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  6. 21 High-Protein Spring Salads That Are Bright and Delicious

21 High-Protein Spring Salads That Are Bright and Delicious

Alex Loh
Alex Loh Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD April 21, 2021
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
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Salad Primavera with Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette
Credit: Eva Kolenko

Enjoy a filling and fresh spring salad for lunch or dinner. These salads are packed with nutritious vegetables and have at least 15 grams of protein, so you'll feel full and satisfied. Try recipes like Salad Primavera with Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette and Strawberry-Balsamic Spinach Salad with Chicken for a seasonal and tasty meal.

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Warm Salad with Chicken Paillards & Chèvre

<p>This satisfying dinner salad was one of the favorites chosen from over 1,000 salad recipes for our 30th anniversary issue. Victoria Abbott Riccardi originally shared this recipe in a feature on different types of cutlets in 2005. She crumbled nutty aged goat cheese on top--look for it in the specialty cheese section.</p>
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This satisfying dinner salad was one of the favorites chosen from over 1,000 salad recipes for our 30th anniversary issue. Victoria Abbott Riccardi originally shared this recipe in a feature on different types of cutlets in 2005. She crumbled nutty aged goat cheese on top--look for it in the specialty cheese section.

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Citrus Lime Tofu Salad

<p>This veggie-packed salad has plenty of protein and fiber, so you'll feel full and satisfied. Prep the ingredients ahead of time for an easy vegan lunch idea to pack for work.</p>
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This veggie-packed salad has plenty of protein and fiber, so you'll feel full and satisfied. Prep the ingredients ahead of time for an easy vegan lunch idea to pack for work.

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Falafel Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

falafel salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing
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Deep-fried falafel can be a total grease bomb. But these pan-seared falafel still get crispy in just a few tablespoons of oil with equally satisfying results. Be sure to use dried, instead of canned, chickpeas in this healthy recipe--canned chickpeas add too much moisture.

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Strawberry-Balsamic Spinach Salad with Chicken

<p>A quick blender vinaigrette does double duty as dressing for this strawberry spinach salad and, with the addition of ketchup and strawberry preserves, as a barbecue sauce for the tenders.</p>
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A quick blender vinaigrette does double duty as dressing for this strawberry spinach salad and, with the addition of ketchup and strawberry preserves, as a barbecue sauce for the tenders.

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Salad Primavera with Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette

Salad Primavera with Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette
Credit: Eva Kolenko
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This is a salad where the vegetables really shine and the lettuce plays a supporting role. It requires a bit of work up front to blanch all the veg, but the results are impressive.

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Blackened Chicken with Chopped Salad

Blackened Chicken with Chopped Salad
Credit: Jason Donnelly
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In this spin, we coat this blackened chicken with spices common to Cajun cooking, like dried thyme and cayenne pepper. Then, instead of using the traditional method of searing in a cast-iron pan, we take advantage of the warmer weather by grilling outside.

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Shrimp & Vegetable Red Rice Salad

<p>This healthy rice salad is loaded with vegetables and protein. Serve it as a healthy dinner or pack it up and take it along for your next picnic. Bhutanese red rice has a nutty taste and pleasant chewy texture, but any type of whole-grain rice tastes great in this hearty salad recipe. Check package directions: depending on the variety, red rice cooks for 20 to 50 minutes.</p>
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This healthy rice salad is loaded with vegetables and protein. Serve it as a healthy dinner or pack it up and take it along for your next picnic. Bhutanese red rice has a nutty taste and pleasant chewy texture, but any type of whole-grain rice tastes great in this hearty salad recipe. Check package directions: depending on the variety, red rice cooks for 20 to 50 minutes.

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Mediterranean Tuna-Spinach Salad

Mediterranean Tuna-Spinach Salad
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This tuna salad recipe gets an upgrade with olives, feta and a tahini dressing. Served over baby spinach, this is the perfect easy and light lunch or dinner salad.

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Spring Green Salad with Hard-Boiled Eggs

<p>This salad capitalizes on fresh spring produce and gets a simple protein boost from hard-boiled eggs. Meal-prep this healthy lunch salad by mixing the salad base together and simmering a batch of hard-boiled eggs on the weekend. Then you'll be ready to just add one or two eggs with a drizzle of tangy vinaigrette for the simplest spring salad-to-go.</p>
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This salad capitalizes on fresh spring produce and gets a simple protein boost from hard-boiled eggs. Meal-prep this healthy lunch salad by mixing the salad base together and simmering a batch of hard-boiled eggs on the weekend. Then you'll be ready to just add one or two eggs with a drizzle of tangy vinaigrette for the simplest spring salad-to-go.

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Farro Salad with Arugula, Artichokes & Pistachios

<p>Precooked farro makes this dish come together in no time. And you can make it in the same bowl you serve it in, minimizing cleanup!</p>
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Precooked farro makes this dish come together in no time. And you can make it in the same bowl you serve it in, minimizing cleanup!

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Roasted Chicken & Vegetable Quinoa Salad

<p>Mushrooms, carrots and onions are roasted with garlic and fennel seeds in this roast chicken and quinoa salad. Preparing the quinoa with a little less water than is typical makes it cook more quickly and keeps it fluffier' perfect for soaking up the sherry-vinegar dressing in this salad. Serve with garlic-rubbed toast.</p>
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Mushrooms, carrots and onions are roasted with garlic and fennel seeds in this roast chicken and quinoa salad. Preparing the quinoa with a little less water than is typical makes it cook more quickly and keeps it fluffier' perfect for soaking up the sherry-vinegar dressing in this salad. Serve with garlic-rubbed toast.

