When I’m in need of a summertime “grab and run” meal that has extreme flavor and crunch, chopped salads are my answer. The five I turn to most are easy to pack and don’t require cooking.
Inspired by the Southern Indian carrot coleslaw my mother would make for us kids, I now toss together finely chopped carrots, sprouted lentils, jalapeño and lime juice. It has morphed into many other variations for my own family, like a mash-up with Moroccan influence — the juicy and refreshing Spicy Beet and Carrot Coleslaw. My children steal bites from my carry-and-go container.
My cucumber salad is another mash-up, an ode to Northern India’s kachumber salad and the Mediterranean chopped salad: The combination of Persian cucumber, red onion, tomato and feta cheese stays crisp for a week in the refrigerator. I have found that it travels well in Mason jars during more temperate weather, and in a Thermos during hot summer days.
A friend who has tasted my pineapple and pepper salad loves its burst of tart and sweet flavors so much that she made me bring it to her summer party — proof that such chopped salads can serve as fabulous sides for a crowd.
Here’s what I might like best about them, though: Chopped salads also can become the basis for a meal on their own. Spoon them on slices of chewy ciabatta or French bread. Bundle them into a spinach or whole-grain wrap along with a squirt of Sriracha (that’s what I like to do with my chickpea salad). Or add a little broth and turn them into gazpacho in the food processor.
Of course, chopped salads are spot-on for the grain-bowl trend. I take a travel bowl, filling half the bottom layer with cooked bulgur or millet and the other half with greens. Next, a layer of the chopped salad, and then I top off the bowl with avocado, dried fruit and/or nuts, and the occasional drizzle of balsamic glaze. If you don’t have any leftover grains handy, don’t fret. All it takes is a little planning and no cooking. It is very easy to make a batch of overnight grains that needs no cooking, either — just a long soak.
Start with my plan, then branch out to create your own chopped salads. They’ll come to your rescue, as they have come to mine.
Spicy Pineapple and Pepper Salad
6 servings (makes 6 cups), Healthy
This salad’s burst of sweet and sour flavors, plus a kick from the serrano pepper, make it extremely refreshing. It sits well in the refrigerator for even a week, and tastes better as it marinates in its own juices. Change the look and taste by adding finely chopped red onion.
It can be served as a small side dish, as a topping for bruschetta or added to a healthful grain bowl with rice, lentils, greens and a sliced avocado.
MAKE AHEAD: The salad needs to be refrigerated for an hour or two before serving, and can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
From food writer Visi R. Tilak.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 pound)
- 2 cups red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (14 ounces total)
- 2 cups orange or yellow peppers, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 14 ounces total)
- 1 medium serrano pepper, seeded and minced
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup shelled, chopped roasted/unsalted pistachios, for garnish
Directions
Combine the pineapple, peppers, lime juice, oil and salt in a mixing bowl, tossing to coat and incorporate. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or two.
Garnish with the chopped pistachios just before serving.
Nutrition | Per serving: 90 calories, 2 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 190 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 8 g sugar
Chickpea, Crisp Apple and Coconut Salad
6 servings (makes 6 cups)
This salad may remind some Indians of the traditional chickpea and mango snack called a sundal.
For a different gazpacho, you can mix each serving of this salad with a cup of room-temperature coconut milk.
From Visi R. Tilak.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 tablespoon liquefied coconut oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cane sugar
- 2 cups Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (from 7 ounces total)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups rinsed and drained no-salt-added canned chickpeas (from one 14.5-ounce can); may substitute raw sprouted chickpeas
- 2 cups fresh mung bean sprouts
- 1 cup fresh or frozen/defrosted grated coconut, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds, for garnish
Directions
Whisk together the shallot, jalapeño pepper, coconut oil, vinegar, sea salt and cane sugar in a mixing bowl. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
Toss together the apples and lemon juice in a separate bowl, until well coated; this will help keep them from browning.
Combine the chickpeas, sprouts, coconut and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Stir in the apples, then add the shallot mixture and toss to coat evenly.
Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
Garnish with the sunflower seeds just before serving.
Nutrition | Per serving: 190 calories, 7 g protein, 25 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 370 mg sodium, 7 g dietary fiber, 9 g sugar
Spicy Beet and Carrot Coleslaw
6 servings (makes 6 cups)
Here, the tartness of the lemon, the sweet flavor of the carrot and beets and the bite of jalapeño combine in a stunning and palate-tingling way.
Serve as side dish, as filling for a whole-wheat tortilla wrap or as a component in a grain bowl.
MAKE AHEAD: The salad can be refrigerated for up to a week.
From Visi R. Tilak.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces raw beets, peeled and grated (2 cups)
- About 5 medium carrots, scrubbed well and then grated (2 cups)
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 tablespoon sunflower seed oil or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cups fresh mung bean sprouts or mixed sprouts
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
Directions
Combine the beets, carrots, shallot, jalapeño, oil, salt and lemon juice in a stainproof mixing bowl, tossing to incorporate. If you’re serving the salad right away, mix in the sprouts. If not, cover and refrigerate for a day, then gently mix in the sprouts just before serving.
Garnish with the cilantro.
Nutrition | Per serving: 80 calories, 2 g protein, 12 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 430 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 8 g sugar
Cucumber, Red Onion, Tomato and Feta Salad
8 servings (makes 8 cups)
Crunchy with creamy makes this salad work.
You can also use it as a topping for bruschetta or garlic naan.
MAKE AHEAD: The bulgur wheat needs to be soaked overnight in room-temperature water. The salad can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Persian cucumbers are small and thin, with tender seeds. They are fairly widely available in supermarkets, and you can find them at farmers markets.
From Visi R. Tilak.
Ingredients
- 1 medium clove garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cups diced (1/4-inch) Persian cucumbers (peeled or unpeeled; see headnote)
- 2 cups diced (1/4-inch) heirloom or vine ripe tomatoes
- 2 cups diced (1/4-inch) red onion
- 1 cup bulgur wheat, soaked overnight in room-temperature water, then drained
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- 1 cup diced (1/4-inch) feta cheese
Directions
Whisk together the garlic, pepper, salt, oil and lemon in a mixing bowl; let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, the soaked/drained bulgur, mint, parsley and feta to the bowl, then toss gently to incorporate without crushing the cheese.
Refrigerate just until chilled before serving.
Nutrition | Per serving: 170 calories, 6 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 450 mg sodium, 5 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugar
Mango, Grape and Celery Salad
6 servings (makes 6 cups), Healthy
Dessert salad – why not? Change the look and taste by adding seasonal berries.
From Visi R. Tilak.
Ingredients
1 medium clove garlic, crushed
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups mango, peeled and diced (1/4-inch) (use the green variety that is raw or the half-ripe ones)
- 1 cup red grapes, each cut in half
- 1 cup green grapes, each cut in half
- 1 cup diced celery, (1/4-inch)
- 1 cup sweet white onion, diced
Directions
Whisk together the garlic, lime juice, oil, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and salt in a mixing bowl; let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the mango, red and green grapes, celery and onion, tossing gently to coat and incorporate. Cover and refrigerate for a bit, until chilled, before serving. Discard the garlic.
Nutrition | Per serving: 100 calories, 1 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 190 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 17 g sugar
