Does your family consist of people who turn up their noses and close their mouths at the mention of the word “salad”? Well, mine does! For my husband and kids, salad meant an overload of veggies and green leaves and they just didn’t want any part of that.
Fast forward to now – they’ve actually started enjoying eating a salad with their meals. I decided to rework my salads a bit and come to a halfway point where everyone is happy.
I’ve put together 5 salad recipes that are not run of the mill salads. I’ve experimented with different things and its worked for my family. Give these salad recipes a shot. Talk to me and tell me if it worked for yours. Write to us at [email protected] with your child’s favourite salad recipes. We promise to feature your recipe and you on our site!
Time to go toss a salad! Scroll down to get your recipes.
Cucumber & Coconut Kosambari
Image Source: https://wholegreens.me
Ingredients
- 1/4 Cup Split Yellow Moong Dal
- 1 1/2 Cups Cucumber finely chopped
- 1 Cup Grated Carrot
- 3 Tsp Coconut grated
- 1- 2 Green Chillies chopped
- 1/2 inch Ginger
- 1/2 Tsp Mustard Seeds
- Curry Leaves – a handful
- Pinch of Asafoetida
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1/2 Tsp Lemon Juice or as per taste
Recipe
- Wash and soak moong dal in water for 1 hour and drain the water completely.
- Add finely chopped cucumber, carrots to the dal.
- Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When the mustard splutters, add ginger, green chillies, asafoetida and saute for a few seconds.
- Add it to the lentil mixture.
- Mix in the salt and juice of half a lemon.
- Finally, mix grated coconut and combine.
Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 200 gms Whole Wheat Pasta cooked al dente and cooled
- 6 Baby Tomatoes halved
- 6 Olives 6 cut into rounds
- 5 Baby Corn boiled and sliced
- 1 Bell pepper cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 Zucchini sliced
- 1 Cucumber sliced
- 1 Iceberg Lettuce shredded into bite-size pieces
- 2 Tbsp Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Pesto Sauce
- Black Pepper
- Salt to taste
You can add whatever other vegetables you like munching on too.
Pesto Sauce:
- 15-20 Basil Leaves
- Handful of Pine Nuts/ Walnuts
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1/2 inch piece Ginger
- 2 Green Chillies
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 14 Tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 Tsp Lemon Juice
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Put all the pesto sauce ingredients into a mixer jar and grind it into a paste.
- In a large bowl put all the veggies. Add the fresh pesto sauce and Thai sweet chilli sauce and give it a good mix.
- Put pesto coated veggies in the refrigerator for half an hour.
- Add boiled pasta to the veggies and combine it all. Make sure the veggies and pasta are coated well with the sauces.
- Garnish with fresh basil and serve.
Chicken Barley Salad
Image Source: https://recipes.sainsburys.co.uk/
Ingredients
- 150g Pearl Barley rinsed well
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 125g Peas, cooked
- 2 Spring Onions, trimmed and sliced
- 60g/1 Cup Fresh Spinach Leaves
- 25 Fresh Mint Leaves
- 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 250g Cooked Chicken, roughly shredded
- 2 Tbsp Flaked Almonds, toasted
- Salt as per taste
- Ground Black Pepper
Method
- Put the barley in a pan with 6 cups of boiling water. Add the salt and let it come up to a boil. Then simmer for 35-40 mins until the barley is tender.
- Drain the barley and to this add the cooked peas, spring onions and spinach and stir. Let the spinach wilt with the warmth from the barley.
- Put the mint leaves in a tall jug, or bowl, with the oil and blend to make a dressing.
- Add the shredded chicken, the seasoning, and mint dressing to the warm barley mixture and stir well.
- Sprinkle with toasted almonds and serve warm.
Easy Rice Salad
Image Source: https://foodal.com
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Rice (uncooked)
- 4 Green Onions finely chopped
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped finely
- 1 Yellow Bell Pepper finely chopped
- 1 ½ Cups Corn Kernels, steamed
- 1/3 Cup Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp White Vinegar
- 1/4 Tsp Mustard Powder/ Dijon Mustard
- 1/4 tsp Sugar
- Salt & Pepper as per taste
- Lemon Juice to taste
- 1/2 Tbsp Lemon Zest
- Chopped Coriander Leaves
Method
- Cook the rice in salty water until tender. Drain and cool in the fridge.
- Mix the dressing in a bottle – put the olive oil, white vinegar, mustard powder, salt and sugar. Shake to combine well.
- Place the rice, bell peppers and corn in a large bowl and pour the dressing over the top. Mix well to combine.
- Serve immediately. Garnish with fresh coriander.
Note: You can top this with hard boiled eggs, shredded chicken or tofu
Fruity Rainbow Salad
Image Source: https://houseofyumm.com
Ingredients
- 1 Pineapple cut into pieces
- 1 Cup Strawberries chopped
- 2 Oranges chopped
- 2 Kiwis chopped
- 1 Cup Blueberries
- 1 Cup Grapes sliced
- Honey to drizzle
- Lemon Juice to taste
Method
- Add all the fruit into a bowl
- Drizzle with the honey and a squeeze of line. Stir gently to mix it up..
