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  1. Midwest Living
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  4. Hearty, Healthy Salad Recipes

Hearty, Healthy Salad Recipes

By Midwest Living editors Updated March 04, 2023
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Spring Fattoush
Credit: Carson Downing

Turn to ingredients such as lentils, quinoa, chickpeas, brussels sprouts and wild rice to add good-for-you flavor and texture to your salads.

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Spring Fattoush

<p>Popular in Lebanon and Israel, fattoush is a crunchy, lemony salad of toasted pita, herbs and vegetables. This  quick version showcases spring vegetables like snap peas and radishes. It's seasoned with sumac, which has a distinctly sour, earthy flavor. Find it in Middle Eastern markets or online.</p>
Credit: Carson Downing
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Popular in Lebanon and Israel, fattoush is a crunchy, lemony salad of toasted pita, herbs and vegetables. This  quick version showcases spring vegetables like snap peas and radishes. It's seasoned with sumac, which has a distinctly sour, earthy flavor. Find it in Middle Eastern markets or online.

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Citrus Salmon Salad

Citrus Salmon Salad
Credit: Carson Downing
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Chef Sarah Russo of Chicago-based Salad Club uses bitter greens in this salad to balance the sweet fruit and rich fish. If you prefer, swap in more mild-mannered kale, lettuce or spinach.

Related: Favorite Salmon Recipes

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Superfood Salad

Superfood Salad
Credit: Carson Downing
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This hearty salad is plenty filling without the chicken, so leave it out if you like. The chickpeas can be prepared ahead and stored in an airtight container with a paper towel at the bottom.

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Oaxacan Bean Salad

Oaxacan Bean Salad
Credit: Carson Downing
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Roasted plantain adds a delicious and unexpected starchy sweetness to this salad. Be sure to choose a ripe one, more black than yellow, but not totally black.

Related: Try Our Fried Plaintain Recipe

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Smoky Squash Salad

Smoky Squash Salad
Credit: Carson Downing
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This salad packs a flavor and texture punch, and it's a delicious way to explore an alternative, plant-based protein. Look for blocks of tempeh in the produce or health food section of the supermarket, near the tofu.

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Arugula-Lentil Salad with Poached Eggs

Arugula-Lentil Salad with Poached Eggs
Credit: Carson Downing
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When it's too hot for lentil soup, put the quick-cooking pulse to good use in this nutritious, meat-free salad.

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Roasted Pear Salad with Farro and Arugula

Roasted Pear Salad with Farro and Arugula
Credit: Carson Downing
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This creamy, whole-grain salad earned raves in our test kitchen. It's hardy enough to be a meatless main, or enjoy it as a festive side dish or cold-weather potluck star.

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Penne with Lentils and Feta

Penne with Lentils and Feta
Credit: Brie Passano
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Hearty and wholesome, this picnic pasta salad is loaded with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, lentils, salty cheese and parsley, all cloaked in a light and bright red wine vinaigrette.

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Harvest Lentil Salad

Harvest Lentil Salad
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Packed with healthy nutrients, this dish is perfect for any occasion. Serve as a side with a pork tenderloin roast or turkey breast or as a meat-free dinner salad with warm, crusty wheat rolls.

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Winter Tabbouleh with Fennel and Cranberries

Winter Tabbouleh with Fennel and Cranberries
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This delicious and healthy twist on a traditional Middle Eastern parsley salad features protein-rich quinoa, cranberries, sunflower seeds and crisp fennel.

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Shaved Cabbage Salad with Apples, Ham and Mustard

bowl of Shaved Cabbage Salad with Apples, Ham and Mustard
Credit: Brie Passano
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Ham adds just enough smoky richness to chef Abra Berens' vibrant salad to elevate a simple slaw to a lunch-worthy meal or a potluck stunner. Find other great salads in her book Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables.

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Lentil and Rice Summer Salad

Lentil and Rice Summer Salad
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This is a fab potluck salad. If you make it for dinner at home, try it topped with a salmon fillet or, for a vegetarian entree, served over spinach or other salad greens. (A word of warning: Don't substitute a different rice. Arborio, the type used in risotto, definitely works best.) The recipe comes from the blog A Couple Cooks.

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Winter Bean Salad with Fennel and Clementines

Winter Bean Salad with Fennel and Clementines
Credit: Blaine Moats
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Turn a humble can of beans into this impressive salad. It's already a main dish, but you can make it heartier by adding seared salmon or sizzled shrimp.

Related: Great Recipes for Canned or Dried Beans

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Green Salad with Chicken and Marinated Peas

two plates of Green Salad with Chicken and Marinated Peas
Credit: Brie Passano
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In her book Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables, Abra Berens called this recipe Green Salad with Marinated Peas and Yesterday's Chicken because she makes it the day after roasting a chicken. A supermarket rotisserie bird makes things even simpler.

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Sesame Chard Slaw

Sesame Chard Slaw
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Swiss chard is usually cooked, but we keep it raw in this lightly sweet, Asian-inspired slaw that's packed with good-for-you ingredients.

