As the new year begins, so do our diets. But this year, consider it more of a lifestyle change, and you’ll be well on your way to forming a new healthy eating habit. These gorgeous salads will pave the way for you.
Making a gourmet, chef-inspired salad at home is easy if you follow a few simple guidelines and take notes from the salads we’ve discovered on the internet.
- Keep it simple. Sure Cobb salads are packed with everything you love, but sometimes less is more. Pick a few key ingredients and showcase them.
- Be sure to have a balance of flavors. You’ll want sweet, acidic and savory in each bite (depending on the salad).
- Pair different textures. Combine a soft butter lettuce with a crunchy pistachio brittle. A hardy green like kale with a soft, runny egg on top. Textures are what make your salads interesting.
- Eat the rainbow. A good variety of greens, root vegetables, and colorful vinaigrettes make a salad reach restaurant stature.
Tropical scallop salad recipe
This recipe, by blogger Shanna Shad of Pineapple & Coconut, combines great textures from the scallops and mangos, topped off with a crunch from the coconut. The pop of color is also attractive.
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Caprese pasta salad recipe
Salads don’t just have to feature greens. We love this salad with pasta as the base and a light dressing to balance it.
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Apple radish slaw recipe
This slaw is dressed in a honey lime jalapeño vinaigrette that really brings out the flavor in this salad. Blogger Liz over at The Lemon Bowl also shares some health benefits of radishes.
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Kale, apple and bacon salad recipe
The addition of walnuts and bacon gives this salad not only texture, but nutty and savory notes in an otherwise hardy salad.
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Thai cabbage salad recipe
Cabbage salads are not just for the summer months. This flavorful salad by Karen’s Kitchen Stories packs a punch with added peanuts for texture and an Asian twist to the classic slaw.
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Endive, avocado and bacon salad recipe
We loved the chipotle ranch dressing Carolyn, blogger at All Day I Dream About Food, pairs perfectly with this salad.
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Strawberry avocado salad recipe
Pairing winter berries with creamy avocado makes for a great seasonal salad.
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Pomegranate citrus quinoa salad recipe
We love using whole grains as a base for a recipe, and quinoa is our favorite grain to cook up for salads.
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Grilled sweet potato salad recipe
Classic winter root vegetables, these sweet potatoes are cooked on the grill and packed with flavor.
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Skinny broccoli salad recipe
Not only is broccoli a great base for salads, but it’s very filling and tasty.
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More salad recipes
Warm Thai chicken salad
Roasted beet salad with tangerine vinaigrette
Chickpea and black lentil salad with feta
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