Top 10 Healthy Vegetarian Salad Recipes

Vegetarians are often found complaining about lesser food choices. If you tell them to try salads, they give you an incredulous look. For the uninitiated, salads are just raw veggies tossed together. But salads are much more than that.

You can give your body a dose of power packed nutrition with some fabulous healthy vegetarian salad recipes. Each of the recipes mentioned below, is tasty on its own and brings to you a confluence of flavors. Veggies, fruits, whole grains, herbs, and lentils – mixed and matched and dressed in some simple, yet healthy dressings!

Top 10 Healthy Vegetarian Salad Recipes:

1. Green Gram and Tomato Salad:

Made with whole green gram and lots of vegetables, this protein rich salad makes a whole meal on its own. Spice it up with freshly crushed paprika flakes and black pepper to boost your metabolism levels.

Ingredients:

• Whole green gram – ¼ cup, soaked overnight
• Tomato – ½ cup, cubed
• Green bell pepper – ¼ cup, cut into small cubes
• Onions – ¼ cup, finely chopped

Coriander leaves – 1 tsp, finely minced

Dressing:

• Lemon juice – freshly squeezed from one lemon
• Black pepper powder – ½ tsp, freshly ground
• Red paprika flakes – to taste
• Salt – to taste

Method:

1. Clean soaked green gram. Place a large pan on medium heat, add green gram and water, just to cover it. Cook on medium flame until the lentil are half cooked. Drain excess water and keep aside.
2. In a small mixing bowl, add all the dressing ingredients. Using a wire whisk, stir until all the ingredients are incorporated well.
3. In a small serving dish, add onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Toss well. Add cooked gram and give a quick toss.
4. Spoon in the dressing and using a flat spoon, give a quick mix.
5. Adjust the seasoning and toss in the coriander leaves.
6. Serve immediately.

2. Sweet Corn and Bell Pepper Salad:

This crunchy, sweet salad makes a perfect side dish and is ideal for your summer picnic. It is a treat for the eyes as well as the palette.

Ingredients:

• Frozen sweet corn kernels – 1 cup
• Red bell pepper – 1, small, finely chopped
• Yellow bell pepper – 1, small, finely chopped
• Green bell pepper – 1, small, finely chopped
• Onion – 1, small, finely sliced
• Coriander leaves – ¼ cup, finely minced

Dressing:

• Olive oil – ½ tsp
• Lemon juice – ½ tsp
• Black pepper powder – to taste
• Salt – to taste

Method:

1. Thaw sweet corn, add to boiling water, and cook for about 5 minutes.
2. Transfer to a strainer, drain, and keep aside.
3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk in all the dressing ingredients to form a smooth mixture.
4. In a large mixing bowl, add the three peppers, onions, and corn.
5. Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss for even coating.
6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve immediately.

3. Apple Pomegranate Salad with Spicy Honey Dressing:

The salad is not only healthy, but is also packs a punch of flavor that’s sure to jolt your taste buds. The dressing gives the salad a whole new appeal with its contrasting spicy and sweet notes.

Ingredients:

• Pomegranate seeds – ¼ cup
• Apples – 1, medium sized, peeled, cored
• Lettuce leaves – 2 cups, shredded
• Cottage cheese – 2 tsp, finely grated

Dressing:

• Honey – ½ tbsp
• Chili vinegar – ¼ cup
• Olive oil – 1 tbsp
• Salt – to taste
• Cracked black pepper – to taste

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients of the dressing, whisk well using a wire whisk, and refrigerate until use.
2. In a large bowl, add lettuce leaves, apples, and pomegranate. Toss well.
3. Spoon in the refrigerated dressing over the salad mixture and toss to ensure even coating.
4. Transfer to a serving plate, garnish with grated cottage cheese and serve.

4. Three Pepper Pasta Salad:

This recipe includes whole wheat penne pasta, that makes it healthy as well as delicious. Roasted peppers are seasoned and flavored with assorted herbs and spices, including thyme, basil, and crushed garlic. It is then tossed along with cooked pasta and dressed up with a garlic mayonnaise dressing. While it makes a great side dish, it doubles up as a whole meal too.

