Let’s face it: the idea that most of us have 30+ minutes to make all of our meals is unrealistic (and kind of outrageous!). The truth is that so much of the time, the meal ends up being whatever is easy to throw together quickly. The very easiest thing on some days is to grab a granola bar and some chips and call it lunch or dinner (and that’s ok!)! But you can {quickly} do better than that! Stay with me here. You, yes YOU, have the power and ability to make delicious, nutritious meals, on the fly, ad hoc, by the seat of your pants. You really do – I promise (and I wouldn’t lie about something as dear to my heart as food). You really only need two things to pull together a quick 5-minute salad and have it taste good:
- A few staple items in your refrigerator and cupboard
- The tiniest ounce of creativity!
FINDING INGREDIENTS
Your first task (and where the creativity comes into play) is to look in your cupboards, your pantry, and your refrigerator and see what items you have that could be part of your salad. Most importantly, you need:
- Greens
- Crunchiness
- The star of the show: leftovers/protein/grains/etc. - something that’s going to lend its flavor to your salad
- Dressing
Here are some ideas to get you started:
GREENS: Romaine lettuce, green leaf or red leaf lettuce, loose leaf lettuce, spinach, arugula, kale [note that both arugula and kale are stronger flavored lettuces].
When you go to the grocery store each week, buy some greens – this can be a head of lettuce or a bag of spinach or whatever works for you. Where I live in San Diego, a head of lettuce costs $2-3, and our cost of living here is comparatively high, so the odds are that lettuce might be even cheaper in your neck of the woods. Go buy yourself some greens!
CRUNCH: Croutons (any flavor!), tortilla strips, crushed tortilla chips, wonton strips, parmesan crisps, nuts (shaved, chopped, whole, candied, whatever!), seeds (hemp, sunflower, pumpkin), bacon bits/vegan bacon bits, crispy fried onions
Have you noticed that some of the best salads have a bit of a crunch to them? That’s not an accident. Something crunchy is important in the grand scheme of salad things!
THE STAR
Leftover vegetables or fruit, chopped if necessary: potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots, onions, peppers, zucchini, cauliflower, peas, pineapple chunks, diced up sliced apples, strawberries, grapes, peaches
Meat/protein/dairy/grains: frozen pre-cooked chicken, frozen veggie burger, falafel, scrambled eggs, hard-boiled egg, meatballs, carnitas, beans (black/kidney/pinto/garbanzo), cooked lentils, nuts (almonds/cashews/walnuts/peanuts), grated cheese, diced string cheese, Indian paneer (cheese), rice (Mexican/Indian, etc.), quinoa, leftovers from your favorite restaurant
Let your creativity shine and think outside the box! What do you have lying around the kitchen that could go in a salad and give it that pop of flavor? Frozen foods can be a great candidate for this, as well as restaurant leftovers, such as orange chicken or meatballs or Mexican rice. You’re looking for something to turn the flavor of your salad from primarily greens to something with a bit more of a punch.
DRESSING: caesar, Greek, Italian, ranch, southwest ranch, balsamic
Dressing is really what pulls the salad together; it’s the closer. There are so many varieties to choose from, and they will all add a little something different to your salad. As you slowly build up a collection of salad dressings in your refrigerator, then it will become easy to pick one to use for any quick salad that you make (an easy way to add to your dressing supply is to ask for an extra dressing packet whenever you order a salad at a fast food restaurant; many restaurants will do this for free). One thing to note: try to stay on theme – if you have leftover Chinese food in your salad, then a Mexican-inspired dressing might not pair very well.
NOTES
Once or twice a week I pull together a quick, spontaneous salad like this. I’ll be honest and say that some are better than others (and some are also among the best salads I’ve ever had!); when a quick salad doesn’t turn out that great it’s usually because I haven’t put enough flavorful ingredients in it, so when it doubt, err on the side of having too much flavor and ingredients rather than too little!
Finally, do yourself a favor and have some crackers, toast, or a granola bar to go along with your salad. If you’re like me, you might need something carby to munch on in addition to the amazing salad that you just created! I always try to get to a point with my meal where my taste buds and stomach feel satisfied and satiated, and that usually requires either some carbs on the side or a little something sweet.
Let us know in the comments about all of your 5-minute salad creations!
ALLERGY GUIDE
For Gluten Free: You are your own chef here, so pick salad components that don’t contain gluten. For crunchy items, this means things like tortilla strips, crushed chips, parmesan crisps, nuts, seeds. Many of your star item options are gluten free and most dressings are gluten free. As always, check the labels!
For Dairy Free: Most of the crunch items (other than parmesan crisps) should be dairy free as well as many of the star item ideas. Dressings are a little trickier; look for vinaigrettes (Italian, balsamic, etc) and dairy free caesar and ranch dressings.
FAQS & TIPS
How can I find good star items to make my salads more flavorful?
One way to accomplish this is to cook a little bit extra of whatever meals your making, so that you can add the leftovers to a salad the next day. Also, if you're ordering from a restaurant, order an extra side of something or save out a little bit of the meal for your salad the next day (I've been known to steal my husband's leftovers to top my salads with . . .). You'd be surprised how far one diced up egg roll or meatball can go in flavoring a salad!
How can I make salads more filling?
If you find yourself still quite hungry after eating your salad, then you may want to work on adding more protein to future salads (meat, nuts, cheese, vegetarian meat substitutes). Also, feel free to grab a spoonful of peanut butter or a granola bar to round out your meal!
Can salads be made ahead of time?
For sure! Just don't mix the ingredients together until you're ready to eat it. Put your greens in a large plastic container with a lid, and store the other ingredients separately in their own small plastic containers or snack-sized plastic bags. When you're ready to eat it, dump everything into the container with your greens, put the lid on, and shake.
NEED IDEAS? Follow us on Instagram for more 5-minute salad inspiration!
5-Minute Salad
Ingredients
- 2-3 c greens (any type of lettuce or spinach)
- 2 Tbsp crunchy topping
- star ingredient (leftover veggies/fruit/meat/protein/dairy/grains)
- 1-2 Tbsp salad dressing
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!
Notes
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Leave us a comment below or tag @casual.greens on Instagram!
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Leave us a comment below or tag @casual.greens on Instagram!
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Leave us a comment below or tag @casual.greens on Instagram!
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Leave us a comment below or tag @casual.greens on Instagram!
