Make-Ahead Salad Bar Bowls

With Make-Ahead Salad Bar Bowls, you take ideas from your local salad bar to turn your take-along or at-home lunches into a cafeteria-style feast—hold the hefty price tag.

Tip: Bar star
Head to your nearest salad bar and glean inspiration. Many salad bars will list the ingredients, giving you a bit of insider knowledge when you’re ready to mimic the dishes at home.

Make-Ahead Salad Bar Bowls

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Course

Main Course

Servings

8

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Kale and Roasted Beet Salad with Pickled Onion Vinaigrette

• 6 medium beets quartered
• 1 red onion peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar
• 8 cups kale from 1 large bunch
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard gluten free if desired
• 1 tbsp gluten-free tamari
• 1/2 garlic clove grated

Sun-dried Tomato, Brown Rice, and Chickpea Salad

• 1 garlic clove peeled
• 1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes oil reserved
• 1 cup toasted or raw walnuts
• 1/4 cup reserved oil from tomatoes or olive oil
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp packed fresh oregano or basil leaves
• 2 cups cooked short-grain brown rice or quinoa cold
• 19 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

To serve Salad Bar Bowls

• 2 avocados
• 1 lemon quartered
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or to taste

Ingredients Kale and Roasted Beet Salad with Pickled Onion Vinaigrette 6 medium beets quartered 1 red onion peeled and thinly sliced 1 cup apple cider vinegar 1 cup water 2 tbsp coconut sugar 8 cups kale from 1 large bunch 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp Dijon mustard gluten free if desired 1 tbsp gluten-free tamari 1/2 garlic clove grated Sun-dried Tomato, Brown Rice, and Chickpea Salad 1 garlic clove peeled 1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes oil reserved 1 cup toasted or raw walnuts 1/4 cup reserved oil from tomatoes or olive oil 1 tbsp sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp packed fresh oregano or basil leaves 2 cups cooked short-grain brown rice or quinoa cold 19 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained To serve Salad Bar Bowls 2 avocados 1 lemon quartered 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or to taste

Course Main Course Servings 8 Print Recipe

Instructions

Kale and Roasted Beet Salad

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. To ovenproof ceramic or glass pot with lid, add beets and a splash of water. Cover and bake until tender, about 1 hour. When cool enough to handle, remove skin from beets and cut into manageable (bite-sized) pieces. Set aside.
2. To medium bowl, add onion. Alternatively, pack onion into large Mason jar. In small saucepan, bring vinegar, water, and sugar to a boil. When liquid has boiled and sugar has dissolved, immediately pour over onion, cover, and set aside for at least 10 minutes, or up to 1 month if stored in refrigerator. Add pickled onion to large bowl, saving pickling liquid.
3. Remove stems from kale and shred; add to large bowl with onion and massage with your hands until kale has darkened in color and begins to become tender, about 15 seconds.
4. Take 1/4 cup onion pickling liquid (refrigerate remaining liquid for another use) and add to small bowl or lidded Mason jar, followed by oil, mustard, tamari, and garlic; shake or whisk to combine and add to kale along with beets. Toss everything together until well incorporated. Keep covered in refrigerator for up to 5 days, until ready to serve.

To serve Salad Bar Bowls

1. In food processor, pulse garlic until finely minced; add tomatoes, walnuts, oil, vinegar, and oregano or basil.
2. Blend until thick paste forms.
3. To large bowl, add tomato mixture along with rice or quinoa and chickpeas. Toss everything together until well incorporated. Keep covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days, until ready to serve.
4. To bowls or to-go containers, add portions of Kale and Roasted Beet Salad with Pickled Onion Vinaigrette and Sun-dried Tomato, Brown Rice, and Chickpea Salad.
5. Halve, pit, and slice avocados, then add on top of bowls or in containers along with a hefty squeeze of lemon to retain color and a sprinkle of chili flakes.

Recipe Notes

Per serving: 533 calories; 12 g protein; 34 g total fat (4 g sat. fat); 51 g total carbohydrates (12 g sugars, 13 g fiber); 342 mg sodium