We all know it's important to eat more fresh vegetables and what better way to enjoy them than in a salad? Rather than just a few lettuce leaves tossed in a bowl as an afterthought, I prefer to make the salad a star of the show and as flavorful and texturally interesting as any other type of dish. Most of the salads in this chapter can be enjoyed as a main dish and make a satisfying lunch in themselves. Others are ideal side dishes to complement a meal.

There are hearty noodle salads such as Soba Slaw, Rainbow Rotini Salad, and Sicilian-Style Orzo Salad with Walnuts and Raisins. Grain-centric salads such as Curried Rice and Chickpea Salad, and Quinoa Salad with Apples and Walnuts, are nutritional powerhouses that taste as good as they look. Among the delicious main dish salads are the colorful Black Bean and Sweet Potato Salad and my personal favorite, the Deconstructed Bánh Mì Salad, served with slices of toasted baguette, spread lightly with a spicy vegan mayonnaise.