Salads
Seared Scallop Salad with Bacon Crisps and Mango Salsa
I made this for lunch and surprised myself with how good it was and how fancypants it looked. I didn’t have much on hand and had no plan when I started out, but I did have some left over mango salsa (as a topping for a seared tuna with poppyseed crust a few days ago) and I did have some scallops. I am in love with elegant salads!
Here is a little video on how to get beautiful seared scallops with a lovely brown crust.
Ingredients
- 200 grams scallops (which was 11 small scallops for me)
- 1 Tablespoon butter or ghee to pan sear the scallops in
- 4 thin pieces of bacon, cooked crispy and then crumbled
- salad greens of choice, about 2 cups per person
- 2 Tablespoons of Mango Salsa (or more if you want) per person
- Water cress, cilantro or some other sprouts to garnish (optional)
- 1 ripe mango, diced
- 1 spring onion, chopped
- Cilantro, chopped (about a handful or 1/4 cup)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- Juice of one lime
Instructions
- Pat your scallops dry and lightly sprinkle with salt before searing. Sear your scallops in the butter or ghee until golden brown (see video above for technique).
- Place the scallops on top of a plate of salad greens.
- Sprinkle the crispy bacon crumbles over the top.
- Mix all of the dressing ingredients together and then spoon it over the top.
- Garnish with water cress, cilantro or sprouts.
Paleo Purple Salad
I regularly get together for lunch with my friend, Julie, and we often have some sort of variation on this salad. I love it and could probably eat it every day. It’s really easy to change this salad around by adding in whatever protein you want. You can also use any kind of nuts or seeds and whatever fruit you like.
Here’s how I made it this time (probably my favorite way):
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of purple cabbage, cut into strips (shredded)
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 green apple, diced
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans
- 2 ounces (60 grams) feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
- Prosciutto (cooked into crispy chips)
- Water cress to garnish
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon grainy mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- To make the crispy Prosciutto chips, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out your pieces of thinly sliced Prosciutto. I used 2 pieces per person. Place in a preheated 350 F (175 C) and cook for 10-15 minutes.
- While that's cooking, slice up your cabbage, apple and onion and toss in a large salad bowl.
- Add on the toasted pecans (toasted in a skillet on the stove top until browned and fragrant) and the crumbled feta (optional if you tolerate dairy otherwise leave it out).
- Mix all of the dressing ingredients together with a small whisk (or put them in a jar and shake the bejeezus out of it).
- Pour the dressing (I used about 3/4 of total amount) over the salad and toss to mix well.
- Garnish the salad with the Prosciutto chips and water cress.
Notes
Fruit ideas: slices of orange or grapefruit, black berries, blueberries, raspberries, watermelon, nectarine slices You could also add in salad greens, spinach, kale or rucola
Paleo Asian Slaw with Creamy Ginger Almond Dressing
I love Asian flavors and I love salads. Mix the two together and it’s going to be epic. I used the vegetables that I had on hand and tweaked an old recipe for an Asian peanut dressing. It turned out delicious. We served this with grilled steak, but it would work well as a side dish to just about anything.
It looks like a lot of chopping, but it really doesn’t take long
The dressing is awesome
Plated up for as a meal or a side dish
Ingredients
- Half of a head of cabbage (about 4-5 cups) shredded
- 3 cups of shredded greens (I used Swiss chard, you could also use spinach, Romaine lettuce or kale)
- Half of a peeled kohlrabi, sliced into match sticks
- 2 carrots, grated
- 1 stalk of celery, finely diced
- 2 green spring onions, diced
- 1/4-1/2 cup chopped almonds (or nut of choice)
- 1/4 cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 Tablespoon tamari sauce or coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon of fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic minced
Instructions
- For the salad part, just chop everything as directed in the ingredients list and put it all together in a big bowl.
- For the dressing, put all ingredients together in a small bowl or dressing container and mix well.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat.
Hot Fig Appetizer
I’ve made this as a cold appetizer in the past, but this time around I made it hot and served it as a side salad. It was super delicious and now I can’t decide if I like it better hot or cold.
