Healthy Lunch Salad Recipes to Take To Work

Salads are ready-to-eat food items known for their low calories and high nutritional value. Several heterogeneous ingredients (mostly leafy vegetables) are mixed together, seasoned with salt, pepper and served with a sauce or dressing. While fresh, leafy vegetables make the basic constituent of salads, dishes made of grains, fruits, meat ( mostly white meat) and seafood are also used to add flavour and variety to the salads.

Salads are best for the diet conscious working class, making for a light but filling lunch. There are a number of easy-to-make salads that you can take to work and skip the typical sandwich choices. We have listed down all these salads below. Simply scroll down and check out the recipes which have been fully explained for your ease.

Instructions

  • 1

    Barley, Black Bean, and Avocado Salad

    Ingredients:
    Carrot juice: 1 cup
    Thyme: 1/2 teaspoon
    Salt: To taste
    Cayenne: 1/8 teaspoon
    Quick-cooking barley: 1/2 cup
    Fresh lemon juice: 3 tablespoons
    Olive oil: 1 tablespoon
    Black beans, rinsed and drained: 1 can (19 ounces)
    Fresh diced tomatoes: 1 cup
    Diced avocado: 1/2 cup

    Pour one cup carrot juice in a medium sized sauce pan and mix thyme, cayenne and salt in it. Bring this mixture to a boil on medium high heat and add barley, while reducing the flame. Allow the barley to simmer in the juice for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. In another bowl whisk together 1 tbsp of olive oil and 3 tbsp of lemon juice. Transfer the cooked ingredients from the sauce pan to the bowl and toss to coat with the lemon juice and olive oil dressing. Add beans, tomatoes and diced avocado to the bowl and gently mix to combine. This salad is best served at room temperature.

  • 2

    Chickpea and Pita Salad

    Ingredients:
    Sesame pita breads: 4
    Chickpeas, rinsed and drained: 2 cans (15 ounces)
    Cucumber, diced: 1
    Beefsteak tomatoes: 4 large
    Scallions, chopped: 6
    Pitted black olives, preferably kalamata olives: 1/2 cup
    Olive oil: 1 1/2 tablespoons
    Balsamic vinegar: 1 tablespoon
    Olive tapenade: 2 teaspoons
    Chopped fresh mint: 1 tablespoon
    Pepper: As required

    Cut the pita bread in half with a sharp knife and place the pieces on a baking sheet, with the cut sides facing down. Toast the bread slices under the preheated oven broiler until crispy and golden brown (turning once). Allow the bread to cool and shred it into bite-size pieces. In a medium size serving bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, scallions, and olives. In another bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, mint and tapenade. Season the dressing with black pepper and pour it over the veggies and toss to combine. Garnish it with mint sprigs and serve.

  • 3

    Seared Tuna and Bean Salad

    Ingredients:
    Tuna steak, about 2 inches thick: 1 piece (14 ounces)
    Extra virgin olive oil: 2 tablespoons
    Lemon juice (or to taste): 1 tablespoon
    Garlic clove, crushed: 1
    Dijon mustard: 1 tablespoon
    Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed: 1 can (15 ounces)
    Red onion, thinly sliced: 1 small
    Red peppers, seeded and thinly sliced: 2
    Cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced: 1/2
    Watercress: 6 cups
    Salt and pepper: To taste
    Lemon wedges to garnish

    Season your tuna steak with roughly ground black pepper and let it sit at room temperature for half an hour. Meanwhile heat a grill pan and spray it with some vegetable shortening. Sear the fish on medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, making sure you do not overcook it and the centre remains light pink.

    In a bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, one tablespoon of lemon juice, garlic, and mustard paste. Season your dressing with salt and pepper (to taste). Also add cannellini beans, thinly sliced red onion, red pepper slices, cucumber and watercress to the bowl. Toss gently to combine. Cut the grilled tuna steak into half inch thick chunks and arrange on the top of the salad bowl before serving.

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