Serves 2 | Arugula and pear were made to be together. The spiciness of arugula just goes so well with the sweetness of the pear. I’ve added quinoa and tart apples to this lovely union for nutritional and flavorful depth.
1⁄4 c quinoa
1⁄2 c water
2 c arugula
1 Bosc pear, sliced
1 green apple, sliced
Combine quinoa with 1⁄2 cup of water in a saucepan.
Cover and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer until the quinoa is fluffy and water has evaporated, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile plate arugula and pear and apple slices and prepare dressing.
Spoon cooked quinoa (warm or chilled) over salad and drizzle generously with dressing.
Make Ahead 
You can make the quinoa ahead to save time, or make the entire salad, mixing all the components together (except the dressing), refrigerating and later serving as a chilled salad.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION 
168 Calories, 1.6g Fat, 37.2g Carbohydrates, 6.4g Fiber, 16.4g Sugars, 4.2g Protein
Serves 2 | Curry-flavored quinoa adds a nice boost of protein to this refreshing spinach salad. It serves two as a meal or four as a side.
1⁄2 c quinoa
1 c vegetable broth
1 tsp mild yellow curry powder
dash of paprika
4 c fresh baby spinach
1 mango, diced
1 cucumber, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced (optional)
1⁄4 c raisins (optional)
6 oz vegan yogurt (optional)
fresh mint or cilantro, minced, to taste (optional)
CHEF’S NOTE: For a spicy kick, sprinkle mango with chili powder before adding it to the salad.
Mix uncooked quinoa with broth, curry powder, and paprika in a saucepan.
Cover and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the water has evaporated.
Toss spinach with remaining ingredients except yogurt, and plate.
Spoon quinoa (warm or chilled) over the top.
Add a dollop of plain yogurt, or the yogurt mixed with minced fresh mint or cilantro, if you want a cool dressing with the salad.
Make Ahead You can make the quinoa ahead to save time, or make the entire salad, mixing all the components together (except the yogurt), refrigerating, and later serving as a chilled salad.
CHEF’S NOTE: I like to leave the skin on the cucumber for added nutrition, but you can remove it.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (WITHOUT YOGURT) 331 Calories, 4.1g Fat, 66.9g Carbohydrates, 8.01g Fiber, 29.5g Sugars, 12.1g Protein
Serves 2 | Cherries add a nice, natural sweetness to this salad so it doesn’t need any dressing. It’s one of my favorite light summertime meals and it’s very filling. Apple slices and chopped raw walnuts also make a nice addition. This salad serves two as a meal or four as a side.
1 c water
1⁄4 c dried cherries
1⁄2 c quinoa
4 c baby spinach
1 c chickpeas
1 cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced
dried cherries, for garnish
juice of 1 or more lemon wedges
CHEF’S NOTE: I like to use red quinoa here so the color of the quinoa visually matches the cherry taste. However, regular (white) quinoa may be substituted.
Bring water to a boil.
Once boiling add cherries, cover, turn off heat, and let sit for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes the water should take on a pink hue, some of the cherries should be floating, and all of them should look bloated.
Transfer to a blender and whiz until smooth (a few cherry bits are okay). Look at the markings on your blender to make sure you have 1 cup of liquid, but if not, add a little more water. if you have more than 1 cup, drain excess off.
Return to saucepan and add quinoa, stirring to combine.
Bring to a boil and once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer until water has cooked off, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss spinach with remaining ingredients and plate.
Sprinkle with quinoa (warm or chilled) and squeeze lemon juice over the top.
Make Ahead Soak the cherries in water overnight or all day while you’re at work and skip the boiling process. You can also make the quinoa ahead to save time, or make the entire salad, mixing all the components together, refrigerating and later serving chilled.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION 531 Calories, 8g Fat, 95.1g Carbohydrates, 20.1g Fiber, 20.8g Sugars, 24.3g Protein
Serves 1 | Pictured on following page and here | My all-time favorite salad and go-to lunch when it’s too hot to cook.
2 c chopped lettuce
1⁄4 c cooked brown rice
1⁄3 c canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1⁄4 c yellow corn
1⁄4 c chopped tomato
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 tbsp chopped green onions
corn chips (optional)
Mix all ingredients together, except corn chips.
Break chips over top of the salad, if using.
For a dressing, use hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Cholula, with fresh lime juice or salsa. Barbecue sauce also makes a fine dressing!
CHEF’S NOTE: Cooked barley may be substituted for the brown rice.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (WITHOUT DRESSING OR CORN CHIPS) 206 Calories, 1.4g Fat, 41.3g Carbohydrates, 7.9g Fiber, 5.3g Sugars, 10.1g Protein
Serves 1 | This salad is absolutely stunning and has a gourmet feel about it, making it perfect for dinner parties. Plus nothing beats fresh strawberries when they’re in season.
Balsamic-Dijon Vinaigrette or fresh lemon juice
2 c baby spinach
1 c sliced strawberries
2 to 3 hearts of palm, sliced
1⁄4 c canned white beans or chickpeas, or cubed tofu
1 tbsp chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Prepare dressing and set aside.
