
4 fresh and easy salad recipes
June 5, 2020
Why travellers prefer Blue Cross
June 5, 2020
Spring is here! What a glorious time of year. Everything is so fresh and green! After a long winter, what better way to celebrate than by bringing some of that green onto our plates?
Simple and nutritious, this meal-sized salad is full of flavours and a good way to cook locally grown asparagus. This recipe is also ideal for people who don’t eat animal products, who have nut allergies or who are intolerant to gluten.
Serving(s): 4
Preparation: 20 minutes
1 block of firm tofu*, cut into cubes
2 tbsps vegetable oil
2 cups of asparagus, cut into 2 cm pieces
5 oz arugula
1 ½ red bell pepper, diced
2 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp granulated garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste
*Chef’s note: We use tofu with fine herbs.
This is a bring to work type salad that you can pack into a mason jar (or Tupperware). Creamy Wafu is a Japanese style dressing that’s available in grocery stores but can also easily be made at home! (The dressing used here is based on recipes from Genius Kitchen and Japanese Cooking 101.)
Serves: 1
Prep time: 30 minutes
½ yellow pepper, cut into cubes
¼ cup green snap peas, cut into 2 or 3 pieces each
1 cup frozen shelled edamame*
1 grated carrot*
Pea shoots
4 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1–2 tsp brown sugar or maple syrup
Dash ground ginger
*Chef’s note: You can top the salad with chow mein noodles for added crunch.
**Cooking tip: To keep grated carrots from going brown, toss them with a dash of lemon juice before adding them to your salad mix.
Craving a hearty, healthy fruit-based salad? This salad has it all: sweet, delicious berries paired with crunchy almonds and romaine lettuce, topped with creamy almond butter dressing. Since the dressing will need to cool a bit, we recommend preparing it first.
Serves: 1
Prep time: 20 minutes
Resting time: 10–20 minutes
1/2 cup creamy almond butter
1 1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup
3/4 cup hot water
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce*
3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 cup pea shoots
1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup tamari almonds, coarsely chopped
*For low sodium diets, choose a low-sodium soy sauce and unsalted almond butter and adjust seasoning if need be.
Strawberries are the earliest summer fruit, so we’re taking liberties here to celebrate spring by combining them with a maple–balsamic reduction. This sweet and savoury salad is perfect for a special weekday treat or to wow your weekend guests. As with the previous recipe, we recommend making the balsamic reduction first, as it will need time to cool.
Prep time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly grated salt and pepper, to taste
6 cups fresh mixed greens
2 cups sliced strawberries
2 cups thinly sliced onions
1 tbsp butter
1 cup crumbled blue cheese**
*Chef’s note: To save time, you can pick up a bottle of maple–balsamic reduction in any fine grocery store.
**Cooking tip: If you find blue cheese a little overwhelming, this recipe also works great with soft un-ripened goat cheese.
Article updated on June 5, 2020.