Salad recipes

This is my copycat of the popular salad sold at McDonald's. It's the only thing I eat off their menu and I was anxious to replicate it at home.

Wheat berries, chickpeas, roasted bell peppers, and arugula are tossed with a refreshing and flavorful dressing. It fills you up with lots of goodness and yumminess.

Nutritionally boost your day with this chilled cucumber and wood ear mushroom salad, it’s an effective way of getting flavour and nutrients rolled up into one meal. Eating cucumber, a chilled one especially, not only thaw any encumbrances in the digestive tract, but also goes flavourfully on the tongue. Wood ear mushroom, commonly sold in Asian markets, is a dear ingredient-mate of the cucumber in the cooking of this tantalizing salad. If you’re struggling to find wood ear mushrooms then Oyster mushrooms would be an excellent replacement. Furthermore if you don’t have access to Japanese cucumber, then the ordinary type of cucumber would be perfectly fitting too. Also if you’re buying them fresh, then instead of boiling, blanch them by dropping the oyster mushrooms into boiling water for 30 seconds to a minute at the most, then submerge them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. The glossy look of this salad is not only pleasing on the eye, but contributes perfectly to a balanced diet. Wood ear is known for its ability to reduce cholesterol in the body, aid blood circulation, and improve melanin and keratin efficiency too. Cucumber will not be left behind as it can also help in weight loss, hydration, is good for eyesight, among other benefits. And if you take a look at the other ingredients, sesame seed, ginger, lime etc. you should definitely add this to your recipe book! Let us get into its preparation without further ado. Shall we….

A chilled, crunchy gazpacho-style soup packed with black beans, corn, jicama, peppers, cucumber, and zucchini in tangy tomato juice. Low-fat, vegetarian, and loaded with fresh vegetables.

Southwest pasta salad with a creamy cilantro-lime-jalapeno dressing, fresh tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, and zucchini. A zesty make-ahead side that chills in an hour.

Cold gazpacho pasta salad with rotelle, cucumber, bell pepper, jalapeño, tomato juice and fresh lime. Spanish-inspired summer pasta salad with a spicy kick.

Caribbean shrimp and black bean salad: poached pink shrimp ringed around a chilled black bean salad punched up with picante, lime, honey, cilantro, and red onion. Make-ahead summer plate.

Ensalada pico de gallo, a refreshing Mexican orange and jicama salad with crisp red onion, walnuts, and a honey-lime dressing spiced with cumin and chile. Bright, crunchy, and sweet-tangy in every bite.

This salad is very easy to make, and combines the sour, sweet and salty flavors typical of Thai cuisine.

An ideal fruit salad or dessert for Winter, because the tropical fruits are available year-round and ripen naturally. The riper and more fragrant the fruit, the better the salad.

Mahogany chicken wings lacquered with hoisin, plum sauce, and soy until glossy dark brown, paired with bright Thai-style green papaya salad. Bold sweet-salty-tangy contrast for a party platter.

Margarita shrimp and vegetable kabobs marinated in tequila, lime juice, and Italian dressing, then grilled on skewers. Summer cocktail flavors on a smoky backyard grill.

Grilled fresh tuna burgers glazed with sweet pineapple-mustard reduction, spiked with smoky chipotle and topped with spicy green chile pickle relish. A showstopper for your next backyard cookout.

Spicy black bean salad dressed with lime, champagne vinegar, jalapeños, cayenne, and fresh mint. A make-ahead vegan side with bright heat from dried beans cooked from scratch.

A bright, zesty bulgur salad dressed with lime juice, cumin, and oregano, tossed with red bell pepper, scallions, and fresh parsley. Vegetarian, diabetic-friendly, and refreshing.