The Dirt: Easy Homemade Salad Recipes

Are you looking for an easy way to satisfy your tastebuds? Tossed salads are a great way to add a healthy touch to your lunch or dinner time meal! They often get a bad rap for being bland or boring, but not with these easy homemade salad recipes that are perfect for everyone! 

H1: Easy Salads to Satisfy Everyone’s Salad Cravings: 

Salad recipes are my favorite way to showcase vibrant, in-season produce that are so good, you don’t need to do much to make a delicious meal! As the winter season quickly approaches, I like to brighten up the dinner table with colorful veggies and hearty greens. They’re simple to toss together and totally delicious! 

Kale Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing

This happy, feel-good kale salad recipe is packed with colorful veggies, crispy chickpeas, avocado, cranberries and pepitas! 

Ingredients

Carrot Ginger Dressing:

• ½ cup chopped roasted carrots, from 3/4 cup raw carrots
• 1/3 to ½ cup water
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Salad: 

• 1 batch roasted chickpeas
• 1 bunch curly kale, stems removed, leaves torn
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small carrot, grated
• 1 small red beet, grated*
• ½ watermelon radish, very thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
• ¼ cup pepitas, toasted
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• Sea salt & Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions: 

1.Make the dressing and roast the chickpeas: Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the chickpeas with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with pinches of salt and pepper. Place the carrot pieces for the dressing in their own corner on the baking sheet to roast alongside the chickpeas. Roast for 25 to minutes, or until the chickpeas are browned and crisp and the carrots are soft. Set the roasted chickpeas aside. Transfer the carrots to a blender and add the water, olive oil, rice vinegar, ginger, and salt. Blend the dressing until smooth and chill in the fridge until ready to use.

2. Place the kale leaves into a large bowl and drizzle with the lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of olive oil, and a few pinches of salt. Use your hands to massage the leaves until they become soft and wilted and reduce in the bowl by about half.

3. Add the carrot, beet, watermelon radish, half of the cubed avocado, cranberries, pepitas, a few more good pinches of salt and a few grinds of pepper, and toss. Drizzle generously with the carrot ginger dressing. Top with the remaining avocado, more dressing, the roasted chickpeas and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Season to taste and serve.

 This Breath Spray from The Dirt is the perfect way to freshen your breath after having a salad full of radishes! Don’t let your delicious salad ruin your confidence! 

The Ultimate Winter Salad

Ingredients: 

Salad: 

• 6 oz. weight Shredded Kale
• 1/2 Small Lemon, Juiced
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 6 oz. weight Shredded Vegetables, Such As Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots
• 2 Medium Apples, Cored And Diced
• 1 1/2 c. Candied Pecans (See Note)
• 4 oz. weight Crumbled Goat Cheese
• 1 1/2 c. Roasted Butternut Squash (See Note)
• 1/2 c. Pomegranate Arils

 Dressing:

• 1/2 c. Red Wine Vinegar
• 4 tsp. Whole Grain Or Dijon Mustard
• 4 tsp. Pure Maple Syrup
• 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions: 

• Put the shredded kale in a very large salad bowl. Add lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil. Use your hands to massage the lemon juice and olive oil into the greens, about a minute or so. The greens should wilt slightly and take on a deep green color.
• Add the other shredded vegetables/greens to the bowl as well as the chopped apple and pecans.
• Make the dressing by combining all of the dressing ingredients in a lidded glass jar or canning jar. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds and then pour it over the salad. Mix well.
• Add the crumbled goat cheese, butternut squash, and pomegranate arils on top. Serve.

Notes:

• To make the candied pecans, put the pecans in a small skillet with 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup and 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard. Cook on medium-low heat until nuts are toasted and sticky, 5-6 minutes. There shouldn’t be any liquid left in the pan. Add a pinch of salt and remove from the pan to cool before adding them to the salad.
• To make roasted butternut squash, put the squash on a small baking sheet. Toss with 1 tablespoon of avocado oil and a pinch or two of sea salt. Roast at 425ºF until browned and soft, about 15–20 minutes.

Be sure to grab your favorite Plastic Free Silk Floss from The Dirt to remove all of the pecan pieces that never made it from your mouth to your stomach! This floss will not only help your teeth, but it will also help keep our environment from having unwanted plastics! Not only is the floss completely plastic free, the silk floss comes in a recyclable and reusable vial with a metal top! 

Citrus Winter Salad 

Ingredients

• 1 fennel bulb, sliced into wedges and roasted
• 1 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
• 5 radicchio leaves, torn
• 2 satsumas or 1 small orange, segmented
• 1 small pink grapefruit, segmented
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• ¼ cup shaved pecorino
• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon Dressing

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions: 

1. Prepare the roasted fennel according to these directions.
2. Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and Dijon mustard.
3. In a medium bowl, toss the sliced fennel with a few drizzles of the dressing. Set aside for 15 minutes so the fennel softens a bit.
4. Assemble the salad on a platter by arranging half of the sliced fennel, all the roasted fennel, radicchio, and half of the citrus segments. Drizzle with a few spoonfuls of the dressing and sprinkle with salt. Layer the remaining fennel and the remaining citrus onto the salad. Top with the avocado, pine nuts, pecorino, and mint. Drizzle with more dressing, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve.

After you finish eating  this salad that is filled with delicious citrus and acid, be sure to give your pearly whites a good brush with products from The Dirt! The Eco-Friendly Bamboo Toothbrush is perfect in order to remove all of the lemon and grapefruit juices from your teeth!