Who says a mixed greens recipe has to be boring? Not me!
Well, at least not me anymore. I used to cringe at mixed greens... yet I realized not all salads are created equal. Take this gem for instance. This mixed greens recipe is filled with a nutrient-rich leafy green base, tangy green apple, creamy avocado, and crunchy almonds. Seriously, this salad is the perfect way to fuel your body with tons of plant based goodness!
What to do with mixed greens
Making a salad that actually tastes good only takes a few key elements: fresh greens, toppings and a good dressing. As a result, the days of ranch on iceberg are over for good! Hallelujah!
Why are leafy greens good for you?
Did you know you can get not only nutrients, but also water, minerals and fiber from an awesome salad of mixed greens like this one? Obviously these are some pretty powerful plants!
According to a study done by Harvard, greens like kale, spinach and arugula are powerhouses when it comes to providing you with nutrients like Vitamin A, folate and Vitamin C - plus fiber, water and magnesium to help your digestion. Meanwhile, you just thought you were enjoying a yummy bowl of mixed greens topped with your fav homemade dressing. Go you!
To wash or not to wash?
There is a great deal of debate on whether or not you should wash greens before using. Haven't we all been there? You show up to a friend's house for dinner, excited to get in the kitchen to help - only to be mortified to see her dump a plastic box of greens into a bowl for tonight's salad. If it's pre-washed, then is it okay? What about organic?
Turns out, if your packaging states those lovely mixed greens have been pre-washed by a company that uses GMP or "good manufacturing processes", you're good to go.
That's according to most sources, including an article published by the University of Minnesota. On the other hand, a recent study done by Consumer Reports says that we should all be washing any produce that comes into our cooking spaces, whether "pre-washed", organic or otherwise. This is because even those mixed greens carefully washed by well meaning producers can still contain contaminants from ewwwie poo-ies (E. coli, etc.), chemicals and more.
After reading that, um...would you excuse me one sec while I wash up some leafy stuff for this mixed greens recipe?
How to take your salads on the go
Now, back to the reason we're here. On with the salad! The strawberry herb dressing included in the recipe below is ah-mazing. Seriously, I could drink it.
If you want these greens to travel, then you can prep your salad ahead of time in a mason jar. It's seriously so easy! Simply layer the ingredients in the mason jar, but store the (yummy, strawberry) dressing in a separate container. When you're ready to eat, pour the dressing on, give the mason jar a good shake, and enjoy!
More simple salad recipes
Does this recipe have you jonesing for more fresh ways to use those mixed greens in your fridge? Yeah, me too. If you're ready more crunch and more yummy homemade dressings, here's a list of my favs for you!
Pear salad with pomegranate
Hearty mason jar salad
Healthy taco salad
Vegan salad with spiralized sweet potatoes
If you give one of these or the recipe below a taste, then let me know by rating and commenting below!
Mixed Greens Salad
Rate this Recipe Print RecipeIngredients
FOR SALAD:
- 2 cups mixed greens (loosely packed)
- ½ cup cucumber (thinly sliced)
- ½ cup green apple (diced)
- ½ avocado (sliced or diced)
- 2 tablespoon almond slices
FOR DRESSING:
- ½ cup strawberries (diced)
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil (roughly chopped)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- pinch sea salt
- pinch black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Arrange salad ingredients on a large plate.
- Puree the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Drizzle some of the dressing over salad (you may not need all of it). Eat immediately.
Notes
- Sub in 2 cups of spinach or 1 cup spinach, 1 cup baby kale for 2 cups mixed greens
Debra
THANK YOU for making a salad loaded with toppings- that's always my fav part! The peaches and dressing went so well together too— I loved it and and will be making it again.
Kim
Perfect summertime dinner! SO good!
Janice
Very tasty!
Kitty
Is the sodium level correct? 2,358.7mg per serving!!
Simple Green Smoothies
Hi Kitty! Great catch. Our recipe nutrition info pulled the wrong type of salt. It's now ~1500 mg of sodium per serving, using sea salt. Leaving out that optional pinch of salt will take it down to 33 mg of sodium per serving. 🙂
Elizabeth Creighton
My husband and I had started the Spring Cleanse just before the Virus hit our area in Massachusetts. We feel great and VERY healthy. Both of us have underlying conditions and feel confident with proper cautionary practices and continuing on the cleanse, we will be fine. The amount of food that each recipe produces is too much for us (late 70's and unable to do much strenuous exercising) so we extend the cleanse by using up the extras every few days before we move on to the next couple of days. My husband is constantly saying "I really like this food!!" This salad is one of the early meals in the cleanse -- definitely a keeper!!
SGS Rawkstar Jess
Thank you for your comments, Elizabeth, so glad you both are loving the cleanse recipes! That's great you and your husband are taking care of yourselves from the inside out, especially now when it's more important than ever to have a strong immune system. Continue to stay safe and healthy!
Carlina
This is a delicious salad. And the dressing is soooo good! It's very easy to put together.
Denise
I am super picky about homemade dressings but this one is amazing - definitely a keeper! The cucumber and apple are really refreshing too!
Alyssa
This recipe is amazing. It was quick to make and delicious. I especially loved making my own fresh dressing!
Carol
Recipe was easy to make and it was delicious. I loved having fresh ingredients in my salad dressing.
Nickie K
This is delicious! The hint of sweetness in the dressing is wonderful’
Tabatha
I LOVE this salad! So easy to make your own dressing and the summer vibe is refreshing! Fills you up and keeps this sugar craving lady happy, happy, happy!
AnnMarie
5 stars! Awesome, bright and delicious. Just in time for warm weather.
Dressing is so fresh!
Paula
Loved this salad, the dressing is rawsome!
Krista Wooley
This is an extremely tasty salad! My only qualm (which is the reason for 4 stars instead of 5!) was that a single serving of the dressing did not blend well AT ALL in my blender. I know if I increased it to at least double it would blend up better. Obviously it was still delicious with chunky basil and strawberry (PS- love that combo!!).
Makini
Not a fan of the dressing at all...I ended up using lemon juice, salt and pepper
Clara
Dressing is really delicious! Just make sure you don't overdo it on the basil (unless you love basil). I couldn't finish this salad when I made it, very satisfying!
Heather Paul
Amazing! This dressing is my new favorite!
Diane
Opps! Forgot to rate it with my previous review. This is awesome stuff!
Diane
You'll want to make a double batch of this stuff! The dressing is delicious! I like to toast the almonds myself for a nuttier flavor. Perfect for a lighter meal, especially in the summer when the strawberries are at there sweetest!
Noga
Hi,
Do you use raw almonds for this salad?
Thank you!
SGS Rawkstar
Hi Noga,
We do! If you don't have them on hand, you can use roasted, as long as they're not salted.