Big Salad - No Meat Recipe

Prepare greens

Wash and thoroughly dry the mixed baby greens and romaine. Tear romaine into bite-sized pieces. Place greens in a very large salad bowl and chill briefly while you prepare other components (5–10 minutes).

Prep tomatoes & cucumber

Halve the cherry tomatoes. Peel the English cucumber if desired, cut lengthwise, remove seeds if large, and slice into half-moons. Add to the bowl with the greens or place in a separate bowl to keep juices contained.

Slice peppers, shred carrots

Remove seeds and white ribs from the red bell pepper, then cut into thin strips or small dice. If not pre-shredded, use a box grater to shred carrots. Add to the salad bowl.

Prepare avocado

Halve, pit, and slice the avocado. If you’re not serving immediately, squeeze a little lemon over the slices to slow browning and set aside to add just before serving.

Slice onion & apple

Thinly slice the red onion into half-moons; if onion flavor is strong, soak slices in cold water for 5 minutes then drain. Core and thinly slice the green apple (or pear) into matchsticks or thin wedges; toss with a little lemon juice so they don’t brown.

Cook or warm grain

If you haven’t already cooked farro (or chosen grain), cook according to package directions and let cool to warm/room temperature. Fluff with a fork and spread on a plate to cool faster. Add the cooked grain to the salad bowl.

Prepare chickpeas

Rinse and drain canned chickpeas thoroughly. Optionally pat dry and toss with 1/2 tsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika and a pinch of salt and roast at 400°F/200°C for 15–18 minutes for extra texture. Otherwise, add directly to the bowl.

Toast nuts & seeds

In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the walnuts (or almonds) and pumpkin seeds, stirring constantly until fragrant and lightly browned, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Add cheese and nuts

Crumble the feta or goat cheese. Reserve a small handful of nuts and seeds for garnish and sprinkle the rest over the salad bowl.

Chop parsley and chiffonade the basil if using. Sprinkle herbs over the assembled salad for freshness and aroma.

Make vinaigrette

In a small bowl or jar, combine the extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey or maple syrup, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper. Whisk vigorously or shake in a closed jar until emulsified and slightly thickened.

Dress the salad

Just before serving, drizzle about half the dressing over the salad and toss gently with tongs to coat evenly. Taste and add more dressing if desired.

Arrange the salad so the greens and grains form the base, then tuck in the prepared vegetables, apple slices, avocado, chickpeas, cheese, and most of the toasted nuts/seeds. Sprinkle reserved nuts/seeds on top for crunch. Serve immediately with extra dressing on the side.