It’s always a good idea to have a variety of salad ingredients on hand in the kitchen. Mix grains or beans with vegetables, fresh herbs, and some seasoning to ensure you have healthy food on the go.
Below, I’ve included four quick and hearty salad recipes you can use as an easy meal!
Tips for all grains:
- Wash before soaking/cooking to remove any residue
- Soak grain in fresh water 8-12 hours before cooking
- Cook using appropriate instructions
- Remember to chew thoroughly – we help the process of digestion when we take the time to chew
Wild Rice Salad Recipe
Wild rice is similar in texture and shape to brown rice, but it’s not actually rice at all. It’s a wild grain native to North America and traditionally known as “water grass”. It has a rich nutritional profile, including key nutrients and minerals, and twice as much protein as regular brown rice. Wild rice is also gluten-free. Energetically, it can be a helpful food for the wintertime due to its hearty nutrition.
Wild rice is also unique because it’s still harvested wild, and the plant maintains diversity in comparison to commercial cereal grains.
Feel free to modify the following recipe by adding other vegetables and seasonings.
Ingredients
- 1 cup wild rice (sifted and rinsed)
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 finely chopped red pepper
- 2 chopped green onions
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 minced garlic clove
- pinch of sea salt and black pepper
Wild rice is also unique because it’s still harvested wild, and the plant maintains diversity in comparison to commercial cereal grains.
Feel free to modify the following recipe by adding other vegetables and seasonings.
Directions:
- Bring vegetable stock to a boil, stir in wild rice, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 40-45 minutes, or until the kernels puff open. Depending on the wild rice you purchase, you may need a little less water. If you end up with extra water, drain it off and use it for soup stock (it’s full of beneficial nutrients).
- Uncover and fluff with a fork. Simmer for an additional five minutes. Drain off any excess liquid.
- Mix olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic in a separate jar, then pour over rice and mix.
- Mix remaining ingredients into wild rice and enjoy!
Chickpea Salad
Ingredients:
- 2 cups rinsed chickpeas (canned or cooked – learn about cooking beans the right way here)
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 1 large beet, chopped and lightly steamed
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- 1 red onion chopped
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
- pinch of sea salt
Directions:
Combine all ingredients and serve!
Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups rinsed quinoa (rinsing washes the belly-irritating saponins off)
- 1 finely diced red onion
- 1 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup cranberries
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- 1 squeezed lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Cook 2 cups of quinoa
- Sauté finely diced red onion
- Mix cooked onion, quinoa, pecans, cranberries, and chopped parsley
- Toss with olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper to taste
Carrot Beet Salad
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. flax oil
- 2 beets peeled and grated
- 4 large carrots, peeled and grated
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- sea salt to taste
Directions:
Toss all ingredients and serve!
