Veggie salads are a great way to combine interesting grains, fruits, vegetables, and meats in one dish for a gluten-free diet. As a side or a complete meal, salads are nutritious and delicious, and they're especially great on a hot, summer day, when they make for a cool, quick dinner.
Most of these salad recipes start with a basic bed of greens or a variety of lettuce types. Prewashed bagged greens make these salads even simpler, but of course you can use any type of lettuce you want. Remember that the darker the lettuce, the more nutritious it probably is.
From there, the options are endless. Here are a few favorites:
Cool as a Cucumber Salad: In a medium-sized bowl, mix finely chopped cucumber (peeled and seeded) with plain yogurt, onion powder, lemon juice, and black pepper. Put it over a bed of greens and top it with diced tomatoes.
Grilled Garlic Chicken Salad: In a small bowl, mix 3/4 cup Italian salad dressing with 2 teaspoons minced garlic and a dash of crushed red pepper flakes. Add sliced red bell pepper and sliced mushrooms to the dressing, and toss them so they're well coated. Fish the peppers and mushrooms out of the dressing, setting aside the remaining dressing, and grill the peppers and mushrooms as you grill your chicken. Place salad greens on plates and add the grilled vegetables and chicken. Drizzle the remaining dressing on top.
Thai Beef Salad: Start with a bed of greens and add 1/4 cup mint leaves (torn into large pieces), half a cucumber (peeled and sliced), several thinly sliced pieces of grilled flank steak, 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts, and lime wedges (for garnish). Top the salad with an Asian salad dressing.
Tomato and Basil Salad: Over a bed of greens, add sliced beefsteak tomatoes topped with torn pieces of a large, fresh basil leaf. If you'd like, add a slice of mozzarella. Then drizzle the salad with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Warm Beet Salad: In a large saucepan, cook some green beans in boiling water until they're tender, about 8 minutes. Add a 16-ounce can of sliced beets (drained), and cook them over medium heat until they're heated through. Drain the beans and the beets. Meanwhile, in a screw-top glass jar, combine about 3 tablespoons orange juice, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, and a dash of white pepper. Shake the dressing well. Lay out some mixed greens, place the beans and beets on top of them, and coat the veggies with the dressing.