30 Recipes to Use Up All Your Summer Greens That Aren't Salad
It's the perfect time to harvest the greens from your garden and turn them into a delicious meal. Whether you have greens like spinach, lettuce or arugula, or herbs like basil and cilantro, these recipes will keep you full. Feel free to swap greens depending on what you have on hand. Recipes like Spicy Tomato & Arugula Pasta and Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken Breasts are bold, healthy and use greens in a tasty way.
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Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps
Stuff crisp lettuce leaves with a savory filling inspired by PF Chang's famous lettuce wraps. These low-carb wraps made with tofu, mushrooms and daikon radish are an easy vegetarian dinner that beats takeout! Garnish the wraps with julienned carrots for added crunch. Source: EatingWell.com, January 2020
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Buttermilk Fried Tofu with Smoky Collard Greens
Dipping tofu in buttermilk makes the coating stick for a crispy pan-fried tofu, reminiscent of fried chicken. Spicing up the collards with paprika coats them with smoky flavor while keeping this dish vegetarian. And this quick, easy and healthy dinner comes together in just 25 minutes, so it's great for busy weeknights. Source: EatingWell Magazine, October 2019
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Chicken & Collard Green Spring Rolls
A quick pickling turns collard stems from trash to a treasure, adding a pleasant tang to these leaf-wrapped spring rolls. Serve as a healthy main dish or cut into quarters and serve as a colorful appetizer. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2018
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Chicken & Apple Kale Wraps
Using kale leaves instead of bread to wrap your filling makes this healthy chicken lunch recipe low-calorie (and lower in carbs!). If you can't find lacinato (aka Tuscan) kale, try cabbage for your wrap. Source: EatingWell.com, April 2017
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Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Feta cheese, roasted peppers, spinach and more flavors from the Mediterranean fill these easy stuffed chicken breasts. Browning the chicken in a skillet before baking gives it a beautiful golden color, and finishing it in the oven ensures that this healthy baked chicken recipe cooks evenly throughout. Source: EatingWell.com, November 2019
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Seared Scallops with White Bean Ragu & Charred Lemon
This recipe for seared scallops with white beans and spinach turns out a healthy dinner that looks impressive (and tastes great) in just 25 minutes. Giving lemons a quick sizzle in the skillet amps up the flavor of this piccata-inspired dish. The heat helps release even more citrus juice and sweetens it too. When shopping for scallops, look for ones labeled "dry." Some scallops are soaked in a solution that prevents them from searing properly and can give them a soapy flavor. Source: EatingWell Magazine, September 2019
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Baby Kale, Goat Cheese & Red Onion Tart
During the holidays, we need workhorse recipes. This savory tart recipe--which works for breakfast, lunch or a casual dinner--is just that. Source: EatingWell Magazine, December 2019
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Cilantro-Lime Chicken Tacos
A quick lime marinade does double duty as a sauce in these tangy chicken tacos. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Summer 2020
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Pesto Spaghetti Squash Bake
This delicious, cheesy, full-flavored pesto-stuffed spaghetti squash is hearty and filling, full of vegetables and topped with melted fresh mozzarella cheese. It's a perfect main dish for vegetarians and nonvegetarians alike! Source: EatingWell.com, May 2020
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Quick Kale Dolmas
For a quick version of stuffed grape leaves, we've put all the flavors of a traditional dolma recipe into a cooked filling that's simply wrapped in blanched kale leaves--no need to simmer for hours. Source: EatingWell Magazine, December 2019
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Spicy Tomato & Arugula Pasta
The simplicity of this healthy pasta recipe makes it good family fare. For a touch of heat, mild Anaheim chiles are augmented with crushed red pepper and garlic. Source: EatingWell Magazine, May 2020
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PLT Pizza
With pancetta, lettuce and tomato, this pie combines salad and pizza all in one, a pizz-alad if you will! It's a delicious mess--serve it with knives, forks and plenty of napkins. Source: EatingWell Magazine, June 2020
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Chicken Pesto Panini
In this chicken pesto panini recipe, the extra-thin bread gets nice and crispy, the mozzarella melts beautifully and the arugula adds a fresh and peppery note to complement the pesto. It's a delicious and easy panini to throw together! Source: EatingWell.com, May 2020
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Lentil Bowls with Fried Eggs & Greens
Lentils are a quick and easy protein. We like French green lentils, which hold their shape when cooked. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Summer 2020
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BBQ Shrimp with Garlicky Kale & Parmesan-Herb Couscous
In the U.S., dry whole-wheat couscous has been partially cooked, making it a quick-cooking (5 minutes!) whole-grain weeknight dinner champ. And when you buy peeled shrimp, plus a bag of prechopped kale and bottled barbecue sauce, the savings in prep time helps to get this healthy dinner done in a jiff. Source: EatingWell Magazine, September 2019
