I am becoming increasingly lazy with my cooking. There is something about summer that makes me not want to be in the kitchen. Once it gets colder, I’m game to tackle complicated, new recipes. Summer is for utilitarian cooking.
Salads are the perfect summer food. Yet they also can feel really cumbersome. Most lettuce does not last long before wilting or turning brown and it can feel like you need to wash and dry greens every day if you want to salads to be a staple in your diet.
I’ve figured out a much more efficient alternative. Most lettuce is not going to last you the week so I’ve been relying on two other types of salads to get me through the week.
The best part about it is you can make them during a batch cook session, requiring you to only prep once, and then reap the benefits all week long.
You can always go back to your delicate greens for a meal or two but this ensures that you can have salad at most meals and only have to worry about making them once.
Bonus: If you are also batch roasting veggies, you are well on your way to getting your veggie quota met in the most efficient way possible. For more on that batch roasting technique, read my previous article We All Know We Should Be Eating More Veggies..Here’s How To Actually Do It. For another salad-related resource check out my absolute favorite homemade salad dressing recipe in this article.
Here are the two salad recipes that can get you through the whole week:
Massaged kale salad: This is the perfect base recipe.
You can then add other things to it depending on the meal. I often like to batch cook a bunch of tahini dressing and use it on top. To make it into a meal, add a bean or other protein / optional grain / nuts + seeds or just use it as a side.
Vinegar-based coleslaw:
I’m loving this red cabbage slaw recipe but you can endlessly vary it to match your tastes. Slaw is a great way to up your cruciferous vegetable intake and I like adding a large amount of parsley for even more phytonutrients.
Do you have any beloved salad recipes that are sturdy enough to get you through the week?