Nashville Wife

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Salads

Tomato Basil Kale Salad

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tomato basil kale salad

This salad smells and tastes like summertime. Those of you who have gardens will likely be able to use some of your produce to make it, but even if your ingredients aren’t fresh off the vine, it will still taste like heaven. The best part is that it’s incredibly easy to whip up. I purchased a basil plant (only $3.50), as well as the kale and mozzarella cheese log from Trader Joe’s. (This isn’t a sponsored post or anything of that nature–I simply love that store!)

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Tomato Basil Kale Salad

Course Salad
Prep Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups tomato, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh mozzarella, chopped
  • 2 cups shredded kale
  • 3 Tbsp fresh basil, minced
  • 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/8 tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a salad bowl, combine tomato, mozzarella, kale, and basil.

  2. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss dressing into salad, making sure salad is fully coated. If you desire more dressing, make a second batch.

Recipe Notes

If the dressing in this recipe doesn't sound good to you, try my other favorite homemade dressings:

https://nashvillewife.com/homemade-salad-dressing-20/

https://nashvillewife.com/homemade-salad-dressing/

Ground Turkey Taco Salad

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We usually eat leftovers for lunch, but today, I felt like making something “fresh,” so I whipped up a ground turkey taco salad. The “recipe” is hardly even a recipe because it’s so easy.

Everything can be cooked/sliced in advance, so it’s the perfect meal to have on hand for a quick lunch or to pack up and take to work.

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Ground Turkey Taco Salad

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground turkey, browned with taco seasoning
  • 2 heads romaine lettuce, shredded
  • 3 tomatoes, sliced
  • tortilla chips, crumbled crumbled
  • shredded cheese
  • ranch dressing

Balsamic Vinaigrette

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This spring, I shared the recipe for one of my favorite homemade salad dressings. I’m a real lettuce (and spinach) lover, so I have quite a few salad dressing recipes in my arsenal. This is one of my most basic vinaigrettes.

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Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients

  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Whisk together all ingredients, and serve over salad. Poor leftovers into glass jar (Mason jars work well), cover with lid, and refrigerate.

Mango-Broccoli Salad Recipe

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mango broccoli salad

Many of you know that I love salad. When I’m in a hurry, you’ll often find me chowing down on a heap of raw spinach leaves or romaine lettuce, drizzled with one of my many homemade salad dressings, but when I have the time, I enjoy being more creative.

This salad is a tasty way to enjoy broccoli. It’s easy to make and is the perfect addition to a holiday spread or as part of a weekday meal.

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Mango-Broccoli Salad

Ingredients

  • 4 cups chopped fresh broccoli
  • 1-2 large ripe mangoes (peeled, pitted, and diced)
  • 1/2 cup red onion or chives, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk ranch salad dressing
  • 3 Tbso orange juice
  • 1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
  • 11 ounces canned mandarin orange sections, drained or sliced, fresh clementines
  • 3/4 cup cashews

Instructions

  1. Combine broccoli, mango, and onion in a large bowl.

  2. Combine ranch dressing, orange juice, and horseradish in a small bowl.

  3. Add the dressing mixture to the broccoli mixture, and toss. Top with orange sections.

  4. Mix in cashews immediately before serving to prevent them from becoming soft and mushy.

Strawberry Maple Spinach Salad

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Mr. Handsome proudly tells people that I’m the only person he knows who craves salad. Salads are not only tasty, but eating them makes me feel health and content, especially if I have been indulging in some not-so-healthy meals.

It’s rare for me to come across a salad that I dislike (although I will say that I’m not a fan of iceberg lettuce). I have several homemade salad dressing recipes that I switch between, and I’m always adding to my arsenal.

This spinach salad is incredibly easy to make, and it has a unique flavor. If you prefer a less sweet taste, feel free to cut down on the maple syrup or add more balsamic vinegar.

