Thrown together salad
As I work from home, I like to have a salad for lunch. It’s light, healthy and generally is the best option to stave off a mid afternoon energy slump.
However, preparing a salad for one can be more difficult than you think. I hate cucumber and tomato in a salad and prefer to keep the ratio of lettuce leaves down and rather include more interesting vegetables, seeds, nuts, cheeses and cold meats. It is particularly difficult when you are on your own and don’t want to open three different packets of things just to make one salad. I’m also cooking all the time at the moment for a project I am working on, so I really don’t want to spend more than five minutes on my lunch afterwards.
Here is yesterday’s salad with some leftover roasted butternut squash and a lentil and quinoa salad from M&S which really wasn’t that great.
So, I’m hoping you can help me. What would you put in a quick salad for one for lunch? I need some inspiration!
Addendum: here’s today’s variation on a Waldorf salad with feta (apologies for the quality of the photo, was taken on my iPhone)
I live by myself and work from home, so this is a regular challenge for me. I grow salad leaves on the roof terrace so I can pick what I need as I need it (not quite yet). I make up a week’s supply of caponata (which keeps brilliantly) and hummus and sometimes that roasted aubergine dip (can’t remember the name). I over-cook new potatoes at supper time and make mini potato salads with a bit of mayo and some mustard. I keep jars of olives, red peppers, pickles (especially my own beetroot) artichoke and capers in the fridge when they are opened and I use those little pouches of mixed grains from merchant gourmet which come in two person portions and which also keep for a few days in the fridge when opened. Most of the time I don’t bother with meat at lunchtime. Oh, I’ve also been using a great jar of sliced goat’s cheese in olive oil with chilli and herbs. It lasted for about 6 weeks in the fridge, just taking out a round for lunch to add to pasta or eat with salad.
Gosh, I sound very organised…and I am really not!!!!
Thank you Fiona! Plenty of excellent ideas there. I’m glad it’s not just me who feels challenged by this. I hate waste too, so am mindful of that when planning my meals. Like you, I am out a lot too, which means you don’t want to have too much fresh produce in at a time.
Like you Charlotte, I find a salad for one difficult, but reading Fiona’s reply I’m going to try some new combinations next term.
Thanks for posing the question, and Thanks to Fiona for sharing such wonderful ideas. Jude x
Thank you Jude. Fiona’s ideas are fantastic. I find it much easier to cook for two or three sometimes, as you can just use whole packs of this and that! Just made a feta Waldorf-ish salad which was very nice today (I have to have lunch at midday on the dot!) will upload the picture shortly! x
Hi Charlotte,
I have been going mad for salad this week and have been having the same one but varying the contents. Greek salad is what I have been having. Will throw in anything I have to hand plus feta. Mix it with oil & vinegar then take a good pitta out of the freezer (1 only) and then stuff the salad filling into it. Yummy! Never tire of it although yours sounds wonderful too. Bring on the salads!x
Thanks Laura, me too! Great idea about a pitta with your greek salad : )
Soak and cook different beans and then free freeze them. Grab a handful mid morning so they defrost by lunch and then serve with leaves and a smoked mackerel fillet.
A lovely idea, Helen. I hadn’t thought of cooking and freezing beans. Thank you!
Beans, lots of beans. I made a lovely salad from Matt Wilkinson’s new book Mr Wilkinson’s Favourite Vegetables (a book you may enjoy if you eat lots of veggies!) that was choc-a-block with beans and it was delicious. My review of the book is here – http://thefoodsage.com.au/2012/03/05/mr-wilkinsons-favourite-vegetables-review/.
He uses fresh green and yellow beans and adds a tin of cannellini beans – though i think a tin of four-bean mix would be great too. To that he adds some slithers of tomato, and roasted red onion – but straight red onion would work if you’re time pressed – lots of basil and a lovely dijon mustard and creme fraiche dressing. Lip-smackingly good. And a highly recommendable book!
Thank you – very interesting!
With all this snow, I am back onto soup again. I am eager for asparagus to come into season again. My go to salad for one is a couscous salad with sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, red onion and a little balsamic dressing.
Thank you, that sounds lovely. Know what you mean about going back to winter warmers at the moment!!