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Strawberry & Tuna Spinach Salad

<p>Enjoy sweet, juicy strawberries paired with nutrient-dense mushrooms and tangy tuna salad. This is the ultimate salad to keep you feeling full. It boasts 20 grams of protein and 10.5 grams of fiber -- both nutrients known to satiate hunger.</p>
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Enjoy sweet, juicy strawberries paired with nutrient-dense mushrooms and tangy tuna salad. This is the ultimate salad to keep you feeling full. It boasts 20 grams of protein and 10.5 grams of fiber -- both nutrients known to satiate hunger.

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Spinach & Artichoke Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette

<p>Inspired by the classic warm party dip, this simple salad can be served up right away or divided into small lidded containers for a week of delicious lunches. To keep the hard-boiled eggs tasting fresh, we suggest adding them to your salad just before serving or in the morning before packing your lunch to go.</p>
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Inspired by the classic warm party dip, this simple salad can be served up right away or divided into small lidded containers for a week of delicious lunches. To keep the hard-boiled eggs tasting fresh, we suggest adding them to your salad just before serving or in the morning before packing your lunch to go.

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Vegan Kale Caesar Salad with Tofu Croutons

<p>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.</p>
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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.

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Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad with Chicken

<p>In this healthy copycat of a takeout salad favorite we combine precooked (or leftover) chicken and poppy seed dressing with fresh greens, strawberries and goat cheese for an easy throw-together meal that's ready in 10 minutes.</p>
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In this healthy copycat of a takeout salad favorite we combine precooked (or leftover) chicken and poppy seed dressing with fresh greens, strawberries and goat cheese for an easy throw-together meal that's ready in 10 minutes.

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Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Salad

<p>Grilled flank steak is served over salad greens with sweet corn, peppers, and tomatoes, and topped with a fresh cilantro dressing.</p>
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Grilled flank steak is served over salad greens with sweet corn, peppers, and tomatoes, and topped with a fresh cilantro dressing.

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Avocado & Shrimp Chopped Salad

Avocado & Shrimp Chopped Salad
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The smoky flavors of grilled shrimp and corn in this healthy chopped salad recipe are a tasty match for the creamy cilantro dressing.

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Thai-Style Salad

<p>Pork tenderloin slices provide the protein in this quick and colorful Thai-inspired dinner salad. It's full of crunchy romaine lettuce, carrots, cabbage and pea pods and is flavored with a delicious peanut satay sauce and fresh basil.</p>
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Pork tenderloin slices provide the protein in this quick and colorful Thai-inspired dinner salad. It's full of crunchy romaine lettuce, carrots, cabbage and pea pods and is flavored with a delicious peanut satay sauce and fresh basil.

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Balsamic Pork and Strawberry Salad

<p>Topped with warm balsamic pork and Manchego cheese, this salad is the perfect lunch on a summer day.</p>
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Topped with warm balsamic pork and Manchego cheese, this salad is the perfect lunch on a summer day.

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Chopped Salad with Chicken & Avocado-Buttermilk Dressing

<p>This herb-loaded green goddess-inspired dressing gets a color boost from creamy avocado. Make a double batch of this healthy salad dressing to keep on hand for salads throughout the week.</p>
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This herb-loaded green goddess-inspired dressing gets a color boost from creamy avocado. Make a double batch of this healthy salad dressing to keep on hand for salads throughout the week.

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Chopped Chef's Salad

<p>We gave a classic chef's salad recipe a healthy makeover with our own homemade healthy Thousand Island dressing recipe and reduced-sodium cheese and turkey. Those swaps slashed 260 calories and nearly a day's worth of sodium (2,131 mg!) per serving compared with traditional recipes.</p>
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We gave a classic chef's salad recipe a healthy makeover with our own homemade healthy Thousand Island dressing recipe and reduced-sodium cheese and turkey. Those swaps slashed 260 calories and nearly a day's worth of sodium (2,131 mg!) per serving compared with traditional recipes.

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    1 of 21 Warm Salad with Chicken Paillards & Chèvre
    2 of 21 Citrus Lime Tofu Salad
    3 of 21 Falafel Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing
    4 of 21 Strawberry-Balsamic Spinach Salad with Chicken
    5 of 21 Salad Primavera with Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette
    6 of 21 Blackened Chicken with Chopped Salad
    7 of 21 Shrimp & Vegetable Red Rice Salad
    8 of 21 Mediterranean Tuna-Spinach Salad
    9 of 21 Spring Green Salad with Hard-Boiled Eggs
    10 of 21 Farro Salad with Arugula, Artichokes & Pistachios
    11 of 21 Roasted Chicken & Vegetable Quinoa Salad
    12 of 21 Strawberry & Tuna Spinach Salad
    13 of 21 Spinach & Artichoke Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette
    14 of 21 Vegan Kale Caesar Salad with Tofu Croutons
    15 of 21 Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad with Chicken
    16 of 21 Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Salad
    17 of 21 Avocado & Shrimp Chopped Salad
    18 of 21 Thai-Style Salad
    19 of 21 Balsamic Pork and Strawberry Salad
    20 of 21 Chopped Salad with Chicken & Avocado-Buttermilk Dressing
    21 of 21 Chopped Chef's Salad

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    21 High-Protein Spring Salads That Are Bright and Delicious
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