Three Quick and Easy to Make Healthy Salad Recipes

We have turned salads into unhealthy and un-tasty recipes in the Western World. As a result of experiments, great resources, and speaking to people when traveling I have found that salads can be HEALTHY and TASTY! And easy to make in a quick amount of time. Bowls full of vegetables, fruits, and oils pack a nutritious punch. And then whether you are vegan, vegetarian, paleo, or more (I have been all of them LOL!) you can add what else you would like. In this post I am sharing three quick and easy to make healthy salad recipes!

This is one of my go to quick and easy healthy salads! Beets, Feta, and Orange.

Healthy Salad Recipe One: Beet, Feta, Orange Salad.

Ingredients: Beets, Beet Stems and Leaves (or Kale or Spinach if your beet stems/leaves are out of season), Feta (make it nut based if vegan), and Orange (other citrus like tangerines or tangelos work too.)

Instructions/Time: 20 Minutes.
1. Cut the beet skin off if not pre-packaged. Chop your beets and your greens. Beet stems/leaves are very nutritious so don’t ask your farmer at the farmers market to chop them off! Peel and chop the orange.
2. Add a healthy cooking oil to a cooking pan. Saute the beet for five minutes on medium high by themselves. Add stems/greens for five more minutes with salt and pepper on medium heat. Continue to stir. Turn off and add in citrus and let it sit for three minutes.
3. Add to a bowl, add desired amount of feta, shake/stir/serve.
4. You can add a splash of red wine vinegar but I find the oil, salt, and pepper is all I need!

A traditional Greek Salad, best lunch around!

Healthy Salad Recipe Two: Traditional Greek Salad.

I was taking a cooking class in Paros Greece and Flora my instructor said “Always salad. We have a salad for every meal.”
Check out some pics with Flora and our adventures in Paros HERE! We get Greek Salads in the US confused at times with traditional Greek Salads. It should basically be a bowl full of raw veggies. Here’s an easy healthy take for you!

Ingredients: Cucumber, Tomato, Onion, Pepper (optional if in season), Feta, Kalamata Olives, Olive Oil, Oregano.

Instructions/Prep Time: 10 Minutes. Chop the cucumber, tomato, and onion. Add in a bowl and mix olive oil in. Place feta and olives on top and sprinkle oregano.

Many Greeks add homemade bread and Tzatziki to their lunch. And the salads are BIG. I use one mini cucumber and a half of a large tomato when I am making mine.

Adding "garbage veggies" to an easy and quick healthy salad recipe.

Healthy Salad Recipe Three: Chickpea Quinoa “Garbage” Salad

Using the protein packed chickpeas and the ancient grain of quinoa as my base this is a great salad to make when you have veggies that need to get eaten! Hence the name being the garbage salad!

Ingredients: Chickpeas, Quinoa, Onion, Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, and whatever veggies are in the fridge! Zhoug Sauce or Tomato Paste for roasting your “garbage” veggies.

Instructions;Prep: 40 Minutes. Boil 2 cups of water and when water is boiling add one cup of quionoa. (You will have leftovers.) Drain and rinse chickpeas. Set oven to 400 (you could sub the air fryer) and chop onion and any other veggies you have. Place on parchment paper and cookie sheet and sprinkle olive oil, salt, and pepper on veggies and add in tomato paste if using. Bake for minimum of 30 minutes. Mix ingredients when veggies are roasted, add chopped spinach or kale raw, and optional Greek Zhoug Sauce for spice if you didn’t use tomato paste.

Salads should be tasty. Not something we are forced to stuff down our throats. They also shouldn’t be junk food (unless you are doing that on purpose!) These are three easy and quick recipes for healthy salads that can be made year round at your living space!

Cooking should be fun, make you feel good, and utilize ingredients that nurture your body and mind.
Comment with any questions on these recipes!

To Your Health,
Mike