Vegetable salads are easy to make and eating a large serving of fresh, raw vegetables with crunchy texture every day can give us numerous health benefits including prevention of non communicable diseases, maintaining healthy weight, boosting immunity, having a younger look and vitality.  Vegetable salads contain green leaves and raw veggies, which are good sources of natural fiber.  A diet that is rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, prevent some types of cancer and heart diseases. An advantage of eating vegetable salads is that you can eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, in a single meal. Brightly coloured fruits and veggies are rich sources of antioxidants which protects our bodies from harmful free radicals.  

Here are some delicious veggie salads to add in your meal plans.

01. Vegetarian Italian Chopped salad (4 servings)

Ingredients for the Salad

• 2 to 3 small heads of lettuce, chopped
• 2 cups of radicchio (or red cabbage), finely chopped (Radicchio is a leafy vegetable similar to red cabbage but with a more bitter taste. Radicchio is used in italian dishes) 
• 1 cup of red onion, chopped 
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup stemmed and thinly sliced cayenne peppers
• ⅓ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and roughly chopped
• 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
• 1 cup of  ¼″ cubes of provolone cheese (optional)  (Provolone cheese is italian cheese, if you can’t find provolone cheese go for cheddar, parmesan,  gouda or mozzarella cheese)

Ingredients for Italian vinaigrette (dressing)

• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon  mustard cream
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
•  freshly ground black pepper as per taste
• Salt as per your taste  
• Pinch of red pepper flakes, for heat (optional)

Instructions :  In a large serving bowl, mx the salad ingredients, chopped lettuce, radicchio or red cabbage, onion, celery, cherry tomatoes, peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas and cheese. Toss the ingredients together and set aside.

For the dressing, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until blended. Taste and add  salt for your taste. 

02. Summer Salad (6 servings)

Ingredients for the salad :

• 400g cooked cowpea beans 
• 2 large handfuls  spinach leaves , roughly chopped
• 500g tomatoes , chopped into  chunks
• ½ cucumber , halved lengthways, seeds scooped out and sliced on an angle
• 1 mango , peeled and chopped into chunks
• 1 large red onion , halved and finely sliced
• 6-8 radishes , sliced
• 2 avocados , peeled and sliced
• 100g feta cheese , crumbled
• handful of herbs (mint, coriander, basil - reserved from the dressing)

Ingredients for the dressing:

• large bunch of mint leaves
• small bunch of coriander leaves
• small bunch basil leaves 
• 1 large green chilli , deseeded and chopped
• 1 small garlic clove
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil 
• 2 limes , zested and juiced
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp honey

Instructions: Put cowpea beans,  spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, mango, onion and radishes in a large bowl and gently toss together to mix well. Then in a small bowl mix very finely chopped dressing ingredients or you can blend them in a food processor, keep some herb leaves for the salad. Next, top the salad with the avocados, feta and herbs, then pour the dressing over and mix when served. 

03. Avocado Cucumber salad - side dish 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cucumber, seeded and cubed 
• 2 firm but ripe avocados, cubed (not over - ripped)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
• 1 clove garlic minced 
• 2 tablespoons minced green onion or sliced red onions
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons lime juice

Instructions : In a large bowl, combine cucumbers, avocados, and coriander leaves. In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, salt, pepper, lemon and lime juice. Pour over cucumbers and avocados. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

04. Tomato Mint salad - side dish (4 servings)

Ingredients: 

• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
• ½  big onion, thinly sliced
• ½ cup of fresh mint leaves  
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 tbsp of red wine vinegar (optional)
• Salt as per your taste 
• Pepper as per your taste

Instructions: combine tomato, onion and mint in a large bowl. Mix olive oil and vinegar with salt & pepper in a mason jar by shaking the jar with a secured lid. Drizzle dressing over mixture and  serve.

05.Chickpea and roasted vegetable salad (4 servings)

Ingredients for the salad :

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 small head cauliflower or broccoli cut into florets
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into ½ inch cubes
• 1 small red onion
• 1 cup of cooked chickpeas
• ⅔  cup crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese 
• ¼  cup chopped fresh parsley

Ingredients for the dressing:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 ½  teaspoons minced garlic about 3 cloves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½  teaspoon mustard cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½  teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:  Preheat the oven to 204 ^oC (400 ^oF). Scrub the sweet potato and cut into ½ inch cubes and the cauliflower into florets. Place them on a sheet pan and drizzle with 1 ½  tablespoons oil. Place zucchini and red onion on another sheet pan and drizzle with 1 ½  tablespoons oil. Sprinkle both sheet pans with salt and black pepper. Toss to coat, then spread the vegetables into an even layer. Place in the oven and roast for 10 minutes. 

After that remove the pans from the oven, then with a spatula toss the vegetables to promote even cooking. Spread back into an even layer, then continue baking until the vegetables are crispy and tender for about 10 to 15 additional minutes.

To make the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients. 

Add roasted vegetables into a large serving bowl, then add cooked chickpeas, pour the dressing over the top and toss gently to coat. Gently stir in the feta and parsley. In addition to the vegetables mentioned here you can add red bell peppers, cherry tomato, carrots etc accordingly. 

06. Classic Potato Salad ( 2 servings)

Ingredients :

• 4 medium size potatoes 
• Salt as per taste 
• 1 tsp of  mayonnaise 
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped 
• 1 tsp of mustard cream 
• 1 tbsp lemon juice 
• Freshly ground black pepper as per taste
• Lettuce or steamed cabbage, sliced 

Instructions : In a large pot, cover potatoes with salted water and bring  to a boil and cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, then drain and let cool slightly. After cooled, cut into 1 inch pieces.  

In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, red onion, mustard, lemon juice and pepper . Stir until well combined. Next, add  in cooked potatoes, and steamed cabbage and mix well.  Add salt and pepper if needed.