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Pizza Sliders
Mini burgers make a fun, kid-friendly meal. Italian herbs, marinara and melty mozz give them the appeal of pizza. Source: EatingWell Magazine, June 2020
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Basil-Chickpea Flatbread
A flavorful combination of chickpeas, cashews, and garlic forms a protein-rich base for this homemade flatbread. Store-bought crust makes prep a breeze. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Summer 2020
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Slow-Cooker Soy-Glazed Pork in Lettuce Cups
The bright flavors in these slow-cooker pork lettuce cups are a creative spin on weeknight dinner. Pickled carrots and radishes lend tartness to the dish while the orange peels and cinnamon add citrus and spice. You can make the pickled vegetables up to 5 days ahead. Source: Everyday Slow Cooker
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Mushroom Shawarma with Yogurt-Tahini Sauce
The bold spices and cooling and creamy tahini-yogurt sauce make these vegetarian pitas a home run for lunch or dinner. The meaty, umami-rich mushrooms do enough heavy lifting so that you don't miss the meat at all. Source: EatingWell.com, May 2020
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Herby Mediterranean Fish with Wilted Greens & Mushrooms
This Mediterranean fish recipe makes a tasty and healthful weeknight meal. Serve with wild rice or roasted potatoes. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Spring 2020
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Greek Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
A mixture of tomatoes, spinach, feta, olives and fresh oregano gives portobellos a Mediterranean vibe in this healthy stuffed mushroom recipe. Serve these along with chicken, fish or tofu as a super-satisfying side dish, or add a hearty salad and make them the centerpiece of a vegetarian dinner. Source: EatingWell.com, July 2019
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Slow-Cooker Braised Collard Greens with Pepperoncini
Collard greens have large, dark green leaves that are dense with vitamins, calcium and fiber. The briny pepperoncini and salty pancetta add enough brightness to this dish to balance the collards' vegetal flavor. These slow-cooker collard greens pair perfectly with braised meat or barbecue. Source: Everyday Slow Cooker
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Baked Falafel Sandwiches
This street-style falafel sandwich is herbaceous, tangy and rich. The falafel gets nice and crispy in the oven while the veggies inside keep it simple and fresh. Make the tahini sauce (see Associated Recipes) ahead of time for easy prep. Wrapping the sandwich in foil makes it a perfect bring-along lunch and helps hold it together for eating on the go. Source: EatingWell.com, March 2020
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Roasted Cauliflower Steak & Spanakopita Melts
In this genius carb swap recipe, we take all the flavors of the Greek spinach pie, spanakopita, and put it on a low-carb roasted cauliflower steak. Plus, because you don't have to deal with the fussy layers of phyllo, it's perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. Source: EatingWell Magazine, September 2019
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Slow-Cooker Kale & Gruyère Strata with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
For a lazy-morning breakfast or when hosting a brunch, make this easy vegetarian recipe your game plan. Be sure to use crusty, freshly baked bread from the bakery section of your supermarket instead of a premade loaf from the bread aisle. Serve with seasonal fruit and juice to balance the richness of the egg and cheese. Source: Everyday Slow Cooker
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Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach & Feta Penne Pasta
In this quick 20-minute dinner recipe, tender penne pasta is combined with garlic, roasted red peppers and spinach and topped with crumbled feta cheese for a fast and easy Mediterranean-inspired meal. This recipe was graciously shared by EatingWell reader Dottie Carpenter, who states, "Recipes are no good if they're not shared!" Source: EatingWell.com, March 2020
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Goddess Veggie Bowls with Chicken
Dark green dinosaur kale contrasts with the warm tones of bell peppers and tomatoes in these hearty chicken and veggie bowls. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Spring 2020
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Pasta Salad with Arugula-Lemon Pesto
If you want proof that school gardens help create sophisticated and adventurous eaters, look no further. Just say "arugula-lemon pesto" to yourself and marvel that the origin of this pasta salad recipe is a cookbook that is an offshoot of school garden programs in Vermont. Source: EatingWell Magazine, April 2020
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Turkey & Cheddar Lettuce Wraps
Crispy green lettuce leaves hold the filling inside this low-carb turkey wrap. It's perfect for lunch or a quick, easy dinner on the go. Source: EatingWell.com, December 2019
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Greek Spinach Pie Calzone
This spinach pie-inspired calzone is stuffed with the traditional spanakopita filling, but is made with prepared pizza dough so it's much easier than making pies with phyllo. Serve this easy calzone recipe for a weeknight dinner, or slice them and serve as part of a casual party spread. Source: EatingWell Magazine, September 2019