Ingredients:

• Red bell pepper – 1/4, julienned
• Yellow bell pepper – 1/4, julienned
• Green bell pepper – 1/4, julienned
• Penne pasta – 1/4 cup, uncooked
• Low fat cheese – 1 tbsp, crumbed
• Spice mix [thyme, basil, oregano, red paprika, garlic] – to taste
• Red chili flakes – to taste
• Salt – to taste
• Olive oil – enough for roasting bell peppers

Dressing:

• Vinegar – 2 tsp [Plain or balsamic]
• Garlic – 5 pods
• Olive oil – 2 tsp
• Crushed black pepper – 1/8 tsp
• Salt – to taste

Method:

1. Cook pasta in boiling water along with ½ tsp olive and a little salt al dente. This will take about 8 minutes.
2. Simultaneously, add 1 tsp olive oil to a shallow frying pan, add bell pepper juliennes, and allow them to get roasted. Keep stirring, every now and then. Alternatively, you can sprinkle a little olive oil on bell pepper juliennes arranged on a baking sheet and grill them at 200 ⁰C until roasted. Season with pasta seasoning, red chili flakes, and a little salt.
3. Add garlic cloves and olive oil to a mixer and blend to form a creamy, smooth paste.
4. Add vinegar to the garlic dressing and season with black pepper and salt as desired. Keep aside.
5. Add roasted peppers and cooked pasta to a mixing bowl, spoon in garlic mayonnaise and toss for even coating.
6. Arrange mixed greens on a serving plate, transfer salad to the serving plate, garnish with crumbled cheese and serve immediately.

5. Zucchini Squash Salad: 

This is a protein and fiber packed recipe which gets its flavor from the marinade.

Ingredients:

• Zucchini – ¾
• Yellow squash – ½
• Partially skimmed mozzarella cheese – ¾ oz, crumbled

Marinade:

• Vinegar – 1/8 cups
• Sugar – 1 tsp
• Salt – to taste

Dressing:

• Garlic – 1 clove
• Lemon juice – 1 tsp
• Olive oil – 1 tsp
• Crushed basil leaves – 1 tsp
• Salt – to taste

Method:

1. Clean and trim squash and zucchini.
2. Cut into juliennes and keep aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add the marinade ingredients. With a spoon, mix the ingredients to blend well.
4. Add vegetable juliennes to the marinade and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes or preferably overnight.
5. Process garlic, basil leaves, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt in a blender to form a smooth paste.
6. Take out marinated veggies from the refrigerator, spoon in the garlic dressing, and toss well.
7. Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle cheese, and serve.

6. Banana Orange Salad:

This fiber rich fruity salad is a great way to beat the summer heat. Rich with calcium, potassium, and vitamin C, this salad can be prepare well ahead of time and served alongside a simple vegetable soup and crackers.

Ingredients:

• Orange – 1/2, peeled, sliced
• Banana – 1, medium, sliced
• Almond flakes – 1 tsp
• Honey – 1 tsp

Dressing:

• Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
• Honey – 1 tbsp
• Black pepper powder – to taste

Method:

1. Whisk lemon juice with honey and pepper powder to make a smooth dressing.
2. Soak orange slices in 1 tsp honey and refrigerate for about 90 minutes.
3. Take out, toss with banana slices.
4. Spoon in the dressing atop the fruit mixture, toss well.
5. Transfer to a serving plate lined with mixed salad greens.
6. Scatter almond flakes atop salad and serve immediately.

7. Grilled Potato Salad:

Baby potatoes, marinated in a spicy low fat yogurt marinade and grilled to perfection. Dress up with a garlic mayonnaise and flavor with Cajun spices for the ultimate salad experience.