Strawberry Maple Spinach Salad
5 from 1 vote
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Strawberry-Maple Spinach Salad

Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 3 tsp pure maple syrup
  • 3 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 6 ounces spinach leaves
  • 1 lb strawberries

Instructions

  1. Whisk oil, mustard, syrup, and vinegar in a cup.

  2. Do a taste test, adding more balsamic vinegar if you prefer a less sweet dressing.

  3. Slice up the strawberries. Mix into spinach.

  4. Just before serving, pour the dressing over the spinach and strawberries, and mix gently with salad tongs.

Homemade Salad Dressing (with Parmesan Cheese)

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I love salad. Well, that’s a bit of a stretch. A more accurate statement is that I’m trying to love salad because it’s healthy and I know I should be eating more of it. And sometimes when I have the right mix of dressing, croutons, and lettuce, I can convince myself that it’s tastier than a piece of chocolate cake. But that’s rare. Okay, extremely rare.

I’ve searched high and low for the perfect salad dressing. Mr. Handsome’s favorite is Hidden Valley Ranch, but I’m not a huge fan. (There’s an amusing story behind that…I’ll have to tell it sometime.)

I quickly grew tired of purchasing an entire bottle of store-bought salad dressing, only to find with the first bite that it just wasn’t very good. At first, I was disciplined and would force myself to finish the entire thing, but that just made me avoid salads, so I convinced myself that it was healthier to toss it in the garbage and try another type. Well, after going through about six bottles of salad dressing, I decided I needed a new method for finding the perfect salad dressing.

When I was a child, my mother often made her own oil and vinegar salad dressing…a little of this, a little of that. Sometimes it turned out great, other times it was far from perfect. So I recently began my own quest for the perfect homemade salad dressing recipe. After much experimentation, I came up with a winner. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

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Homemade Salad Dressing

Ingredients

  • 1/8 cup white wine vinegar
  • 3/8 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp dried mustard
  • 5 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Whisk ingredients together, and voila...homemade oil and vinegar salad dressing that might just make you fall in love with salad.

Recipe Notes

I store mine in an old coconut oil jar from Aldi, but I recommend switching out the lid (which contains BPA) for a Ball/Kerr canning lid. The dressing hardens in the refrigerator, but if you toss it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds, it will return to its liquid form.

Healthy Pasta Salad

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This is a recipe that both vegetarians and meat lovers can enjoy. It is full of flavor that is satisfying for adults and kids alike.

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Healthy Pasta Salad

Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces pasta bow tie pasta works well
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 18 ounces cherry tomatoes
  • ½ cup black olives sliced (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp fresh chives or 2 tsp minced onion
  • ¼ cup fresh basil or 2 tsp dried basil
  • 1 cucumber, large
  • 4 Tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 7 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Boil pasta, adding 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder to the water.

  2. Combine cooked pasta, chopped tomatoes, sliced olives, chopped cucumber, and minced chives (or onion) in a large bowl.

  3. Add basil, and stir to combine.

  4. In a small bowl, mix white wine vinegar and olive oil. Stir into salad.

  5. Add 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and salt/pepper to taste.

Recipe Notes

Recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver's pasta salad

Carrot Salad Recipe

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Last fall, I shared a new tradition that my husband and I had started, which we call Magnificent Meal Monday. To fight against the Monday doldrums, I prepare a delicious meal every Monday night.

After reading that post, several of my readers suggested Meatless Monday. I admit that my husband’s love of meat means that Meatless Monday is not an option for us, but I would still like to share a few of my favorite meatless recipes with you all.

Growing up, my family ate vegetarian multiple times per week, and my mom was great at finding healthy and delicious recipes. I’ll start with a side dish.

Did you know that carrots are bursting with nutrition? In addition to beta carotene, they also contain Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, potassium, fiber, riboflavin, and even a bit of protein. This carrot salad recipe was one of my favorites as a child.

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Carrot Salad

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 ts[ Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 10 oz shredded carrots
  • ¾ cup Craisins
  • 3 Tbsp green onions or regular onions

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, mustard, salt, and sugar.
  2. In a large bowl, combine carrots, Craisins, and onion.
  3. Add dressing to carrot mixture, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.