Salads are a lunchtime staple, and for good reason. When done right, it's a healthy and filling meal full of protein, fiber, and tons of essential nutrients. If you're anything like us, you might have the same salad combination on heavy rotation, which is why we went searching for a little inspiration. We asked you to share your favorite salads with us on Instagram. Here are the ones we can't wait to make!
I'm an unabashed fan of the humble chickpea, whether it's crisp and generously spiced, blitzed into creamy hummus, or pureed in a spicy soup, but perhaps most of all when it's marinated with bold, bright flavors. Satiating, satisfying — the textural contrast of the combined elements is key — this salad is just the ticket if you, like me, are plagued with a touch of brown-bag-lunch ennui. The melange of zesty flavors meld further with an extra day or two in the fridge, making this an option you'll look forward to till you scrape the last bowlful into a to-go container.
If your body needs a reset, it's time to eat clean. This lemony toasted quinoa and wilted cabbage salad is the perfect recipe for any clean-eating endeavors; not only do the flavors meld well together, but each ingredient helps aid digestion, like the fiber in the quinoa, chickpeas, and cabbage and the detoxifying properties of lemon. Serving with an optional dollop of probiotic-filled Greek yogurt will also aid in regulating your system.
Say hello to my go-to picnic and backyard barbecue dish: sesame-ginger soba noodle salad. Vibrantly flavored, full of crisp vegetables, and best served at room temperature — I'd argue it's actually tastier the second day — this noodle dish is perfectly tailored for outdoor entertaining (and is a standout brown-bag lunch option as well for similar reasons).
Don't be put off by the laundry list of ingredients; many are pantry staples or easy to source — try an Asian grocer or Amazon, or even sub sriracha for the chili oil if your supermarket doesn't stock it — and the actual prep for the salad is breezy, to say the least.
Get the recipe and toss together a heaping bowl of soba noodle salad.
Stuck in a salad rut? We've all been there — thankfully, it's an easy problem to solve, especially as a glut of gorgeous Spring produce comes into season. Whether you're partial to sweet-tart juicy mango, verdant asparagus, crisp and delicately flavored pea shoots, or all three, watch the video for ideas on how best to use them to upgrade your brown-bag salad lunch routine.
With Spring here, we're already starting to see the signs of change at our farmers market. While a salad topped with butternut squash and apples has been divine, we're ready for some new options! Making a salad — well, at least a good salad — is no easy feat, something that POPSUGAR Food knows all too well. And since we can surely use a little help, inspire us with your own favorite salad, whether it be a creation from your kitchen or the offering you can't stop ordering at your regular lunchtime spot.
Snap a photo of your favorite salad, and upload the pic to Instagram. Make sure to caption your photo with the hashtag #POPSUGARFitness, and include the ingredients. We'll grab our favorites over the next few weeks and share them with you here on the site. If you can't wait to see what pics readers are submitting, just search #POPSUGARFitness via the Instagram app.
For a nice departure from a heavy meat-and-potatoes meal, keep yourself satisfied with a wholesome Asian steak and noodle salad. With plenty of crunch, tang, and color, it's just as easy and comforting as what you'd order from your favorite restaurant, only cheaper.
The key to this recipe is the ginger, soy, and lime marinade, which infuses the meat with umami-rich flavor. Watch our video to learn how this lettuce, rice noodle, and beef creation comes together, then print out the recipe and make it tonight.
I'm a sucker for any salad that includes the powerhouse duo kale and quinoa. Both are jam-packed with nutrients like vitamins A, C, and K (kale) and healthy fats, protein, and fiber (quinoa), making the combination a healthy and filling lunch option.
One of my favorite ways to enjoy this superfood salad combination is from a local eatery by our San Francisco office, Urban Picnic. Its kale and quinoa salad gets an Asian twist with sesame soy ginger dressing and sliced nori. Blueberries, tomatoes, and carrots add a bit of sweetness, while sliced almonds give it a satisfying crunch. I love the salad so much I set about to re-create it at home; read on for the recipe to make your own!
A salad is one of the most difficult dishes to perfect. As someone who orders one for lunch daily, I'd argue there are only a few places in town where I can order a salad that's inspired yet affordable, nutritious yet filling, and easy to eat yet properly dressed.
I've come to expect today's gourmet salads to fall short of their double-digit price tags: at a new restaurant last week, I ordered a radicchio, endive, green bean, and roasted carrot salad that was 97 percent bitter greens, two percent green beans, and one percent carrot. A few days later, I dropped by Yigit Pura's Tout Sweet, where I had to reconcile a beautiful beet, orange, candied walnut, and grapefruit salad with the six-inch-long field greens that accompanied it.
Too many chickpeas. Tired, ubiquitous "field greens." Not enough chicken. My list of salad pet peeves could go on and on. What are yours?
The beginning of March is a funny fruit season. Despite living in Northern California, where produce is typically bountiful, the fruit section seems pretty dismal lately, save for the large triangular stacks of citrus fruit. Here's a fruit salad to satiate you until Spring officially begins and brings in apricots and fragrant strawberries.
Your taste buds will delight in the textural roller coaster: first, you'll crunch into the pomegranate seeds and pistachios, which pave the way for velvety goat cheese, and finally burst into the juicy pockets of the citrus fruit and kiwi. This sweet-sour salad is like nature's most succulent bowl of SweeTarts.
