15 Lunch Salads You’ll Love
Salads are a classic lunch dish. But with the rising cost of eating out these days, many are starting to return to the little brown lunch bag. Lunch salads are incredibly easy to pack up. They taste great, and there is a never-ending list of ways you can change them up and keep them interesting, just with the ingredients alone. Then, you can level things up even more with an array of delicious dressings. The combinations are both endless and delicious.
1. Italian Chopped Salad
Italian chopped salad is the perfect salad for a warm day. It’s cool, refreshing, and made with a ton of fresh produce. Top with a little Italian dressing, you’ve got a full meal. This is chunky, hearty, and packed with wonderful Italian flavors. You can enjoy this as a full lunch meal or enjoy it as a side salad to an Italian pasta dish.
2. Grape Salad
This cool and sweet grape salad recipe is a great way to use up apples and grapes from your fridge. It’s a cold salad that has a beautiful balance of sweet and savory flavors. It’s light and refreshing but is also filling. If you need some protein, chicken is a great addition here.
3. Chicken Endive Salad
This chicken endive salad is a wonderful alternative to your usual green salad. Delicious endive paired with chicken and creamy dressing make a very filling lunch. The endive gives a lovely, light bitterness that goes perfectly with the chicken and walnuts. A savory dressing will put this over the top. Vinagrettes are a good choice here.
4. Brussels Sprouts Salad
Brussels Sprouts Salad is a hearty, easy-to-eat salad packed with delicious flavor and fiber to truly fill you up and keep you that way. It’s an amazing lunch packed with fiber that will keep you full all the way until dinner. If you happen to end up with leftovers, you can use it as a side dish to any meat-based main course. It’s even delicious in a wrap.
5. Shrimp And Avocado Salad
If you want something truly hearty and filling, this Shrimp And Avocado Salad is it. It’s delicious, filled with lean protein, and plenty of fiber and veggies for a very satisfying meal. If you want to make it stretch across multiple meals, mix it in with plenty of lettuce. It’s great in wraps with extra shrimp or even some shredded chicken added, and can be served as an appetizer in small cups at parties.
6. Strawberry Spinach Salad
Strawberry spinach salad has all the fresh produce you crave without any time spent at a stove. It’s fast, easy, and, best of all… delicious. This is a great salad for a variety of vinaigrettes and can be used to stuff wraps with the addition of your favorite sauce.
7. Grilled Zucchini Salad
If you are already grilling this year, this grilled zucchini salad should be at the top of your to-grill list. Leave the heat and smoke outside, and keep the kitchen a little bit cleaner by using the grill. Then, toss together this bowl of deliciousness which makes a marvelous side dish to grilled meats, or can be chopped fine for a delicious version of bruschetta.
8. Wedge Salad
If you haven’t had a wedge salad in a while, you’re missing out. Here are four ways to enjoy one. Each is as unique as it is delicious, and one of them is bound to become your favorite. Wedge salads are fantastic and easy to pack for lunch. You can pack all the toppings on the side for easy assembly at work or school.
9. Easy Asparagus Salad
This easy asparagus salad is quick to toss together, is packed with tons of delicious bacony flavor, and will totally fill you up without overdoing it. It’s a light balance of each ingredient that pairs together perfectly. Eat it as is, or mix it with pasta or rice to make it stretch further. Just use a little extra dressing if you add other things.
10. Simple Cabbage Salad
Cabbage is not the most popular vegetable, but it’s incredibly versatile. Prepared correctly, it also happens to be delicious. Try this simple cabbage salad and see if you don’t gain a whole new perspective on cabbage. This can also make a great side dish to other main courses, but it’s a very filling lunch all by itself.
11. Baby Kale Salad
Baby kale salad is easy to assemble once the bacon and eggs are cooked. You can do this ahead of time so that the salad is assembled in under five minutes. The recipe involves just a little chopping, and it’s all totally worth it. A lovely vinaigrette is perfect for this salad, but a creamy ranch will also go well with this.
12. Chinese Chicken Salad
If you have a little more time in the kitchen, this Chinese chicken salad is totally worth the investment. The finished salad far outdoes anything you can get in a restaurant. It’s hearty, filling, and full of good-for-you veggies and lean chicken. Use whole-grain ramen for a great whole-grain topper that provides a wonderful crunch in every bite.
13. Skillet Taco Salad
Skillet taco salad is a great option for a solo meal or for making a meal for several people and letting them build their own salad with the toppings they like best. It’s the dinner nobody ever argues about. Serve this with some corn chips and dig in.
14. Chickpea Quinoa Salad
Chickpea Quinoa Salad is a wonderful, protein-packed meal that also happens to fill you up with plenty of fiber. The quinoa even gives you complete protein with all 9 essential amino acids, and the fiber from the beans will keep you full for hours. The fresh basil adds the most amazing summery flavor, even off-season. The combination is light, filling, and refreshing.
15. Raw Broccoli Salad
If you want a truly hearty salad that delivers both on fiber and on flavor, this raw broccoli salad is a must-make. It’s packed with all kinds of good-for-you ingredients, and makes enough for several meals. It packs well and keeps in the fridge for several days and several meals.
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This originally appeared on The Gracious Pantry.
