Salads are more than just an appetizer or a side dish. With a mix of vibrant and hearty ingredients, you can easily turn salads into main meals in a flash. Here, we have rounded up four seriously simple, healthy and filling dinner salads that you will be happy to eat for dinner. It doesn’t take long to make – perfect for a speedy supper any night of the week.
1. Lime shrimp & avocado salad
Ingredients:
1 lime
1 avocado
1 red grapefruit
10 peeled deveined shrimps
½ tbsp. chopped peeled fresh ginger
½ tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. extra virgin olive oil
½ freshly ground black pepper
1 head butter lettuce
A handful of chopped mint leaves
Sprinkle of salt
(Serves 2)
Steps:
Cut peel and white pith from grapefruit and discard. Cut between the membranes to segment grapefruit. Squeeze membranes to release remaining juice into a bowl.
Squeeze ¼ cup lime juice. Heat ginger, sugar and lime juice to boiling. Remove from heat and let stand.
Peel and pit avocado, slice thinly.
Preheat grill pan over medium-high heat.
Rub oil all over shrimp. Sprinkle chopped mint leaves and salt all over shrimp. Grill until shrimp just turn opaque throughout, turning over once.
Pour ginger mixture through a sieve over grapefruit in a big salad bowl. Gently stir to mix.
Top with lettuce, shrimp and avocado. Enjoy!
2. Classic Greek salad
Ingredients:
½ red pepper, cored and thinly sliced
8 medium tomatoes, halved
½ cucumber, cut into small chunks
¼ spring onions, thinly sliced
40 g feta cheese, cut into 1cm chunks
¼ cup chopped mint leaves
½ tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Sprinkle of salt & freshly ground black pepper
(Serves 2)
Steps:
Mix together vegetables in a large bowl. Add feta cheese.
Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper. Stir gently until emulsified.
Drizzle dressing over the salad. Toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.
3. Honey roasted pumpkin, feta & spinach salads
Ingredients:
1kg of pumpkin
4 cups baby spinach leaves
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. honey
Sprinkle of salt
40g crumbly feta cheese
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
(Serves 2)
Steps:
Scoop out the inner seeds and discard. Chop pumpkin into small chunks and remove skin. Transfer pumpkin into a mixing bowl. Set aside.
Mix together 1 tbsp. of olive oil and honey. Gently stir to mix.
Drizzle the mixture over the pumpkin chunks. Make sure each piece is well coated with the honey-oil mixture.
Place pumpkin onto a baking tray and season with salt. Roast for around 45 mins until pumpkin chunks are soft on the inside and caramelised on the outside.
Place baby spinach into a large salad bowl. Add pumpkin and top with feta cheese, vinegar and olive oil. Mix well. Ready to serve.
4. Citrus green salad
Ingredients:
2 oranges
2 grapefruits
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1 cup roman lettuce
(Serves 2)
Steps:
Carefully slice off the top and bottom of oranges, and slice the skin away from the flesh and discard. Remove any remaining white pith. Cut between the membranes to segment oranges. Place in a mixing bowl. Repeat with grapefruits and place in the same bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Whisk in oil until emulsified. Set aside.
In a large salad bowl, gently toss baby spinach leaves and lettuce with dressing until well coated. Top with citrus segments. Enjoy!