Related: Fresh Slaw Recipes

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Waldorf Salad with Grapes and Wild Rice

Waldorf Salad with Grapes and Wild Rice
Credit: Blaine Moats
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This salad is all about balance—sweet vs. tart and crunchy vs. chewy. Take it to a potluck or serve it at the holiday table.

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Quinoa Salad with Roasted Zucchini, Almonds and Feta

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Zucchini, Almonds and Feta
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You could make a meal of this dish: caramelized zucchini, crunchy almonds, salty cheese and hearty quinoa, all dressed in honey-basil vinaigrette. The recipe comes from a Columbus, Ohio, restaurant.

Related: Power-Packed Quinoa Recipes

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Celery and Apple Salad with Walnuts

Celery and Apple Salad with Walnuts
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Imagine a Waldorf salad, but lighter and more refreshing, with a tangy lemon-thyme vinaigrette. This salad would go beautifully with roast pork or turkey.

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Sweet and Spicy Cabbage and Peanut Slaw

Sweet and Spicy Cabbage and Peanut Slaw
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Fresh ginger and red pepper flakes add welcome zing, but the real surprise here is napa (aka Chinese) cabbage. Cara Mangini, who started Little Eater in Columbus, Ohio, likes it for slaws because it's more tender than ordinary cabbage but still holds up better than lettuce.

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Roasted Kale, Tomato and Chickpea Salad with Wheat Berries

Roasted Kale, Tomato and Chickpea Salad with Wheat Berries
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Our hearty salad tastes equally good warm from the pan, cold from the fridge or even at room temperature, so it's perfect for make-ahead meals and leftover lunches. Other grains, such as barley, faro or wild rice, also work well in this salad.

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Nuts and Berries Winter Slaw

Nuts and Berries Winter Slaw
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Crisp, shredded Brussels sprouts, toasted hazelnuts and tangy cranberry-orange dressing provide a burst of fresh flavor to balance a rich holiday roast. We like the hearty texture of raw Brussels sprouts, but if you prefer them a bit softer, blanch them first and then plunge them into cold water and pat dry.

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Baby Spinach Salad with Cumin Couscous and Bulgur

Baby Spinach Salad with Cumin Couscous and Bulgur
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Grain salads can sometimes be a bit heavy, but this one is surprisingly light-tasting, thanks to a tangy yogurt-mint dressing, crisp apple chunks and fresh spinach.

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Dilly Chickpea and Radish Salad

Dilly Chickpea and Radish Salad
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Think of this as a welcome update on three-bean salad, with radishes and celery adding color and crunch to wholesome garbanzo beans. It travels beautifully and is great for potlucks and picnics.

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Smoked Turkey and Citrus Wild Rice Salad

Smoked Turkey and Citrus Wild Rice Salad
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This main-dish salad is just what the doctor ordered after the holidays, bursting with color and fresh flavor. The recipe comes from The Birchwood Cafe Cookbook (University of Minnesota Press, $29.95). (Note: You'll end up with extra dressing, but that's just fine ... stash it in the fridge to wake up any salad.)

Related: Sumptuous Salads

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Shaved Asparagus Salad

Shaved Asparagus Salad
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Uncooked asparagus might sound strange, but this is essentially an elegant take on slaw-slicing a firm vegetable like cabbage or carrot thinly to break down its cell walls and allow a tangy dressing to soak in.

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Moroccan Carrot Slaw

Moroccan Carrot Slaw
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Combining cinnamony pumpkin-pie spice with fresh mint lends North African flavor in a flash. Try this simple salad as a side dish to grilled chicken.

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    1 of 26 Spring Fattoush
    2 of 26 Citrus Salmon Salad
    3 of 26 Superfood Salad
    4 of 26 Oaxacan Bean Salad
    5 of 26 Smoky Squash Salad
    6 of 26 Arugula-Lentil Salad with Poached Eggs
    7 of 26 Roasted Pear Salad with Farro and Arugula
    8 of 26 Penne with Lentils and Feta
    9 of 26 Harvest Lentil Salad
    10 of 26 Winter Tabbouleh with Fennel and Cranberries
    11 of 26 Shaved Cabbage Salad with Apples, Ham and Mustard
    12 of 26 Lentil and Rice Summer Salad
    13 of 26 Winter Bean Salad with Fennel and Clementines
    14 of 26 Green Salad with Chicken and Marinated Peas
    15 of 26 Sesame Chard Slaw
    16 of 26 Waldorf Salad with Grapes and Wild Rice
    17 of 26 Quinoa Salad with Roasted Zucchini, Almonds and Feta
    18 of 26 Celery and Apple Salad with Walnuts
    19 of 26 Sweet and Spicy Cabbage and Peanut Slaw
    20 of 26 Roasted Kale, Tomato and Chickpea Salad with Wheat Berries
    21 of 26 Nuts and Berries Winter Slaw
    22 of 26 Baby Spinach Salad with Cumin Couscous and Bulgur
    23 of 26 Dilly Chickpea and Radish Salad
    24 of 26 Smoked Turkey and Citrus Wild Rice Salad
    25 of 26 Shaved Asparagus Salad
    26 of 26 Moroccan Carrot Slaw

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