If you happen to’re on the lookout for a light-weight and refreshing salad that skips the lettuce however not the flavour, this No Lettuce Salad is your reply. Filled with garbanzo beans, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and a zesty dressing on a mattress of cottage cheese, it’s a satisfying and healthful salad that’s good for any meal.
Whether or not you’re having fun with this salad as a light-weight lunch or a facet dish, it’s a easy and nutritious choice that’s something however boring. We’ve been making a model of this salad for YEARS once we’re hungry for veggies, however not on the lookout for a standard lettuce salad. We actually suppose you’ll love this lettuce-free, flavor-packed salad as a lot as we do!
No Lettuce Salad Components
- Garbanzo beans: These give our salad a pleasant, hearty base and usher in some protein energy.
- Cherry tomatoes: These little gems usher in freshness and a touch of sweetness, plus they make the salad look vibrant.
- Pink onion: Provides a pointy and savory kick that takes the flavour up a notch.
- Mini cucumbers: They offer the salad that satisfying crunch all of us love and add a refreshing vibe.
- Balsamic vinegar: These things provides a little bit of candy and tangy goodness to our dressing, making it oh-so-tasty.
- Olive oil: It pairs completely with the balsamic vinegar for a easy but flavorful dressing.
- Recent lemon juice: This zesty addition brings a burst of citrusy freshness that brightens up the entire dish.
- Sea salt: Only a pinch of this magical seasoning enhances the flavors and makes every little thing style even higher.
- Freshly floor pepper: Slightly kick of spiciness that performs properly with all the opposite flavors.
- Every part bagel seasoning: That is the key ingredient that makes our salad distinctive and savory.
- Cottage cheese: It’s the creamy, protein-packed base that makes this salad satisfying and scrumptious.
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Straightforward Ingredient Swaps
This salad is tremendous versatile! We’re at all times utilizing the veggies now we have readily available, so this recipe actually is only one variation of a brilliant versatile salad. Straightforward ingredient swaps embody:
Cheese: we used 2% cottage cheese, however be happy to make use of any number of cottage cheese you’d like!
Veggies: any number of tomatoes or onion could be a straightforward swap for the cherry tomatoes and pink onion this recipe requires. Equally, you too can use any number of cucumber.
Canned beans: the garbanzo beans on this recipe add good taste and protein, however one other white bean like cannellini beans can even work.
Nuts & seasonings: we love the savory taste of every little thing bagel seasoning, however pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or a chopped nut like almonds or pecans would additionally complement this recipe properly.
High Ideas for No Lettuce Salad
Serve instantly or retailer individually: plate this salad with the cottage cheese for those who’re planning to serve it instantly, however for those who’re hoping to meal prep it for later, we suggest storing the veggies and dressing individually from the cottage cheese.
Make it your personal: don’t have all these veggies readily available? No downside! This no lettuce salad is tremendous versatile. Try a few of our simple substitutions above.
The way to Serve This No Lettuce Salad
You may serve this salad as a most important meal or a facet. My household just lately had this with grilled steak and baked potatoes and it was an ideal contemporary pairing. For dessert, strive an in-season fruit crisp equivalent to cherry crisp or triple berry crisp.
As for tips on how to eat this salad itself, you’ll be able to completely get pleasure from it as is with a fork, BUT the dipping choices are additionally limitless, and a few of our favorites embody:
- Toasted slices of French bread
- Crackers
- Tortilla chips
- Pita
- Naan
Storage Directions
This salad is finest made and served instantly, however for those who’re meal prepping or saving for later, we suggest retaining the contemporary components on prime of the cottage cheese layer, and even higher, in a separate container.
By avoiding mixing the contemporary components into the cottage cheese layer, you’ll hold the beautiful look of this salad and keep away from the dairy separating from the moisture of the veggies.
Retailer in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 48 hours.
Pictures: images taken on this put up are by Ashley McGlaughlin from The Edible Perspective.