Simple ingredients
Hot Fig
Ingredients
- 4 fresh figs
- Prosciutto, one slice per fig
- Fresh goat cheese (or cheese of your choice, or leave it off if you don’t do any dairy)
- Fresh salad greens, I used rucola
- Balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Start at the top pointy end of your figs and cut a cross in them. Cut about half way down and then grab the fig and squeeze it a bit to get the cross to open.
- Wrap a piece of Prosciutto around the base of the fig.
- Place a small chunk of goats cheese into the opening that was made by cutting the cross in the fig.
- Place on a baking sheet and broil for about 5 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown.
Ready for the oven
- Place on a bed of greens and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
Ingredients
- 4 fresh figs
- Prosciutto, one slice per fig
- Fresh goat cheese (or cheese of your choice, or leave it off if you don't do any dairy)
- Fresh salad greens, I used rucola
- Balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Start at the top pointy end of your figs and cut a cross in them. Cut about half way down and then grab the fig and squeeze it a bit to get the cross to open.
- Wrap a piece of Prosciutto around the base of the fig.
- Place a small chunk of goats cheese into the opening that was made by cutting the cross in the fig.
- Place on a baking sheet and broil for about 5 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown.
- Place on a bed of greens and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
Red Cabbage and Fig Salad
Fresh figs have been in the stores for the last few weeks and I figured I’d use them in my cooking while I can since it will be a whole year before I see them again. We grilled up a pork loin for dinner and had this salad along with some roasted cauliflower for a delicious fall meal.
If you are bored while you are looking at this, you can play “Find Lisa”. I don’t have any fun photshopping software so I couldn’t erase myself from the reflection in the spoon 🙂
Perfect Fall salad
If it’s not fig season where you are, I think this cabbage salad would also be good with another fruit like sliced/diced apples or pears. You could also sprinkle some chopped dried figs if that’s all you have available.
Here is another recipe for a salad with red cabbage (it’s my all-time favorite) and you can look here, here, and here for other recipes using figs.
Love the colors in this salad
Ingredients
- Red cabbage, half a head, cored and sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 60 ml (about 1/4 cup) white balsamic vinegar*
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- Fresh ground pepper
- 2 fresh figs, cut into quarters
- Optional: handful of chopped walnuts and fresh oregano leaves to garnish
- *You could use apple cider vinegar if you don’t have white balsamic
Instructions
- Cut the head of cabbage into quarters and remove the white center core. Save 2 of the quarters for another salad or use them and double the recipe to serve 4-6 people.
- Slice the cabbage into thin strips and put in a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and then massage the cabbage (rub around with your hands…yes, they will get a bit purple!). This causes the cabbage to soften and release some of it’s water content. Set aside.
- Heat 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and cook the diced onion until translucent.
- Add in the balsamic vinegar and dried oregano and cook until the vinegar reduces down (about 5 minutes).
- Remove from heat and add in the honey and a few grinds of fresh pepper.
- Add the onion mixture to the cabbage and toss well. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
- Remove to a serving platter and garnish with the quartered figs and walnuts.
Red cabbage and figs
Ingredients
- Red cabbage, half a head, cored and sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 60 ml (about 1/4 cup) white balsamic vinegar*
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- Fresh ground pepper
- 2 fresh figs, cut into quarters
- Optional: handful of chopped walnuts and fresh oregano leaves to garnish
- *You could use apple cider vinegar if you don't have white balsamic
Instructions
- Cut the head of cabbage into quarters and remove the white center core. Save 2 of the quarters for another salad or use them and double the recipe to serve 4-6 people.
- Slice the cabbage into thin strips and put in a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and then massage the cabbage (rub around with your hands...yes, they will get a bit purple!). This causes the cabbage to soften and release some of it's water content. Set aside.
- Heat 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and cook the diced onion until translucent.
- Add in the balsamic vinegar and dried oregano and cook until the vinegar reduces down (about 5 minutes).
- Remove from heat and add in the honey and a few grinds of fresh pepper.
