April 22, 2014

12 Must-Try Fresh, Colorful Salads



If you've been here before, you probably noticed I love salads. What you probably don't know is that I really, really love salads. I'm way happier eating a salad for "dessert" than actual dessert. Sounds crazy, right? I can't explain it, but that's how I've always been. There's something about a big bowl of beautiful veggies I just can't resist. Since it's been such a long winter, I wanted to celebrate the weather finally getting warm enough to break out the flip-flops. (Woo!) So here's a collection of 12 (now 20+) healthy salad recipes to refresh and replenish you this summer. There's something for everyone, with a wide variety of chopped salads, beans salads, quinoa salads, etc. Many can even be used as a main dish. They're vegan and gluten-free, and have simple, homemade dressings for an even bigger flavor burst. Happy (almost) summer peeps! Get out and enjoy that sunshine... with a little veggie rainbow on the side 😉🌈

PS - come join The Garden Grazer on Instagram and share a photo if you make any of these! I love seeing what you guys cook up!


1. Southwestern Chopped Salad with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing





5. Cucumber Salad with tangy white wine vinegar dressing


6. Quinoa Vegetable Salad with Lemon-Basil Dressing



7. Ultimate Greek Chopped Salad


8. Avocado Tomato Salad


9. Quinoa Avocado Spinach Power Salad



11. Strawberry Spinach Salad with Tomato Balsamic Vinaigrette


12. Chickpea Salad



20 comments:

  1. your salads are always so beautiful!

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  2. I just found your blog on Pinterest. These salads look so yummy! I make a variation of the Quinoa Avocado salad without the dressing and with lemon instead of dressing. I'm looking forward to trying this one and several of your other salad recipes soon.

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    1. Hi Pam! Thanks so much for the sweet comments - I love hearing people excited about the recipes. Your quinoa avocado salad sounds awesome with some lemon juice!! Simple, flavorful meals are the BEST! Hope you enjoy the salads you try!

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  3. MMMM....these look amazing! Cannot wait to try some.

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    1. Hi Jen! Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy. Thanks for stopping by :)

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  4. 2 Must-Try Fresh, Colorful Salads

    Salads look gorgeous but are missing the number of servings! I need to make enough for 10 adults attending a birthday picnic.

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    1. Hi BB - which ones were you interested in finding out the serving sizes for? Let me know and hopefully I can give you some guidance! :)

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  5. Oh my goodness, Kaitlin! Your blog is incredible. Thank you so much for taking the time to make these gorgeous recipes and pictures. You are awesome!

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    1. Aww what a sweet message - thanks so much! It makes my day to hear people enjoying the site :) Hope you find some recipes you love. Wishing you a happy new year!!

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  6. Wow! I love these salads...can't wait to make them! I am so glad that a friend of mine posted your recipe! The only thing missing is the serving sizes and calorie content...if you could help me out with this I would greatly appreciate it for I will be making these for my lunches/dinners and want to know how much a serving size is...Thank you so much and keep the recipes coming! <3

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    1. Hi Cindy! Thanks so much for your sweet comments! I prefer not to define serving sizes for people as they can vary widely from person to person :) If you'd like to calculate your own nutritional facts, try this website:
      http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php
      I've heard it's pretty straightforward and easy to use :) Hope that helps, and hope you enjoy the salads!!

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    1. Thanks Bermese - glad you're enjoying it! :)

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  8. Just found your website and I am SO excited to try them out! I just moved to Melbourne with my boyfriend and it can get HOT HOT HOT over here! So cooking big meals in our small kitchen isn't really an option in the summer heat. We live right next to a massive marketplace with super cheap veggies - I'm a pretty terrible cook (it's impossible for me to come up with ideas) so these recipes seem PERFECT for us! I'm so excited to check them out!

    The only thing I found myself wondering was how long these salads (and dressings) would last in the fridge. Also, do you have a place for all your home-made dressings? I'd love to make a big pitcher of one or two dressings to use for multiple things, but don't wanna make too much if it'll go off.

    Wonderful site! Can't wait to start trying out these recipes. =)

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    1. Hi Lyssa! Thrilled to hear you're excited to try the recipes! Salads are always a good choice :) So fresh and versatile! Most of them will generally last about 4-5 days in the fridge. Your marketplace sounds wonderful - hope you enjoy!!

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  9. this site is just what I needed to inspire/motivate me to include more salads in our weekly menus. Thanks for the great tips!

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    1. Aww, yay Amanda!! Salads are pretty amazing - so many different flavor combos I never seem to get tired of them :) Hope you enjoy!!!

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  10. I make the Mexican quinoa salad quite frequently to bring as a side dish to parties. It always gets rave reviews. Many people have asked me for the recipe, so I just refer them to your blog. Thank you for such a wonderful dish.

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    1. Hey Sarah! Totally late responding to this, but YAY! I'm honored to hear it's one of your party dishes and so happy to hear it's a crowd-pleaser. Thanks so much for referring people to the blog, very appreciated! Hope you've had a lovely summer!! <3

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