This Crunchy Salad is Approved by Non-Salad Eating Husband

My husband and I, like many couples out there, have a few bones to pick, for the vegetarians that we are. From an effort perspective, it makes zero sense to make multiple dishes for everyone in the family. My argument is that at some point we’ve got to get past eating just root vegetables. For someone who consumes only vegetarian food, my husband is a fussy eater. But this crunchy salad is approved by this non-salad eating husband and if he can eat it, I’m sure the entire world will love it!

Eating uncooked greens not only tastes bad but also terrible for your health

Ok, maybe the tasting bad part is an exaggeration because I will do anything for Burma Star’s Burmese Tea Leaf Salad anyday. My biggest gripe with western style salads, as someone who comes from a culture known for consuming warming foods, is that uncooked greens is a big NO. Of course, we didn’t really get the reasoning back then, except that they were bad for you and consuming greens at night was even worse. Today, we know that many greens are high in oxalic acid, which can lead to an increase in kidney stones. And if this was not bad enough, I also have to somehow get my root-veggie loving husband to have salads once in a while, because urulai cannot be an everyday staple.

How do you get a non-salad eater to eat salad?

As South Indians, we consume a ton of poriyal or curry. What poriyal essentially is, is veggies sauteed in some spices with very little oil. And if you’re from the Southern most southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, you would dress them with a garnish of grated coconut. So do South Indians eat salads? Of course yes, but our definition of salad is different. You eat raw, we eat cooked.

During one of our random discussions surrounding food, I set out on a mission to get my non-salad eating husband to try something salad-y for a change. What I realized was poriyal and salad weren’t that different. They both used flavor and they both used fresh veggies. One was cooked and one was tossed raw. All I had to think about now was how to get a raw salad to taste cooked.

Why we need to take a longer look at the Mediterranean Diet

What interests me about Mediterranean recipes is that they use a ton of raw ingredients in their recipes. The outcome – the dishes taste cooked, even with the abundance of raw ingredients in them. For example, look at Hummus, which, with the exception of cooking the chickpeas, utilises a non-heating method to bring out the flavor. In my effort to find salads that work, the Mediterranean Diet certainly piqued my interest because of how flavorful it is while being nutritionally rich. Also, the fact that it always looks so fresh and healthy.

For long, experts have been insisting on adopting the Mediterranean Diet for its many health benefits. Not only is it full of fresh ingredients, but there are tons of flavors, making even the most boring of ingredients stand out. Honestly, if a cuisine can turn even the salad hater into someone who can accept salads as a reasonable meal choice, it would have to be the Mediterranean Diet.

Why This Salad Will Get Even the Pickiest Eater to Love Salad

I believe any bad tasting food can be solved by crunch. I took the easiest vegetable that will pass the non-salad test – cucumbers and decided to make a salad out of it. Canned chickpeas are fully cooked and ready to eat from the can. Of course, this is not the healthiest option as making them by yourself trumps canned food any day. But the canned stuff helps when you need something in a pinch. And now the world is your oyster. Customize the salad with toppings and flavorings of your choice. By incorporating more Mediterranean-inspired meals like this salad into your diet, you can convert any non-salad eater to mindfully want more salads (shh, it will atleast get them to think they’re eating healthy)

The Best Kind of Salad is One You Can Customize

What I like about this recipe is its versatility. Here are some tips for customizing your Mediterranean salad to your liking:

• Add leafy greens: Use a leafy green like romaine lettuce, spinach, arugula, or kale.
• Change up the veggies: Add roasted bell pepper or any vegetable you have in your fridge, such as zucchini, carrots, or roasted eggplant.
• Add some crunch: To add some texture to your salad, try adding chopped nuts like almonds, walnuts, or pistachios.
• Switch up the cheese: If you’re not a fan of feta cheese, try using a different type of cheese like goat cheese, mozzarella, or Parmesan.

This easy Mediterranean salad recipe is loaded with fresh veggies and tangy feta and needs no fancy dressing. Just a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil will provide the acidity and body you need to create the perfect mouthful. It’s a quick and easy meal that’s perfect for busy weekdays when you don’t have much time to cook. The salad is also great for meal prepping, as you can easily make a large batch and store it in the fridge for up to four days.

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To make this salad, you’ll need cucumber, bell pepper, shallots, garbanzo beans, feta cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Start by washing and chopping the vegetables. That’s it! Now simply toss everything together in a large bowl and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions and Variations for Mediterranean Salad

This salad is a great standalone meal, but you could also serve it as a side dish or appetizer. Here are some serving suggestions and variations to try:

• Serve with pita bread: If you’re looking for a heartier meal, serve the salad with warm pita bread.
• Make it a wrap: Use a large tortilla or lettuce leaves to make a Mediterranean-inspired wrap with the salad ingredients.
• Turn it into a pasta salad: If you’re looking for a twist on the classic salad, try adding cooked pasta to the mix to create a delicious pasta salad.
• Try a different dressing: If you want to add a dressing, try using a store-bought dressing like balsamic vinaigrette or lemon garlic dressing to add a punch without the additional prep time.

My Then-Kindergartner Asks This Salad on Repeat

I make this salad often for my child and her school lunches. Of course, on personal request, I throw black olives in her salad, and she devours every bit of it! This dish is great for potlucks, quick dinners, days you’re calorie counting, or days you simply feel bloated and want something light and filling.

Of course, nothing beats a urulai kari at the end of the day for the South Indian in me. We still need our root veg occasionally and a sotta sotta vatha kuzhambu (literally translates to a vatha kuzhambu dripping with oil). But for the days you want your non-salad eating family to have some salad, this crunchy mediterranean salad is for the win.