Vegetarian salads or sides - Sassy, Sweet or Spicey To compliment any meal or a meal in themselves!
Whether you're one who opts for tradition - starting off a delicious meal with a nice salad - or one who goes for the more urban trait of finishing with one - a vegetarian salad can be a delight for the taste buds! In our Salads n' Sides section you will find many salads and some exquisite side dishes that are a delicious treat and can, in fact, be a meal all by themselves. Enjoy!
With the holidays approaching we sometimes struggle with ideas to brighten up the holiday table while keeping it tasty, healthy and interesting at the same time. Here's a great starter salad for your holiday meal. It's light and bold and has terrific flavors mixing all through it.Celery Victor
Ingredients
4 cups fat-free, vegetable broth 1 carrot, cut in 1-inch pieces 1 whole garlic clove, peeled and smashed 1 small onion, quartered 4 parsley sprigs 1 large celery heart 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 4 tsp. extra virgin olive oil 2 (jarred) pimientos or roasted red peppers 8 large Romaine lettuce leaves 2 tsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 tsp. capers, drained, rinsed and finely chopped
Place broth, carrot, garlic, onion and parsley in deep, medium skillet. Cover, and over medium-high heat, bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
Quarter celery heart lengthwise. Cut off and discard leaves, except those on smallest, innermost ribs. Add celery to hot broth. Cover, and simmer until celery is almost tender, 5-8 minutes. The outer ribs should be flexible, not floppy. Cool celery in cooking liquid until lukewarm.
In one-gallon, resealable plastic bag, combine lemon juice with 2 tablespoons of cooking liquid, salt and pepper. Add oil, then celery. Seal bag and marinate celery in refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours. Strain remaining broth and reserve for another use.
Cut marinated celery crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Coarsely chop pimientos and combine with celery.
To serve, make a bed of lettuce on a plate. Mound celery and pimento mixture atop lettuce leaves and spoon few spoonfuls of marinade on top. Sprinkle on parsley and capers, and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 80 calories, 5 g total fat (<1 g saturated fat), 8 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 3 g dietary fiber, 380 mg sodium.
We've adapted this recipe for the vegetarian palate. It is based on the recipe submitted to us from the AICR and written by Dana Jacobi, author of 12 Best Foods Cookbook and contributor to AICR’s New American Plate Cookbook: Recipes for a Healthy Weight and a Healthy Life.
This is a terrific salad that is great any time, but especially in the summer when you can use fresh green beans! It's low calorie (180per serving) and high in protein (9.6 g. per serving).Three Bean Salad Ingredients 1 cup of cooked green beans 1 cup of cooked white beans 1 cup of cooked red kidney beans 1/2 onion, diced 1/2 green pepper, diced 1 medium tomato, diced 1 stalk of celery, diced 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped (or celantro) 1/2 tsp. basil 2 garlic cloves, diced 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar 1 Tbsp. olive or safflower oil 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/4 tsp. salt
Combine beans, green pepper, onion, celery and tomato in a large bowl. Mix in oil and vinegar. Add the parsley, garlic, basil and salt and pepper. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour. Serve chilled.
Here's a great marinara sauce that is excellent with stuffed shells, stuffed manicotti or whatever you put red sauce on!
Peggy's Marinara Sauce contributed by Susan Bell
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 - 4 garlic cloves, chopped 1 large can tomato puree 1 large can chopped tomatoes 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 tbsp. oregano 1 tbsp. parsley 1/2 tbsp. basil sugar to taste
In a large skillet saute the onion and garlic in olive oiluntil "soft". Add remaining ingredients and simmer slowlyfor one hour. Can also be frozen for later use!
If you're like me you enjoy the taste of marinated vegetables or marinated tofu, especially for making kabobs on the grill! So...not too sure this little tidbit belongs in this section but for now you will find it here.Marinade Mix and Match An easy way to create a simple, quick marinade is to think in terms of Acidic, Herb, Flavor So, for example, you can use the following grid to choose any combination of the Acidic, Herb, Flavor columns to create your marinade. Or use more than one herb. Or add your own to the grid. While traditional marinades typically contain some type of oil, most chefs today will agree that it isn't necessary. It may reduce smoking on the grill as well.

