In the event you would have informed me this time final yr that my go-to lunch can be a salad, I most likely would have laughed on the thought.
This may be shocking, however in relation to lunch, I’ve all the time been a sandwich-over-salad particular person. I even used to inform individuals if I needed to eat just one meals for the remainder of my life, it might be a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Grilled cheese, wraps, veggie sandwiches, you identify it: it is all up my alley, and I by no means thought {that a} salad would give me the identical satisfaction.
However because the begin of the yr, I have been consuming the identical lunch every single day—and it is a salad. And I really stay up for it each afternoon.
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So what is the 5-ingredient lunch that made me fall in love with salad? It is our Fall Chopped Salad with Spinach, Butternut Squash, Apples & Cheddar—with just some tweaks. To maintain it easy, I omit the butternut squash and use my favourite premade or store-bought dressing (I am at the moment loving a lightweight drizzle of this Briannas Homestyle Creamy Balsamic Dressing).
All it took have been these 5 elements to have me craving salad every single day: child spinach, a Gala apple, sharp cheddar cheese, a flavorful dressing and pecans, or actually any nut will do—I generally choose shaved almonds. Sometimes I will add a number of croutons if I am within the temper for extra crunch, however that is positively optionally available.
With my tweaks, this salad is even simpler to organize. All it’s a must to do is chop up your apple and cheese into bite-sized items earlier than combining your elements. In the event you’re eager to meal prep your lunch the night time earlier than, conserving your elements separate earlier than you are able to eat will preserve them brisker for longer. And remember to preserve the dressing on the facet till you are able to eat to assist preserve the spinach crisp.
In the event you’re seeking to make a home made dressing, our Copycat Olive Garden Italian Dressing and our Honey-Balsamic Dressing would additionally style unimaginable with this recipe.
The mix of leafy greens, fiber-rich fruit and protein from the nuts and cheese is what makes this salad the right lunch for me. It additionally follows our recipes parameters for healthy immune function, so it is particularly becoming to get pleasure from in the course of the present chilly and flu season.
To make it extra satisfying, it is all about customizing your salad with elements that you realize you will love. With scrumptious flavors and easy steps, you will be craving a salad every single day similar to me.
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