Do you need healthy lunch ideas? Are you a salad lover? Do you need new recipes to try for date night? Read this article to learn how to make innovative and delicious salad recipes perfect for any day of the week! 

 

Monday: Seven Layer Overnight Salad

To begin a long week of salads, start with a quick salad that can easily be packed into a lunch for work on an early Monday morning. Today’s salad is a Seven Layer Overnight Salad. For the first recipe of the week, the ingredients needed are 1 pound of cooked bacon, 1 head of iceberg lettuce, 1 red onion, ½ shredded cheddar cheese, and 1 cup of white cauliflower. Finely chop all of the ingredients and add each element one at a time to an airtight container to create the layers of salad, do not mix yet. For the dressing, add together 1 ¼ cups mayonnaise, ⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese, and 2 tablespoons white sugar. When you are ready to eat, simply pop this dish out of the fridge, mix with dressing and enjoy! 

 

Tuesday: Pomegranate and Pear Salad

Many people believe that only vegetables belong in salads. However, this refreshing pomegranate and pear salad begs to differ. For this salad, you will need  ½ cup toasted pecans (halves or pieces), 1 cup baby arugula, about ½ cup crumbled goat cheese or feta, 1 large thinly sliced, ripe Bartlett pear (or any kind available to you), 1 thinly sliced Honeycrisp or Gala apple, and finally, the seeds from one red pomegranate. Add together and mix thoroughly. Depending on the person, some people eat this salad with a ginger dressing or without any dressing at all as the fruit gives off a sweet taste. The best way to get through a rough Tuesday is with a refreshing, sweet salad! 

 

Wednesday: Asian Cucumber Salad

For those who are cucumber lovers and enjoy trying trendy foods, the Asian Cucumber Salad is the perfect recipe to make. To begin, start by taking 2 large cucumbers (or 6 mini cucumbers) and washing them, then cut into equal sized circles or sticks. Then, to season the cucumber, place them in a bowl and gently massage with salt. Let sit for a maximum of 5 minutes. Then wash with cold water to remove salt. For the dressing, combine 1½ tbsp salt, 2 tbsp chili crisp, (optional), 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp honey or sugar, 1 tbsp Korean chili flakes ,2 cloves grated garlic, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp sesame seeds. Allow to marinate for 2-5 minutes before eating so all the spices can be released.  While Wednesdays can be rough, this salad only takes 20 mins to prep and it is absolutely delicious! When chilled, this salad can comfortably stay 3-4 days in the fridge.

 

Thursday: Taco Salad 

The best way to spice up just a normal Thursday is with a Taco Salad. This salad is exactly what it sounds like, all the ingredients usually used to make tacos but in salad form. The base of this tasty salad is romaine lettuce to give it a basic, refreshing crunch. Next, add 1-2 cups of taco meat or chicken as your choice of protein. To add variety to the taco salad add about ½ cups of corn, any type of bean (black is recommended), and cubed tomatoes. To mimic the guacamole on tacos add sliced avocados, or actual guacamole, and top with a cilantro-lime dressing! Finally, add as much or a little tortilla chips to the top of your salad! Another way to eat this salad is with the tortilla chips on the side and use the salad as a dip!

 

Friday: Original Caesar Salad

One of the most classic salads to make is an original caesar salad. The most important part of this salad is the creamy caesar dressing. To make this classic dressing, start by mincing three cloves of garlic and put in a small bowl. Then, add ¾ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, 1-5 anchovies smashed, one tablespoon lemon juice, Worcester sauce, and one teaspoon mustard. Taste and adjust to your liking with salt and pepper if needed! Once the dressing is made, let chill in the refrigerator until ready to enjoy. Add 1-2 cups of croutons for a yummy crunch. Serve with a lettuce of your choice, I would suggest either iceberg lettuce, kale, or baby green spinach. To add some protein, I would suggest adding a chicken breast on top to create a chicken caesar salad!

 

Saturday:   Tomato Salad 

Not all salads need to have a base of lettuce. To change it up a bit, try this unique tomato salad recipe. To start this salad, add a base of either 4-5 larger tomatoes or a bag of cherry tomatoes (your choice). Nicely chop some shallots, garlic and basil and add to tomato base. Use a choice of feta or mozzarella balls as the cheese for this salad. Then, for the dressing mix together a 1:1 ratio of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy! Out of this week's salads, the tomato salad is by far the quickest, easiest recipe to try! Tomato salad pairs nicely with a sandwich at lunch or beside a juicy steak at dinner. 

 

Sunday:  Brunch Spinach Salad

Sunday morning brunch is undoubtedly the best meal of the week. To upgrade your brunch menu try making the best Brunch Spinach Salad you will ever have! The base of this salad will be 2 bags of fresh baby spinach. Next, add 2 bananas, a dozen fresh strawberries, 2-3 mandarin oranges, ½ cup dried cranberries, and ½ cup pine nuts (optional). To dress this salad use poppy seed salad dressing for a creamy addition! Sunday mornings are the best time to make memories with your family and this salad will never be forgotten for years to come!

 

For further information on these wonderful salads, check out these links! 

Seven Layer Salad: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/14295/seven-layer-salad/ 

Taco Salad: https://www.loveandlemons.com/taco-salad-recipe/ 

Original caesar salad:  Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen

Pomegranate and Pear Salad: https://cookieandkate.com/pomegranate-pear-green-salad-with-ginger-dressing/ 

Cucumber Salad: https://kwokspots.com/asian-cucumber-salad/ 

Brunch Spinach Salad: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/214906/the-perfect-sunday-brunch-spinach-salad/ 

Tomato Salad: https://www.recipetineats.com/my-favourite-tomato-salad/