Healthy Vegan Salad Recipes

This gorgeous salad, packed with vitamin C, will help keep you and your friends healthy during the winter months. Hot chili oil brings the heat in the dressing, while toasted sesame oil adds a nutty note. Creamy avocado and cooling mint balance out the flavors.

This crisp blend of vegetables is offered as a topping or side at Zooba, the Egyptian street food restaurant in New York City. We made it a stand-alone salad to stuff into pita with taameya (Egyptian falafel--see Associated Recipes) or serve with just about anything else. (Recipe adapted from Zooba Restaurant.)

Purslane is a nutrient-packed green with a bright, lemony flavor and delicate crunch. Many gardeners in the U.S. consider it a weed, but Cypriots use it to make refreshing salads. If it isn't growing in your own yard, try calling a local vegetable farmer, who might be pleased to give some away, or you can order it from melissas.com or chefs-garden.com. Watercress makes a peppery substitute in this simple salad recipe.

You don't have to be vegan to enjoy this vegan macaroni salad! The colorful array of veggies give it texture and flavor and help make it lighter than traditional pasta salads. It's perfect to bring along to your next picnic or potluck.

Red cabbage gives this fattoush salad extra crunch. Recipe adapted from New Arrival Supper Club chef Maysaa Kanjo.

Roasted sweet potatoes are paired with spinach, cabbage and white beans and tossed together with a bright basil dressing in this healthy main dish salad.

Kumquats deliver a piquant burst of citrus, especially when eaten skins, seeds and all. Here we toss them with a trio of greens for their vivid orange color as much as their zestiness. Pomegranate seeds and pistachios bring a jewel­like finish.

This healthy high-fiber salad comes together in just 10 minutes. Serve it right away or pack it in individual servings for four super-satisfying high-fiber lunches for the week ahead. To cut down on prep time, we're using preshredded Brussels sprouts from the produce department and store-bought roasted chickpeas. Look for roasted chickpea snacks with the healthy snacks or nuts at your grocery store.

Prep four days' worth of high-protein vegan lunches using just four easy ingredients from your local specialty grocery store, including a veggie-heavy salad mix as a base. Because this salad mix is hearty, you can dress these bowls up to 24 hours before serving to allow the flavors in this healthy chopped salad to marry. If you can't find a hearty mix, go with broccoli slaw or shredded Brussels sprouts.

This colorful and healthy cranberry salad will brighten up any Thanksgiving spread. It's sweet but not overly so, with juicy oranges, crunchy walnuts and crisp celery and apples. It's easy to make and can be prepped ahead--plus, you can use fresh or frozen cranberries, which extends the season of this salad. We call for Honeycrisp apples, but Gala or Fuji would also work well. Serve this cranberry salad with your Thanksgiving turkey, of course, or try it with chicken or pork any time of year.

Inspired by the classic mojito cocktail, this festive and healthy fruit salad gets zing from rum, lime and mint. The optional piment d'Espelette--a sweet, spicy ground pepper from the Basque region of France--adds a hint of heat that's a nice contrast to the sweet fruit. Look for this spice at specialty stores, well-stocked markets or online. You could also swap in chile-lime seasoning blend (such as Tajín) for a similar subtle kick or omit the spice altogether. Feel free to skip the rum if you prefer an alcohol-free salad. With or without the rum, this salad has summertime backyard BBQ written all over it.

Swapping tofu for the bread in these meal-prep Caesar salad bowls bumps up the satiety factor with 18 grams of protein. These crispy tofu croutons originally appeared in Lauren Grant's recipe for Diabetic Living magazine (see Associated Recipes). Lacinato kale, also known as dinosaur kale or Tuscan kale, has flat, dark green-blue leaves--and its tenderness makes it perfect for eating raw, like in this salad.

This easy grilled eggplant salad is the healthy side dish you'll want to serve all summer long. It comes together in just 25 minutes and can be served warm or at room temperature, so it's equally suited to casual parties and weeknight dinners. The combination of eggplant, cherry tomatoes, red peppers, red onions and fresh herbs makes for a salad that's full of bright flavors and colors. Serve it with grilled chicken or fish or as part of a vegetarian mezze platter with dips like hummus and pita bread.

This simple green salad is easy to modify according to your tastes or what's in season. If you serve the dressing on the side, you can always package up the leftover greens and veggies without fearing slimy, wilted greens the next day.

Serve this summery strawberry spinach salad alongside soup or a half sandwich, or top with grilled chicken or roasted salmon for a complete and easy healthy meal.

The homemade balsamic reduction is the key to this healthy grilled eggplant and summer squash salad. It's easy to make but watch the vinegar as it reduces; it can burn easily. If you have any left over, drizzle it on strawberries.

This healthy cucumber-avocado salad takes just five minutes to prep. Lime juice and fresh herbs boost the bright flavors in this crunchy and creamy salad that's a perfect side dish for grilled chicken, fish or steak. This recipe calls for an English cucumber, which doesn't have to be peeled, but regular cucumbers work well too--just peel them before slicing.

Enjoy this fresh-tasting and healthy slaw with Asian flavors as an accompaniment to grilled chicken and fish. If you have a mandoline-style vegetable slicer, use it to slice the radishes easily, but you can also slice them by hand. Using an assortment of colored radishes makes an interesting presentation. Like broccoli, Brussels and other crucifers, radishes boast potent plant compounds credited with anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. The easy sesame dressing is great on all sorts of salads and veggies, such as spinach, broccoli or asparagus.

Layering colorful chopped fruits in a straight-sided trifle bowl gives a refreshing fruit salad a stunning presentation. It's a company-worthy brunch recipe and would also be a star at any potluck picnic.

A splash of prosecco and a little orange juice transform a fresh fruit salad into the perfect brunch dish. To make ahead, prepare the fruit as directed, but don't combine with the mimosa dressing until just before serving so the bubbly maintains its fizz.