Roasted Vegetables
As a college student, I rarely use my oven because I don't like waiting long for my meals. Although quick and easy to whip up, simple salads are conveniently boring.
Adding roasted vegetables to salads add dimensionality like caramelization and sweetness. To make things convenient, I take hearty vegetables like Brussel sprouts and Red peppers and roast them in a 400-degree oven for at least 25 minutes ahead of time.
They keep great in the fridge for at least 2 weeks and I pair them with a balsamic vinaigrette.
Dry Sautéed/Roasted Chickpeas
Adding chickpeas to salads give a nutty, crunchy, toasty taste to salads that wouldn't make the cut otherwise. They can be seasoned with anything and packed with protein, chickpeas can fit any salad fancy.
Simply dry roast some chickpeas in a hot pan for 3-5 minutes with your favorite seasonings (I like a Mediterranean blend) and throw it on your salad. This requires no oil so you can skip the empty calories and instead focus on whole foods.
Finish with a tahini dressing or some homemade hummus to tie your meal together!
Avocado
Honestly was anyone surprised by this one? Contrary to the haters, avocado is a healthy fat that give salads a creamy soft texture to balance the crunchy greens.
Keeping avocados on hand can spruce up your salads, especially when you don't feel like cooking any extra ingredients (because washing one dish is enough).
Top off your avo salad with extra greens like arugula and cilantro to make a simple yet fulfilling meal.
Black Beans
Black beans give a meaty flavor to tasteless salads. When I crave savory food like loaded burritos (sound familiar?) black beans are there for me to fulfill my hearty salad dreams.
Just add them to a pot with chili powder, cumin, and onions to intensify the flavor to any bed of greens. To take it up a notch, along with the black beans I add corn, cilantro, and homemade pico de gallo.
To finish, I add adobo chili's blended with olive oil, honey, and red wine vinegar to make a spicy, creamy dressing.
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