- Add the onion mixture to the cabbage and toss well. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
- Remove to a serving platter and garnish with the quartered figs and walnuts.
Curried Broccoli Salad
My husband said I should call this ‘Satay Salad’ because the sauce tastes like the peanut satay sauce that goes with chicken. I’m pretty sure I’ll tweek it in a few days to make satay because now that he mentioned it, I’m craving it. This is super adaptable and you could add in anything you wanted. I tossed in some pumpkin seeds, but it would also be delicious with cashew nuts. I think it would be really good with a handful of raisins thrown in, which I probably would have done if I had had any on hand. I almost ran out to get some raisins, but then I would have had a bunch of leftover raisins after making the salad. Leftover, lonely raisins means I would have had to make cookies. And then I would have to eat those cookies. Nope, buying raisins is not a good idea 🙂
Easy nutrient dense salad
Ingredients
- 1 medium to large head of raw broccoli, chopped
- 1/4-1/2 cup grated carrots
- 1/4 cup seeds/nuts of your choice (I used pumpkin seeds)
Simple ingredients
For the Sauce
- 1/4 cup almond butter (or nut/seed butter of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 Tablespoon mild yellow curry powder
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Putting it together
- Mix all ingredients for the sauce together in a bowl until smooth. It should be a thick sauce (not too runny) but you can adjust the thickness by adjusting the amount of coconut milk you add in.
- Throw the chopped broccoli, grated carrots and any nuts and raisins (optional add-in) in a bowl together.
- Pour sauce over the broccoli and toss to coat.
- Refrigerate for awhile before serving.
Goes with anything
Ingredients
- 1 medium to large head of raw broccoli, chopped
- 1/4-1/2 cup grated carrots
- 1/4 cup seeds/nuts of your choice (I used pumpkin seeds)
- 1/4 cup almond butter (or nut/seed butter of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 Tablespoon mild yellow curry powder
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients for the sauce together in a bowl until smooth. It should be a thick sauce (not too runny) but you can adjust the thickness by adjusting the amount of coconut milk you add in.
- Throw the chopped broccoli, grated carrots and any nuts and raisins (optional add-in) in a bowl together.
- Pour sauce over the broccoli and toss to coat.
- Refrigerate for awhile before serving.
Notes
You could substitute the pumpkin seeds with any nut or seed you like. It would be delicious to add in a handful of raisins.
Green Chili Coriander Sauce (salad dressing)
I made this sauce as a dipping sauce to along with some delicious Cajun fried chicken the other day. The chicken was so good by itself that I didn’t end up using much of this sauce. I did, however, pour it over a salad as a dressing the next day for a lunch. I still had some left, so I poured it over a nice, big, juicy steak. YUM!
Use as a dip, salad dressing or sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 small red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 small green chili pepper, roughly chopped (remove the seeds if you don’t want it too spicy)
- 1/2 cup fresh coriander (leaves and stems)
- 1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley (leaves and stems)
- juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/8 cup of olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
What to do
Toss everything into a food processor and whiz until well mixed.
Whiz away!
Ingredients
- 1/2 small red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 small green chili pepper, roughly chopped (remove the seeds if you don't want it too spicy)
- 1/2 cup fresh coriander (leaves and stems)
- 1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley (leaves and stems)
- juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/8 cup of olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
Instructions
- Toss everything into a food processor and whiz until well mixed.
Notes
Serve over salad or as a dipping side sauce for meat or eggs
Avocado Mango and Rucola Summer Salad
I’m on a big kick to get more fresh green stuff into my body to keep my little gut bacteria happy (read about that here and here). I already eat a lot of vegetables, but I’m trying to include even more. I’m branching out in the salad department these days. I’ve decided that the more creative you get with what you put in it, the better it is. Mixing fruit, greens, vegetables and nuts all together works beautifully. Sometimes, your salad doesn’t even have to be green at all, like one of my favorites Fennel and Orange Salad.
I’ve made this salad twice now. Once, like this recipe with the dressing outlined below, and once with Green Chili and Coriander Dressing. Both were delicious. The second time around I also added in radish sprouts and roasted chopped almonds.
