3 Easy to Make Salads in 5 Minutes
Salads are an easy way to eat healthy and serve up a homemade meal with items from your fridge and pantry plus a few leftovers. Try these quick and delicious salad ideas!
1. Caprese Salad
Caprese is a traditional Italian salad with fresh basil, tomatoes, mozzarella and a slightly sweet balsamic vinaigrette. To top it off, you can easily take this classic to the next level with torn pieces of tangy prosciutto.
How to Make Caprese Salad:
- Slice cherry tomatoes in half and thinly slice basil
- Top with torn pieces of prosciutto and mozzarella
- Toss in bowl with balsamic vinaigrette
Tips to Save Time:
- Slice your ingredients beforehand and store in the refrigerator separately so you can quickly toss everything in a bowl when you’re ready.
2. Cobb Salad
This quintessential American salad is colorful and full of flavor. Its ingredients can easily be remembered by the phrase “EAT COBB with lettuce.” Each capitalized letter stands for an ingredient.
How to Make Cobb Salad:
- Chop up your pre-peeled hard boiled eggs, avocado, tomato, chicken, onion, bacon, and blue cheese
- Tossed together all ingredients with lettuce and red wine vinaigrette
- Or change up the ingredients according to your preferences (try a different cheese, like shredded jack, or a creamy dressing, like chunky blue cheese dressing
Tips to Save Time:
- If you cook bacon on the weekend, make extra and set it aside for the cobb salad during the week. Crumble and freeze bacon bits for later and re-crisped in a pan over medium heat when you’re ready to use them.
- When you have the time, hard-boil a dozen eggs and keep them in the fridge to use all week.
3. Chicken or Shrimp Caesar
In 1924, the original Caesar salad was created by Caesar Cardini, an Italian restaurateur, chef, and hotel owner. The delicious combination of flavors from its one-of-a-kind dressing instantly made this salad a hit. Even kids love this combo (particularly because of the crunchy croutons).
How to Make Caesar Salad:
- Combine crisp green lettuce, croutons, Parmesan cheese, and classic Caesar dressing
- Add chicken or shrimp for extra flavor (optional)
Tips to Save Time:
- Make extra shrimp or chicken while cooking dinner one night. Cube the chicken, remove the shrimp tails, and freeze or refrigerate for later in the week.
