I love a good salad, especially during the hot days of summer in Minnesota. Not a boring side salad. It’s got to be filled with fresh herbs and vegetables in a rainbow of colors and textures that stimulate the taste buds with every bite! A salad so good that you just want to tell everyone. Below is a collection of our favorite healthy salads, curated by the naturopathic doctors and staff at Be Well Natural Medicine. All of the recipes are gluten-free, no-bake, and they are quite easy to make with most needing under 10 ingredients.

Quick and Zesty Italian Chopped Salad

My ultimate summer salad. I think I could eat it every day. It’s packed veggies, herbs and features the delicious banana pepper! It needs neither an oven nor a stove - just chop the ingredients and make a super simple dressing with red wine vinegar, dijon and garlic. I always add olive oil and chickpeas to this recipe. Enjoy!

Recipe by Lillie Eats & Tells

Wild Salmon Salad

This Wild Salmon Salad, courtesy of Dr. Natalia Pellegrino, is a great way to get more healthy Omega-3 fats in your diet. In her article “Debunking The Fat Myth”, Dr. Pellegrino gives an in-depth comparison of good fats versus bad fats and reasons why we should eat healthy fats.

1 can of Wild Planet wild salmon
1 stalk celery, diced
Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1-2 Tbs mayo (Dr. Pellegrino likes avocado-based mayo by Primal Kitchen)
1 tsp dijon mustard
Splash of lemon juice
Spices to taste - salt, pepper, powdered onion, garlic, celery salt, and dried dill
Optional but recommended: Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel Seasoning

Succulent Supper Salad

This delicious supper salad has been in Dr. Leslie Vilensky’s rotation all summer.

She loves it, her husband loves it, and her kids love it, too.

Pair this salad with a soup, protein, or enjoy all on it’s own.

Recipe Cynthia Lair - "Feeding the Whole Family"

Chopped Thai Salad with Sesame Garlic Dressing

This salad is a staple that that we’ve been making for years!

The Trader Joe's Thai cashews can be swapped out for regular unseasoned cashews for a more mellow flavor.

Recipe Pinch of Yum

BBQ Corn Salad

This recipe knocks the socks off of Cowboy Caviar. It’s fresh, vibrant and it has almost all the colors of the rainbow.

Pair with grilled chicken, avocado and some fresh power greens.

Serves about 4:

2 ears of corn (grilled or boiled)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno (seeds or no seeds - you pick your spice adventure)
1 medium cucumber, diced
½ red onion, diced
Juice of 2 limes (or to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)

Boil or grill corn ears and then slice the corn off of the cob when cooked. Chop everything up and mix together!

Golden Fennel Salad

Salad:

1 bunch spinach
1 bunch arugula
1/2 head of fennel (or more if you love fennel) - thinly slice or use a mandolin- tip: save the fennel tops to garnish your salad before serving

1 pint fresh strawberries - de-stem and slice
2 small-medium or 1 large raw golden beet - peeled and chopped
1-2 chopped green onions
sunflower or pine nuts

Lemon Dressing: (Measurements for this dressing are approximate, adjust to taste).

1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1-2 springs fresh chopped rosemary
salt
pepper
garlic powder
Place in blender or whisk ingredients together.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Liz Orchard is Chief Naturopathic Doctor, CEO and founder of Be Well Natural Medicine. After graduating magna cum laude with a B.A. in pre-medical studies from the University of St. Thomas (2001), Dr. Orchard earned her Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine (2008), with honors, from the oldest fully accredited Naturopathic medical school, National College of Natural Medicine, in Portland, Oregon…

Learn more about Dr. Orchard