe can be a perfect winter snack. Begin by roasting the beetroot in the oven. Once done, let it cool and slice it into a round shape.
Cut oranges, avocados, and grapefruits (optional) similarly. Sprinkle some fresh mint on it and dress it with lemon sauce. Super easy and delicious, the salad is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
16. Chickpea Quinoa Salad
Loaded with veggies and protein, the chickpea quinoa salad is light on the stomach and vibrant and colorful from the outside. Light and filling, the nutritional dish can be enjoyed as a side dish or main meal. It is because of red and yellow bell peppers, oregano, tomatoes, parsley, and cucumber that the recipe becomes colorful.
Leave the quinoa to boil as you begin chopping the veggies. Once the quinoa is cooked and cooled, combine the quinoa, and chopped vegetables in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Garnish it with some feta cheese and coriander.
17. Roasted Corn Salad
Preparing roasted corn salad takes as many as ten ingredients and twenty-five minutes. Slightly toasted corn in an iron skillet or outdoor grill gives the corn a roasted, sweet taste. The salad combines fresh cherry tomatoes, juicy lemon, and cilantro for a refreshing vibe.
Pinto beans add an extra sense of filling to the recipe, and the jalapeno gives a spicy taste to the recipe. Despite being simple, the formula has the potential to please almost everyone. Opt for baby sweet corn, one that is not too hard. The result is a mouthwatering corn salad.
18. Refreshing Baby Spinach Salad with Berries and Nuts
This baby spinach salad recipe has to be one of the most exciting and refreshing salads. The blend of strawberries, oranges, and berries suits perfectly well with baby spinach. When coated with homemade olive oil and vinegar sauce, the taste of this salad heightens. Feta cheese adds another layer of savory taste to the meal. Altogether, one bite of this salad provides many flavors.
You can go as creative as possible with this recipe. For nuts, you can use peanuts, almonds, walnuts, or any other nuts. Besides, feta, parmesan cheese is another option you can use for this recipe.
19. Green Pea, Mint and Cheese Salad
For this recipe, you will need green peas, fresh snap peas, mint, and some cheese for topping. Rich in fiber, green peas support a healthy gut. This recipe is excellent for detoxifying late-night fried or spicy food. Slice the snap peas into thin slices and combine them with green peas and mint.
This is a straightforward recipe that can be prepared in no time. Most of the time spent organizing this recipe is spent chopping snap peas. Sprinkle some herbs, spices, and lemon sauce for an improved taste—and lastly, top with any shredded cheese.
20. Viral TikTok Cucumber Salad
This crispy, crunchy salad is ideal to make you feel hydrated during lunch or dinner. This is an Asian recipe that became quite famous on social platforms. It is super easy and takes only 20 minutes to prepare. The maximum part of the time is taken while slicing the cucumber.
Begin by slicing the cucumber and soaking it in salt water until you combine the dressing. Mix chili, sesame, vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce and pour it over the sliced cucumber. The salad is ready. You can store it for two to three days in an airtight container in the fridge.