Summer salad
Ingredients
- Rucola (arugula, rocket) salad greens, as much as you need for the size salad you are making
- 1 mango, peeled and sliced
- 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
- 1 red onion, sliced
Simple ingredients
For the Spicy Orange Dressing
- 1 Tablespoon white balsamic vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- Juice and zest of half an orange
- Juice from half a lime
- 4 Tablespoons of olive, avocado, macadamia nut or walnut oil
- 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 red chili, finely chopped (could sub dry chili flakes)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Get ready to shake
What to do
For the salad:
- Arrange your greens in a bowl or on a salad serving platter.
- Lay on slices of avocado and mango.
- Top with sliced red onion (and anything else you want to add).
- Pour desired amount of dressing over the salad and enjoy!
For the dressing:
Put everything into a jar together and shake well (bonus points if you dance around the kitchen while shaking)
Now all you need is a side of protein
Ingredients
- Rucola (arugula, rocket) salad greens, as much as you need for the size salad you are making
- 1 mango, peeled and sliced
- 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 Tablespoon white balsamic vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- Juice and zest of half an orange
- Juice from half a lime
- 4 Tablespoons of olive, avocado, macadamia nut or walnut oil
- 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 red chili, finely chopped (could sub dry chili flakes)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Arrange your greens in a bowl or on a salad serving platter.
- Lay on slices of avocado and mango.
- Top with sliced red onion (and anything else you want to add).
- Pour desired amount of dressing over the salad and enjoy!
- Put everything into a jar together and shake well (bonus points if you dance around the kitchen while shaking)
Fennel and Orange Salad
For most of my life, salad meant iceberg lettuce, tomato, croutons, cheese and ranch dressing. Sad, but true. I still like iceberg (although I rarely eat it), but now I eat all kinds of salad greens. Who said salad had to be green? One of my favorite salads is this one that my friend Julie taught me how to make. Eating paleo and blogging about food has opened my eyes to all kinds of new salads. I saw something similar to this recipe on food buzz not too long ago and decided to give it a try.
I wasn’t sure how the raw fennel would taste. We eat it all the time sauteed or roasted, but we’ve never used it raw before. My husband used to hate fennel, but he’s come around since going paleo, and his tastes have changed. We both decided that the taste is milder when it’s not cooked and it paired really well with the orange.
Beautiful ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 blood oranges
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1/4 cup pistachio nuts, chopped
- a few sprigs of fresh mint
- juice of half a lemon
- olive oil for drizzling
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Peel the blood oranges and slice them into rounds.
- Cut the frond end of the fennel bulb off and discard. Then slice the fennel into slices that are about 1/4″ thick.
- Arrange the fennel on the plate first and then layer the orange slices on top.
- Squeeze the lemon juice over the top of everything and drizzle on the amount of olive oil that suits your taste.
- Add a few grinds of salt.
- Sprinkle the pistachio nuts over the top and garnish with fresh mint leaves.
Gorgeous salad
The Verdict
We both really liked this salad. It was crisp and refreshing and the flavors went well together. We served it with roast pork tenderloin and grilled asparagus for a perfect meal.
Green Chicken Salad
I usually cook enough at dinner to have left overs to take to work the next day. Last night we made our paleo pizza and, ummm…there were no left overs. Good thing I am on vacation this week and can cook up a quick and delicious lunch. This was so good that I’ll be making it more often.
Ingredients
Just a few ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1/2 of an avocado
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- 1-2 Tablespoons of mayo or full fat plain Greek yogurt
- salt and pepper to taste
What to do
- Brown and cook your chicken breasts.
Cooked chicken breast
- Chop your spring onions.
- Shred your cooked chicken with a fork.
Shred the chicken
- Put the shredded chicken and onions in a bowl.
- Scoop out your avocado into the bowl.
I love avocado
- Add your mayo or yogurt.
- Mash it all together with a fork.
Mash it all together in a bowl
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Chill and serve over lettuce.
Lunch is served!
Featured On
Follow Us!
