A new-ish strategy of ours is to make a double or triple batch of a salad that can work for lunches, side dishes and a main meal for dinner. Sounds pretty effective, right? Even better is that these salad recipes are bursting with the nuttiest, berriest, spiciest flavors you can imagine.
Recipe: Quinoa Salad with Hazelnuts, Apple and Dried Cranberry opens in a new tab
We love how thoughtful this quinoa salad is: from the just-cooking-through of the onion and celery, to the skinning of the hazelnuts, to the hazelnut oil finish. This might be the perfect brown bag lunch — or side dish at an elegant dinner party.
Recipe: Wheat Berry Salad with Roasted Fennel and Bell Pepper opens in a new tab
This wheat berry salad is conveniently made using pantry items like roasted red bell peppers from a jar combined with canned white beans, tangy capers and creamy feta cheese. Fennel, along with plenty of parsley, adds freshness to the salad. It makes for a healthy and sustaining supper or lunch.
Recipe: Spicy Grilled Chicken Salad with Noodles opens in a new tab
Crisp vegetables, tender noodles and morsels of chicken are cloaked in this zippy dressing spiked with lime juice, fish sauce and a hint of Sriracha, then showered with finely sliced mint and basil.
Recipe: New Potato and Pea Salad with Mustard and Mint opens in a new tab
This potato salad is the opposite of its gloppy, mayo-leaden brethren; the peas keep it crunchy and bright and the mustard snaps it to attention. We can't wait to make this for our next barbecue — or brown bag lunch.
Recipe: Lacinato Kale and Mint Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing opens in a new tab
Sure, we've seen kale salads in countless iterations, but this spicy, peanutty dressing lets us see the green through a different lens. Plus, the salad will hold up well in the fridge, making it a great dish for summer entertaining.
Recipe: Salad with Caramelized Fennel and Apples opens in a new tab
We loved all the contrasting and complementing flavors in this salad — the bitterness of the radicchio with the sweetness of the apples and fennel, the creaminess of the goat cheese with the nuttiness of the pine nuts. All the flavors created great harmony and balance.
What are you go-to big batch salads? Share your tips and favorite ingredients in the comments section below.
