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2.22.16

From Lentils To Squash: 10 Salad Recipes That Aren’t Boring

found yourself in a salad recipe rut lately? Nothing’s wrong with getting in those greens! Sometimes, however, those creative juices just aren’t flowing. If there’s any area where we could all use some inspo, it’s while staring into a pile of fresh produce.

We’re here to help – we’ve rounded up our top 10 favorite salad recipes as featured here on TCM, one for every craving, mood, and season. Pick from sprouts to legumes, zucchini to kelp noodles – these creations are anything but boring…

10 Salad Recipes That Aren’t Boring

The winter salad: Kabocha squash salad with quinoa and kale |
We’re crazy about our winter squash in any shape or form and love it when a dish highlights kabocha, butternut, and our other winter favorites. This hearty, heartwarming salad served over a bed of kale and quinoa and served with an apple cider vinaigrette is just what we’re craving when the temperature dips.

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The legume salad: Crispy chickpea salad with yogurt and tahini |
Try this refreshing deconstructed falafel salad – chickpeas add a punch of protein, extra texture, and subtle flavor that can turn even the most carnivorous of meat-eaters onto the powers of plant-based food. Paired with the slew of fresh herbs, bright pickles and creamy tahini, this salad is all about layering textures and flavors.

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The mostly fruit salad: Fruit and herb summer salad |
This delicious fruit and herb salad can be adjusted for different flavor profiles with the basic formula of fruit, crunchy vegetables, soft cheese, fresh herbs and greens, all topped with a lime and serrano pepper salad dressing. Pick from your favorite seasonal fruits like watermelon, oranges and mango and pair with crunchy cucumbers and jicama and bright flavored herbs and spicy peppers. This salad will forever change your idea of a typical “fruit” salad.

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The chicken salad: Paleo chicken salad with avocados and herbs |
Loaded with cleansing herbs, alkalizing lemon juice, detoxifying and fiber-rich savoy cabbage, and skin-moisturizing olive oil and avocado, this paleo chicken salad recipe by celeb chef and Paleo pro Pete Evans is so incredibly good you’ll never miss the mayo. It’s the perfect salad for Spring and Summer.

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The sprouted grain salad: Bowl and Spoon’s summer quinoa salad |
If we include greens in a bowl, it’s a salad, right? There’s just something so comforting about eating out of a bowl and this light blend mixes all of our summer favorites, from quinoa, roasted tomatoes, corn, kale, cilantro and a buttermilk dijon dressing, it’s a new healthier take on our favorite cobb salad.

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The un-pasta salad: Raw zucchini ribbon salad |
If you don’t already own one, drop what you’re doing and buy yourself a Japanese spiralizer. Throw in a zucchini, whirl it around, and welcome yourself into a whole new world: pasta made from raw veggies. With endless possibilities we’ve chosen to keep this salad simple and toss larger zucchini ribbons into a light salad with arugula, basil, walnuts, goat cheese, cranberries and a delicious stoneground dijon and maple syrup-sweetened dressing.

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The sprout salad: Super sprout salad with tahini dressing
We love everything about this salad – from the concept of consuming live, germinated foods rich in phytonutrients, enzymes, protein content, their texture, to the ease of digestion and the perfect flavor pairings of fresh cumin, cilantro and a creamy tahini dressing.

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The kale salad: Spicy kale salad two ways |
This roasted cauliflower and kale salad combo is the perfect training tool to get us to think outside the box and create inspiring mixes from what we have laying around in the fridge.

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The kelp noodle salad: Spicy ginger kelp noodle salad |
Like zucchini noodles, kelp noodles are a great twist to a classic dish, adding a low-cal, cleansing and super healthy ingredient. The addition of warming spices like garlic, hot peppers, shallots and ginger, gives the dish the illusion of being warm without the stove. Serve up this flavorful dish anytime of year.

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The arugula salad: Burrata, nectarine, and arugula salad with sesame seed candy |
Can we just say, yum! This salad is versatile enough to vary the ingredients based on the season – in summer make with fresh nectarines or peaches, in fall with figs and persimmons, in winter use blood oranges or grapes. The burrata, sesame seed candy and sweet balsamic vinaigrette are the constant to this beautiful drool-worthy salad.

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