Summer is fast approaching, and this means, to those lucky enough to live in reliably warm climates, that delicious salads will be on the menu for those sweltering afternoons and long evenings. The crisp and fresh lightness of a salad makes it the perfect companion to a warm day. Some complain of a salad being a light option that offers an inadequate amount of satisfaction due to its inability to fill, but those people are failing to realise the capabilities of the salad. Some of the more delicious salads are more filling than most other types of meals. Take, for example, the protein packed Grilled Pork Tenderloin Salad, which is not only filling, but extremely varied in taste. The ingredients are these:
- One large orange
- Grilled pork tenderloin, cut into strips
- One small fennel head, trimmed and cored
- One quarter of a red onion
- Two tablespoons of toasted pumpkin seeds
- One tablespoon of walnut oil
- One tablespoon of red-wine vinegar
- A pinch of salt and pepper
The contrast of the orange with the pork is the biggest highlight of this salad, and at a calorie count of over 300 per portion, and a high protein content, it is a salad that is suitable as a main course. This, as most salads are, is quite simple to prepare. Simple grill the pork and toast the pumpkin seeds, and prepare the other ingredients before they come together to make this delicious salad.
A twist on the popular Nicoise salad is a recipe called the Smoked Salmon Nicoise Salad. Smoked salmon replaces tuna, and, in the place of the olives and the hard boiled eggs, more vegetables are included. This salad takes a little longer to prepare than the Grilled Pork Tenderloin Salad, which is evident from the longer list of ingredients:
- Four ounces of smoked salmon, cut into small pieces
- Eight ounces of halved baby potatoes
- Six ounces of green beads, trimmed and halved
- Two tablespoons of mayonnaise
- One tablespoon of white-wine vinegar
- One teaspoon of lemon juice
- One teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
- One teaspoon of Dijon mustard
- One teaspoon of dill, dried
- A pinch of pepper
- Six cups of salad greens, of which should be selected on personal taste
- One quarter of a large cucumber, sliced
- Ten small cherry tomatoes, or another variety of small tomatoes, halved
One the potatoes have been steamed, and then the green beans, all that needs to be prepared is the dressing. These ingredients will be enough to make two portions of salad that promises to be filling enough for the day.
In general, there are a few tricks to make salads more interested. Using warm ingredients adds depth to a salad and makes it feel more like a main course than it might have done before. Brown rice can have a similar effect, and it is also something that is quick and simple to prepare. Salads can be everything that a good main should be. This article shows only two delicious salads, but there are so many more to find.