- Store in refrigerator. Serve the salad cold
Cucumber & Coconut Kosambari
Image Source: https://wholegreens.me
Ingredients
- 1/4 Cup Split Yellow Moong Dal
- 1 1/2 Cups Cucumber finely chopped
- 1 Cup Grated Carrot
- 3 Tsp Coconut grated
- 1- 2 Green Chillies chopped
- 1/2 inch Ginger
- 1/2 Tsp Mustard Seeds
- Curry Leaves – a handful
- Pinch of Asafoetida
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1/2 Tsp Lemon Juice or as per taste
Recipe
- Wash and soak moong dal in water for 1 hour and drain the water completely.
- Add finely chopped cucumber, carrots to the dal.
- Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When the mustard splutters, add ginger, green chillies, asafoetida and saute for a few seconds.
- Add it to the lentil mixture.
- Mix in the salt and juice of half a lemon.
- Finally, mix grated coconut and combine.
Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 200 gms Whole Wheat Pasta cooked al dente and cooled
- 6 Baby Tomatoes halved
- 6 Olives 6 cut into rounds
- 5 Baby Corn boiled and sliced
- 1 Bell pepper cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 Zucchini sliced
- 1 Cucumber sliced
- 1 Iceberg Lettuce shredded into bite-size pieces
- 2 Tbsp Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Pesto Sauce
- Black Pepper
- Salt to taste
You can add whatever other vegetables you like munching on too.
Pesto Sauce:
- 15-20 Basil Leaves
- Handful of Pine Nuts/ Walnuts
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1/2 inch piece Ginger
- 2 Green Chillies
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 14 Tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 Tsp Lemon Juice
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Put all the pesto sauce ingredients into a mixer jar and grind it into a paste.
- In a large bowl put all the veggies. Add the fresh pesto sauce and Thai sweet chilli sauce and give it a good mix.
- Put pesto coated veggies in the refrigerator for half an hour.
- Add boiled pasta to the veggies and combine it all. Make sure the veggies and pasta are coated well with the sauces.
- Garnish with fresh basil and serve.
Chicken Barley Salad
Image Source: https://recipes.sainsburys.co.uk/
Ingredients
- 150g Pearl Barley rinsed well
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 125g Peas, cooked
- 2 Spring Onions, trimmed and sliced
- 60g/1 Cup Fresh Spinach Leaves
- 25 Fresh Mint Leaves
- 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 250g Cooked Chicken, roughly shredded
- 2 Tbsp Flaked Almonds, toasted
- Salt as per taste
- Ground Black Pepper
Method
- Put the barley in a pan with 6 cups of boiling water. Add the salt and let it come up to a boil. Then simmer for 35-40 mins until the barley is tender.
- Drain the barley and to this add the cooked peas, spring onions and spinach and stir. Let the spinach wilt with the warmth from the barley.
- Put the mint leaves in a tall jug, or bowl, with the oil and blend to make a dressing.
- Add the shredded chicken, the seasoning and mint dressing to the warm barley mixture and stir well.
- Sprinkle with toasted almonds and serve warm.
Easy Rice Salad
Image Source: https://foodal.com
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Rice (uncooked)
- 4 Green Onions finely chopped
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped finely
- 1 Yellow Bell Pepper finely chopped
- 1 ½ Cups Corn Kernels, steamed
- 1/3 Cup Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp White Vinegar
- 1/4 Tsp Mustard Powder/ Dijon Mustard
- 1/4 tsp Sugar
- Salt & Pepper as per taste
- Lemon Juice to taste
- 1/2 Tbsp Lemon Zest
- Chopped Coriander Leaves
Method
- Cook the rice in salty water until tender. Drain and cool in the fridge.
- Mix the dressing in a bottle – put the olive oil, white vinegar, mustard powder, salt and sugar. Shake to combine well.
- Place the rice, bell peppers and corn in a large bowl and pour the dressing over the top. Mix well to combine.
- Serve immediately. Garnish with fresh coriander.
Note: You can top this with hard boiled eggs, shredded chicken or tofu
Fruity Rainbow Salad
Image Source: https://houseofyumm.com
Ingredients
- 1 Pineapple cut into pieces
- 1 Cup Strawberries chopped
- 2 Oranges chopped
- 2 Kiwis chopped
- 1 Cup Blueberries
- 1 Cup Grapes sliced
- Honey to drizzle
- Lemon Juice to taste
Method
- Add all the fruit into a bowl
- Drizzle with the honey and a squeeze of line. Stir gently to mix it up..
- Store in refrigerator. Serve the salad cold.
Mansi Zaveri
Sharmila Ribeiro