Plate spinach, then add remaining ingredients.
Drizzle dressing generously over the top and serve.
CHEF’S NOTE: Thawed frozen strawberries may be substituted during the off-season, but fresh is far superior.
Balsamic-Dijon Vinaigrette 
Serves 1 | This is my go-to salad dressing because it comes together in seconds. For a healthy snack, I like to dip pear slices straight into this dressing.
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp water
agave nectar, to taste
Whisk Dijon with vinegars and water.
If it’s too tart, add drops of agave nectar to taste.
STRAWBERRY & SPINACH SALAD (WITHOUT DRESSING OR NUTS) 112 Calories, 1.7g Fat, 17.4g Carbohydrates, 6g Fiber, 7.6g Sugars, 10.4g Protein
BALSAMIC-DIJON VINAIGRETTE (1 TSP) 1 Calorie, 0.1g Fat, 0.1g Carbohydrates, 0g Sugars, 0g Fiber, 0.1g Protein
Serves 1 | While some people favor ranch, Thousand Island, or French, my pick was always Italian dressing. I like how Italian dressing brings out the subtle flavors in lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, and other salad staples, rather than masking it completely as creamy dressings tend to do. Here is my quick, go-to recipe for Italian dressing.
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1⁄4 tsp Dijon mustard
Italian seasoning
dash of onion powder (granulated)
dash of garlic powder (granulated)
agave nectar, to taste
Whisk vinegar and Dijon mustard together.
Add several dashes of Italian seasoning and whisk—it should become speckled with green bits.
Add 2 light dashes of onion and garlic powder, and whisk again.
If it’s too tart or acidic, add a few drops of agave nectar to taste. If it’s still too sharp, add more agave nectar and try diluting it with 1 to 2 teaspoons of water or broth (some vinegars and mustards are stronger than others).
CHEF’S NOTE: For a complementary salad, use romaine lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, and pitted black olives.
CHEF’S NOTE: Feel free to try other vinegars you like here, such as distilled white vinegar or red wine vinegar.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (APPROX. 3 TBSP) 11 Calories, 0.2g Fat, 0.9g Carbohydrates, 0g Fiber, 0g Sugars, 0.1g Protein
Makes 1 cup | This is my low-fat version of Annie’s famous Goddess Dressing. It’s rich and creamy and great on salads or as dipping sauce for crudités.
2 green onions
6 oz silken tofu
1⁄4 c nondairy milk
1 small garlic clove
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1⁄4 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1⁄8 tsp liquid smoke
1 to 2 tsp tahini (optional)
Chop the rooty bottom off the green onions.
Combine all ingredients in a blender and whiz until smooth and creamy.
Taste, adding more low-sodium soy sauce or lemon if desired.
CHEF’S NOTE: 1⁄2 package of Mori-Nu tofu (any firmness) can be substituted for the silken tofu.
Caesar Dressing 
Makes 1 cup | Pictured here | This dressing makes a satisfying salad out of lettuce.
1⁄2 pkg Mori-Nu tofu
1 garlic clove
3 tbsp nondairy milk
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tsp yellow miso
1 tsp onion powder (granulated)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1⁄2 tsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
1 to 2 tsp brine from capers or green olives
2 to 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.
Taste, adding more lemon, brine, and agave nectar if necessary.
If it’s too thick, add another 1 tablespoon of nondairy milk.
CHEF’S NOTE: Any firmness of Mori-Nu can also be used.
Makes 6 | Pictured here | These cool and refreshing lettuce wraps make for a quick lunch, especially if you already have cooked rice on hand.
Thai Peanut Sauce, to taste
1⁄2 c cooked brown rice
1 cucumber, sliced thinly
1 c cubed tofu
1 carrot, shredded
6 lettuce leaves
3 green onions, sliced (optional)
bean sprouts (optional)
fresh cilantro (optional)
juice of lime wedges (optional)
Prepare the peanut sauce first and set aside so the flavors can intensify while you assemble the wraps.
Spoon all remaining ingredients, except lime wedges, into lettuce wraps.
Squeeze fresh lime juice over the top if desired.
Drizzle with Thai Peanut Sauce and serve.
Thai Peanut Sauce 
Serves 4 | This creamy Asian-inspired peanut sauce is great as a dipping sauce or salad dressing.
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp warm water
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
juice of 1 lime wedge
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
11⁄4 tsp rice vinegar
few light dashes of garlic powder (granulated)
few light dashes of ground ginger
1 to 2 drops Sriracha (Asian hot sauce)
1 tbsp nondairy milk
In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine peanut butter, water, chili sauce, lime juice, low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic powder and ground ginger, and Sriracha. If you’re using unsweetened peanut butter, you might also want to include a drop or two of agave nectar.
Microwave for 20 seconds, whisk, then whisk in nondairy milk.
Taste, adding more hot sauce as desired.
