“How do I make an exciting salad?”
“Bases: For the most nutritious and interesting bases, branch out from the normal iceberg lettuce. You may be able to find only a few of these in a college dining hall, so keep some in your mini-fridge for creative salad making on your own.
Spinach
Romaine hearts
Red/green leaf lettuce
Red cabbage
Arugula (spicier)
Red/Green Kale
Dinosaur Kale (a bit less bitter)
Endive
Water cress
A mix of any/all of the above
Veggie additions:
Green/Red/Orange peppers (the more color, the better)
Green onions
Black olives
Mushrooms (marinate or grill first for a good twist)
Baby corns - This is my favorite part of my school’s salad bar. They’re just so cute!
Zucchini or any summer squash - more nutritionally dense than cucumber
Beets - gotta love food that is purple naturally
Radishes - Those red things that you tried once as a kid and blew them off forever? They’re better now.
Turnips - My farmer’s market has lately had Japanese Hakurei white turnips, and they are amazing!
Fruity toppings add the perfect amount of sweet and tangy:
Mango
Apple slices
Dried cranberries
Dried Apricots
Raisins
Blueberries
Grapes
Cherries
Cantaloupe/Honeydew
Proteins: Why do restaurants think that a salad must have chicken on it to make it a meal? These are much more humane and tasty options. Cook these any way you like, marinated, baked, grilled, etc.
Tofu
Tempeh
Seitan
Veggie burgers - easy microwave preparation, crumble up into salad topping
Avocado - I love raw avocado on top of my salads.
Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) - sprouted is even better!
Vegan cheeses - I buy the grated kind because I eat salad a lot and I’m a lazy college student; scope out your local natural food store.
Crunchies: Adds a great variety of texture. Many of these also provide the protein, oils and fatty acids you need.
Sunflower seeds - Don’t overdo, as I said, you can get bored fast. They are popular, so save them for when you are in a pinch.
Pumpkin seeds
Sesame seeds
Flax seeds - not much flavor but great for you
Almonds
Walnuts
Cashews - my personal favorite
Peanuts
Wasabi peas - the best thing to come out of Japan in years
Sesame seed sticks - at Whole Foods and other natural food stores
Chinese rice noodles - you know, the crunchy fried or baked kind
BYO croutons - These are often made with butter, so make your own and bring it to the caf!
Dressings: These will spark your taste buds and have you craving them for days:
Pre-made and sold at most grocery stores: Check out this review of dressings on vegweb.com
Annie’s Goddess dressing - I’m obsessed
Asian - most are vegan
Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
Drew’s - Check ingredients, as not all are vegan. Soy ginger, Shiitake ginger, and Raspberry are the ones I’ve tried, but there are others that look great. They double as marinades as well.
Homemade:
Olive oil and vinegar
Lemon/lime juice
Guacamole - a homemade mix of avocado, mango, green onions and lime juice is my preference
Tahini sauce
Hummus - mix with water for a dressing-like consistency
Vegan ranch - haven’t tried this one yet, but its on my list!
Black Bean and tofu salad
Sweet pop-eye salad
Spinach bed
Bell pepper
Vegan mozzarella cheese - crumbled from a block, not grated
Almonds - unsalted, whole or sliced
Fresh strawberries
Dried cranberries
Raspberry vinaigrette
Farmer’s market veggie salad
Lettuce and kale bed
Carrot slices
Zucchini
Japanese Hakurei turnip - I like it cut in very small pieces, but it is your preference.
Nuts - the coated, roasted kind. In Denver/Boulder, check out Olomomo.
Beets – cooked
Raisins
Pumpkin seeds
Goddess dressing”
Thanks much for that wonderful post.