I’m sharing uncommon salad elements that add vitamin and taste – your salads won’t ever be boring once more!
Are you bored with the identical outdated inexperienced salads that lack pleasure and taste?
I like an enormous ol’ salad, but when they’re not stuffed with fascinating elements, then nobody is happy about consuming a boring bowl of greens. An incredible salad has a number of flavors and textures. And I’m an enormous fan of creating do-it-yourself salad dressings – they’re tremendous simple to whip up with elements that you have already got in your pantry, like olive oil and vinegar.
Today I’m sharing a pleasant array of surprising salad elements that may encourage the best way you method your greens – say goodbye to the mundane. These elements will add vibrant colour, distinctive texture, and scrumptious flavors to your salads. Get able to re-think boring with these 12 surprising and inventive salad toppings.
Experiment with completely different mixtures to find your individual distinctive salad creations!
12 Unusual Salad Ingredients
1. Candied Nuts
Instead of normal toasted nuts, strive candied pecans, walnuts, or almonds for a candy and crunchy twist. Here’s a fundamental recipe for candied nuts.
2. Edible Flowers
Did you recognize some flowers are edible!? Add a pop of colour and delicate flavors with edible flowers like pansies, nasturtiums, or violets.
3. Coconut Flakes
Toasted coconut flakes can add a tropical and barely candy component to your salad. This summery quinoa salad – toasted coconut, mint, and crumbled goat cheese add further scrumptious flavors!
4. Roasted Chickpeas
For added texture and protein, strive roasted chickpeas with varied seasonings like cumin, paprika, or garlic. This Greek Salad can be incredible with roasted chickpeas.
5. Pickled Fruits or Vegetables
Pickled watermelon rinds, beets, and even strawberries can present tanginess and a novel twist. Here’s a fast information on simple pickling.
6. Dried Fruits
Dried fruits like apricots, figs, or golden raisins can deliver a burst of sweetness to your greens. (Although I can’t say the mayo-coated raisins in a waldorf salad are my favourite, haha.)
7. Seaweed
Add a contact of umami and ocean taste with dried seaweed, resembling nori or dulse, to your salad.
8. Grilled Fruit
Grilled peaches, pineapple, and even watermelon can add smoky and caramelized flavors to your salad.
9. Pomegranate Seeds
These little bursts of tangy juiciness can elevate the style and visible attraction of any salad. Try my Ultimate Fall Wheatberry Salad – it’s one among my favourite salads to deliver to a fall get-together.
10. Crispy Shallots or Onions
You know I’m not a fan of crimson onions, however in case you are, strive crispy shallots or onions for a savory and crunchy addition as a substitute of croutons.
11. Parmesan Crisps
These are one among my all-time favourite salad toppers as a result of they’re so crunchy but soften in your mouth! They are additionally surprisingly excessive in protein. I purchase them at Trader Joe’s or Costco.
12. Chips
Take this one from the web page of Chopt salad ebook! I like their salads with tortilla chips crushed in. If I’m craving one thing crunchy and don’t have something however tortilla chips, they make an ideal salad topper! Crush a couple of and sprinkle on high. Pita chips are naturally one other welcome addition, and people skinny pretzel crisps are good too!!
I like including cooked veggies to my uncooked salads. Try roasting cherry tomatoes and zucchini with olive oil and salt + pepper.
My Salad Recipe (With Sort-of Unusual Ingredients)
My go-to salad as of late, as we transition into fall meals and flavors, is my Fall Harvest Salad Recipe. It’s made with massaged kale as the bottom and topped with roasted butternut squash, crumbled blue cheese, sliced Honeycrisp apple, and crunchy spiced pecans. A maple and apple cider dressing brings all of it collectively. I like the candy and savory flavors!
Ingredients
- Butternut Squash – both one massive complete squash or a bathtub of pre-cubed squash from the grocery retailer
- Kale – a big head, 2 mediums, or a bag of pre-chopped to save lots of time
- Honeycrisp Apple – my favourite, however use no matter you want!
- Spiced Pecans – you can too use plain and toast them
- Blue Cheese – Bleu d’auvergne is my favourite selection (purchase it in a block and crumbled it your self)
- Cinnamon – only a dusting for the squash to roast in
Maple + Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup further virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- salt + pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 levels.
- Wash butternut squash, peel, slice in half, de-seed, and chop into cubes. Use a pre-cubed container for a shortcut.
- Spread cubes of butternut squash out on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle on cinnamon. Massage butternut till properly coated and bake for 30-35 minutes, till fork tender and browning on the edges.
- While squash bakes, wash and dry kale and take away any stems. Chop into small items. Slice apple thinly. Crumble blue cheese.
- To make the dressing, grate garlic clove and mix all elements in a jar and whisk or shake.
- Massage kale with dressing utilizing clear fingers till kale is brilliant inexperienced and softens. Allow to take a seat and marinate at the least 20 minutes.
- Add kale to a big bowl and toss with roasted butternut squash, apple, pecans, and blue cheese.
- Serve as a aspect, a light-weight lunch, or as a base for a meal salad with protein of your alternative on high (i.e. grilled hen breasts, hen salad, hard-boiled eggs).
Find all of the KERF salad recipes right here!
I’ve a bunch of distinctive salad recipes, together with pasta salads, roasted tofu potato salad, an ideal summer season salad recipe, and far more! You gained’t discover any iceberg primarily based salads right here 😉