Ingredients:

• Baby potatoes – 10 to 12
• Green bell pepper – ½, julienned
• Onions – 1, medium, thinly sliced

Marinade:

• Low fat curd – 2 to 3 tbsp
• Red chili flakes – 2 tsp
• Coriander powder – ½ tsp
• Chaat masala – ½ tsp

Dressing:

• Garlic – 8 medium sized cloves
• Olive oil – 1 tbsp
• Cajun spice mix – 1 tsp

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degree Celsius for 10 minutes.
2. Par boil potatoes, peel the skin, and prick using a fork.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk all the ingredients of the marinade together.
4. Add pricked potatoes, onions, and bell peppers to the marinade and allow to stand for 30 to 45 minutes so that potatoes will absorb the flavors.
5. On a baking sheet, sprinkle a few drops of olive oil.
6. On a skewer, arrange potatoes, peppers, and onions in alternating fashion. Place on the baking sheet, and grill until potatoes are done. Keep turning the skewers to avoid burning. This will take about 20 minutes.
7. Process garlic with olive oil in a blender to make a smooth paste. Keep aside.
8. Arrange the grilled veggies in a small bowl, spoon the dressing over the veggies, and toss well to combine.
9. Sprinkle Cajun spices, and give a quick toss.
10. Serve hot alongside crackers.

8. Broken Wheat Fruit Salad:

This colorful, virtually fat free salad is refreshing to your eyes and palette. You can put this together in no time. Plus, it doubles up as a complete meal option.

Ingredients:

• Broken wheat – 1/4 cup, uncooked
• Pomegranate seeds – 1 cup
• Orange – 1, medium, peeled, sliced
•  Pineapple – 1/2 cup, diced
• White sesame seeds – ½ tsp, roasted

Dressing:

• Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
• Mint leaves – 1 tbsp
• Fresh ginger – ½ inch piece
• Honey – 1 tbsp
• Black pepper – to taste
• Salt – to taste

Method:

1. Cook broken wheat in water until done, but each grain should be separate.
2. Prepare the dressing by blending all the ingredients to a smooth paste. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
3. Toss pineapple, orange, and pomegranate seeds in the dressing.
4. Add cooked broken wheat, and give a quick toss.
5. Spoon into a salad plate lined with lettuce greens, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds, and serve.

9. Kosambari:

This delicious healthy vegetable salad from the South India is quite impressive, in terms of preparation and taste.

Ingredients:

• Split green gram [Moong dal] – ¼ cups
• Carrot – 1, medium, peeled, finely grated
• Green chilies – 2, ground to a smooth paste
• Coconut – 2 tbsp, finely grated
• Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
• Lemon juice – freshly squeezed from ½ a lemon
• Salt – to taste

Tempering:

• Mustard sees – ½ tsp
• De-skinned split black gram – ½ tsp
• Curry leaves – 5, washed, shredded
• Oil – for tempering
• Asafetida – a pinch

Method:

1. Wash split green gram thoroughly and soak in water for about 60 minutes.
2. Transfer to a strainer and allow excess water to be drained off completely.
3. Take a large mixing bowl. Add strained lentils along with carrots, coriander leaves, and coconut.
4. Just before serving, add salt, lemon juice, and green chili paste. Toss well.
5. Keep a shallow frying pan on medium heat, add oil.
6. Add mustard seeds to hot oil and allow to crackle.
7. Add black gram and fry until it turns deep brown.
8. Add curry leaves, switch off the flame, and add asafetida. Give a quick stir.
9. Pour over the split green gram mixture and toss well. Adjust the seasoning.
10. Serve alongside the meal or as a snack.

10. Fruit Salad with Yogurt Dressing:

Beat the heat this scorching summer with this delicious, cool fruit salad drenched in yogurt dressing. Add a sprinkle of chaat masala to bring a twist to the flavor.

Ingredients:

• Seedless green grapes – ½ cup
• Pomegranate seeds – ¼ cup
• Watermelon – ¼ cup, cubed
• Pineapple – ¼ cup, cubed
• Musk melon – ¼ cup, cubed
• Flax seeds – 2 tbsp
• Mint leaves – 3
• Honey – 1 tbsp

Dressing:

• Yogurt or non-sour low fat curd – 2 tbsp
• Honey – 1 tbsp
• Cracked black pepper – to taste

Method:

1. Toss the fruits in 1 tbsp honey and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to chill.
2. Add the dressing ingredients to a mixer and process to form a smooth mixture.
3. Add dressing to chilled mixture and toss well.
4. Sprinkle flax seeds atop the salad, garnish with mint leaves, and serve immediately.

 

These amazing healthy vegetable salad recipes will not only give you all the nutrition you need but will also give a wide range of flavors to enjoy and relish! You can no longer complain about lack of variety!

Try these healthy veg salad recipes and share your feedback.

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