So give it a try. Or, as I said, create your own. As long as you keep in mind the Acid, Herb, Flavor trio you'll have a tasty marinade.
MANGO SALSA Makes 3 cups - Vegan - 30 minutes or fewerSmoked paprika comes from Spain, not Hungary, and lends rich flavor to this sweet and spicy salsa. Serve with corn chips, or try as a sauce on grilled tofu steaks. Ingredients 2 mangoes, peeled, pitted, and diced (2 cups) 1 large yellow bell pepper, finely chopped (1 cup) 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 2 Tbs. lime juice 1 red jalapeño chile, finely chopped 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1. Toss together all ingredients in small bowl. Season with salt and additional paprika, if desired. PER 1/4-CUP SERVING: 25 CAL; 1 G PROT; 0 G TOTAL FAT (0 G SAT. FAT); 6 G CARB; 0 MG CHOL; 98 MG SOD; 1 G FIBER; 5 G SUGARS Recipe courtesy of the Vegetarian Times. Food writer and recipe developer Rochelle Palermo lives in Los Angeles, where she can find mangoes in any supermarket at any time of year.
Mary Ann's Hummus Contributed by Mary Ann Spagnuolo
Ingredients 1 15 oz.can chick peas(garbanzo beans), drained The juice from 2 lemons 2 cloves of garlic 2 Tbsp. olive oil 3 Tbsp. Tahini 1/2 cup water salt to taste
Put lemon juice and water in blender first. Add remaining ingredients and blend to a paste. Add more water if needed. Chill or serve at room temperature with pita for dipping or spreading.
Mary Ann's Traditional Tabbouleh Salad Contributed by Mary Ann Spagnuolo
Ingredients 3/4 cup of cracked wheat 2 bunches of fresh parsely, chopped fine 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped fine 1 bunch green onionswith green ends, chopped fine 2 large tomatoes, chopped fine 1 medium cucumber, chopped 2 - 3 tsp. salt Dash of cinnamon 1/2 to 2/3 cup lemon juice 1/2 cup olive oil
Soak cracked wheat in 2 cups of water for about 30 min. Rinse the wheat, drain and squeeze out the water. Toss the vegetables together with the wheat, olive oil and lemon juice. Add the remainng seasonings and mix well. Adjust with more olive oil or lemon juice as needed.
Quinoa TabouliIngredients 1 cup red or white quinoa 2 cups good water 1 or 2 small cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 stalks celery, sliced 1 medium tomato, diced 1/4 medium onion, chopped 1 small bunch parsley, chopped 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil juice of 1 large or 2 small limes Celtic Salt to taste
Add quinoa and garlic to water and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to simmer 15 minutes. Grain should be tender. Remove quinoa from heat and into the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight. Stir the vegetables and oil into quinoa. Add lime juice and mix again. Salt to taste. If you can't wait for the quinoa to cool (or if it's wintertime), this dish tastes great warm, too. Sherri Stockman
www.Real-Foods.net
Indonesian SaladCombining fruit and vegetables in this salad may seem unusual but it is delicious. The beans provide enough protein to make it a complete meal when served with whole grain rolls or brown rice. 1 cup cantaloupe chunks 1 cup pineapple chunks(fresh or canned in juice, drained) 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets 1 cup sweet red pepper, cut into 1 inch squares 1/2 cup celery, chopped 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed 2 Tbs. light molasses 2 Tbs. lemon or pineapple juice 1 Tbs. water 1 1/2 Tbs. reduced sodium soy sauce 1/4 tsp.
Watkins organic garlic powder
1/8 tsp.
Watkins red pepper flakes
1/2 cup peanuts, whole or finely chopped
Combine all fruits and vegetables in large bowl. In small bowl stir together the molasses and all remaining ingredients except the peanuts to make the dressing. Whole peanuts can be added to salad mixture. Chopped peanuts can be added to salad mixture or stirred into dressing. Cover and refrigerate both until ready to serve. Pass dressing separately or toss with salad just before serving.
How about the next step? Find out more about a vegan lifestyle - a mini-guide to vegan nutrition, factory farming, environmental and health concerns with the typical American diet, with descriptions of vegan foods and vegan recipes.Start it off with a great salad from
"Vegan Nutritionista"
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