Blog
Darlene Murphy
5 min read
January 4, 2025
Looking for a delicious way to eat healthy? Discover the best vegetarian salad combinations that balance fresh flavors, wholesome ingredients, and essential nutrients for a satisfying meal. Gone are the days of plain lettuce and tomatoes – 2025 is the year of vegetables that are full of flavors, balanced, and satisfying.
Whether you're a salad newbie or a greens enthusiast, vegetable salads are for everyone. From creamy avocado pairings to tangy citrus surprises, these salads will make your taste buds dance. Ready to turn your bowl into a masterpiece? Let’s dive into the best vegetarian salad combos for a nutritious and delicious meal!
Making a delicious vegetarian salad is all about balance – vegetables, proteins, grains, and healthy fats.
Start off with salad greens like spinach, kale, or arugula, which are rich in vitamins and minerals. You can also add some hearty grains like quinoa or farro. Try chickpeas, black beans, edamame beans, or grilled tofu for protein. A sprinkling of almonds or sunflower seeds can add a healthy crunch to your nutritious salad.
Next is toppings, this is where the magic happens! For an extra layer of fragrance, use fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley along with some sweet and chewy dried cranberries or apricots. Flax or chia seeds can also be added to amplify the salad even more.
For dressings, use light marinades like vinaigrettes, tahini blended with a few spices, nut butter, or a squeezing of citrus. Now you can enjoy your delicious vegetarian salad!
Integrating plant proteins into vegetarian salads is an important step towards making them a complete fulfilling meal. Proteins can provide energy, allow the formation and repair of tissues, and bring density and taste into your salads as well.
Any simple salad can be transformed into a complete dish by adding protein. Some examples:
Pro tip: Try roasting your protein to add depth and flavor.
Using seasonal vegetables is the golden rule for preparing delectable and health-packed vegetarian salads. Seasonal vegetables are exactly what your body needs to fulfill its changing needs throughout the year. They are also locally sourced and fresh making your meals juicy and tasty.
In summer, try salad combinations that are light and fresh, like a strawberry and spinach salad with almonds and balsamic vinaigrette is sweet and nutty. Or a watermelon and arugula salad with feta cheese and a squeeze of lemon is salty, oily, and juicy, all at once.
With the passing of fall and the start of winter, heart-warming ingredients get emphasis. Roasted butternut squash, kale, and pecan are a staple in many Autumn dishes. This winter, don’t forget to try our Harvest Bowl – spinach, roasted squash, avocado, golden raisins, feta, candied walnuts, and tahini dressing.
Grains are among the most important ingredients that are rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates that help you stay full and energetic throughout the day. Vegetarian salads can be transformed into satisfying and well-balanced meals by switching up the grain base.
Grain bowl combinations have unlimited possibilities. For instance, a nutritious salad made of quinoa, roasted vegetables, and a touch of tahini dressing is both delicious and satisfying, together with some slices of avocado. All in all, aside from satisfying one’s hunger, grain-based bowls serve as an excellent platform for building up flavors, colors, and nutrients that combine to form a mouthwatering plant-based meal!
Salad toppings are the ultimate game changer when it comes to making your salad bowl versatile. They make an ordinary bowl of greens into a wholesome dish that you look forward to eating.
For a crunchy texture, add roasted sunflower, pumpkin seeds, crispy chickpeas or homemade croutons. They are also rich in fiber and essential fats. Fresh fruits, sunset dried cranberries, dried raisins or sliced apples, berries, or orange segments can make your salads a little sweet and endearing. They can also balance out the bitterness in leafy greens like kale and spinach.
A delicious salad balances flavors. Ingredients such as feta cheese and spiced nuts go well when added together with balsamic vinaigrette and citrus blends – a sweet and tangy dressing. This adds up a good contrast and ensures every bite is exciting. Being intentional with your salad toppings and dressings, you can make your vegetarian salads flavorful.
Habits are easier to build when you enjoy actually doing them. If eating a vegetarian salad once a day is a habit you wish to build, mastering the art of switching them up with different toppings and dressings is the way to go.
If you lead a busy, on-the-go life like most of us, pre-packaged healthy vegetarian salad comes in handy. If you are in Wisconsin or Illinois, stop by Forage Kitchen. You can take your pick from our diverse vegetarian menu or even make your own salad. This way every meal is a tailored one catering to your taste and nutrition needs giving you the perfect meal for the healthy person you are.
We source all our ingredients from local vendors like Flynn Creek Farm and are committed to providing you with the absolute best. So why don’t you get your next lunch from us? Order now!
Darlene is the co-owner of Forage and an expert in restaurant and food marketing, brand development, and public relations for small businesses. She specializes in creating compelling marketing materials, including ad copy, websites, and catalogs, to help brands connect with their audience.
