I wish I were health-conscious, but sadly that’s not the case. I enjoy a drink every other day and rajma chawal is my absolute bae. But like every one of us, I do feel terrible after a binge weekend. Monday mornings are usually fuelled by guilt! It’s amazing how every single time I promise my body to take better care of it, I end up neglecting it even more. This year, I’ve decided to put an end to making excuses and the first step towards that is eating healthy, at least on a few days of the week. If I know I have a big Saturday night scene, I usually stick to salads for lunch over the weekend. And the best part? I’ve actually come to love salads! So here goes my tried and tested recipes that you must try.
Greek Salad
The recipe for this one’s probably the easiest to make. It requires no exotic ingredients and the dressing is also pretty basic.
What you need:
– 2 large tomatoes, diced and chopped
– 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
– 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
– 1 red onion, chopped
– 1 large cucumber, quartered
– 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
– Pitted black olives
Dressing:
– Juice of one lemon
– 2 tablespoons olive oil
– 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
– 1 teaspoon dried oregano
– Salt and pepper to taste
How to make:
1. In a salad bowl, mix all the veggies together.
2. Mix all the ingredients of the dressing and let it sit for a couple of minutes before pouring over the veggies.
3. Toss and serve!
Note: You can add feta cheese in the salad, however, I try and avoid it.
2. Raw Papaya Salad
After I tried the Raw Papaya salad at Comorin, New Delhi, I knew I had to try making it at home. A quick call to my sister and I had the perfect recipe for the refreshing salad.
What you need:
– 1 large raw papaya
– One cup cherry tomatoes, halved
– A handful of roasted peanuts
– 1 tablespoon mint leaves, chopped
Dressing:
– 3 tablespoons Thai sweet chilli sauce. Buy here.
– Juice of one lemon
– Salt and pepper to taste
How to make:
1. Slice the raw papaya using a slicer. The thinner you slice, the better.
2. Add to it the halved cherry tomatoes, roasted peanuts and mint.
3. Mix the dressing, let it settle for a couple of minutes and then add to the salad. Serve chilled!
3. Couscous Salad
I’m extremely choosy about my food and my best friend had to literally force me to try couscous. Big hugs to her ‘cuz this warm Mediterranean salad is my current fave!
What you need:
– 1 cup couscous
– ½ cup boiled chickpeas
– 1 small broccoli, chopped
– 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
– 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
– 1 red onion, chopped
– A handful of sundried tomatoes
– 1 clove garlic, minced
– 1 tablespoon olive oil
– Salt and pepper to taste
How to make:
1. Take one cup couscous and add 2 cups of boiling water to it. Cover and let it sit for 5-10 mins. You can add a few drops of olive oil to this to make sure it doesn’t stick.
2. Pour the olive oil in a pan and saute the garlic until it is brown. Now add the broccoli, bell peppers and onions and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Do not cover.
3. Add salt and pepper according to your preference. I sometimes even add a teaspoon of red chilli sauce for added flavour.
4. In a bowl, mix the cooked couscous, the sauteed veggies, chickpeas and sundried tomatoes.
4. Fattoush Salad
On a recent trip to Dubai, the one thing I had every single day was the fatoush salad. Of course, I had to try it after I was back.
What you need:
– 1 large head of romaine lettuce, chopped
– 2 large tomatoes, diced and chopped
– 1 large cucumber, quartered
– 1 green bell pepper, chopped
– 2 radishes, thinly sliced
– 2 green onions/scallions, chopped
– 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
– ½ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
– 1 packet pita chips
Dressing:
– 3 tablespoon olive oil
– Juice of one large lemon
– 2 garlic cloves, minced
– 1 teaspoon sumac. Buy here.
– 1 teaspoon balsamic glaze. Buy here.
– ½ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
– ½ teaspoon allspice, or according to taste. Buy here.
– Salt and pepper to taste
How to make:
1. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing and keep it aside for a couple of minutes.
2. In a bowl, add all the salad veggies.
3. Pour the dressing, give it a nice toss and let it sit for a few minutes.
4. Add the pita chips and dig in!
Three bean salad
Want something more filling? Try the three bean salad that’s super easy to make.
What you need:
– 1 cup boiled chickpeas
– 1 cup boiled kidney beans
– 1 cup boiled black eyed peas
– ½ cup sprouts
– 1 onion, chopped
– ½ cup of parsley and rosemary, chopped
Dressing:
– Juice of one lemon
– 2 tablespoons olive oil
– 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (optional)
– Salt and pepper to taste
How to make:
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. You can add bell peppers and tomatoes if you like, but I avoid it. It just makes the salad a whole lot heavier.
2. Pour the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and you’re done!
3. Add salt and pepper and there you have it, an easy-(pea)sy salad.
Now wasn’t that easy? Which one of these recipes are you going to try?
