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  1. Home
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  3. 5-Ingredient Salads

5-Ingredient Salads

July 30, 2009
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Credit: Oxmoor House
Using ingredients you likely have on hand already, these entrée salads are easy, quick, and delicious. Not counting the staples of olive oil, salt, and black pepper, you can easily whip up these dishes with just five ingredients. A few of these recipes call for homemade dressings that push the ingredient list over five items, but you can use a bottled dressing with similar flavors instead to save time and effort.
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Tortellini Salad with Zucchini and Peas

Credit: Photo: Greg Dupree
View Recipe: Tortellini Salad with Zucchini and Peas

This light and summery zucchini salad is studded with green peas and brightened up with a hit of fresh lemon juice. This 20-minute lunch can be prepared in advance and is easily portable; just keep it refrigerated until mealtime. Enjoy it warm, chilled, or at room temperature for a satisfying, fiber-filled main. Zucchini ribbons are easy to make with a Y-shaped vegetable peeler, which will give you the best angle and control.

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Caprese Tomato Salad

Credit: Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez
View Recipe: Caprese Tomato Salad

Make this crisp, fresh tomato salad for your next summer cookout. If you can't find smaller basil leaves, you can gently tear the larger leaves in half.

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Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Unsalted canned black-eyed peas give the salad heft and texture, a great pairing for the light, crispy cakes. Bulk up any leftovers with more arugula, sliced cucumbers, and red bell pepper for a satisfying lunch salad.

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Roasted Veggie Stalk Salad

Credit: Photo: Monica Buck
View Recipe: Roasted Veggie Stalk Salad

Stalks from broccoli and cauliflower aren't just edible—they're eye-openingly delicious. Peel the tough outer layer from the stems, then shave into salads, or sauté, roast, or steam them just as you would the florets.

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Radish and Parmesan Salad

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Radish and Parmesan Salad

Tender lettuce allows flavor-forward radish and Parmesan to shine. 

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Beet Salad with Bacon and Onion

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Beet Salad with Bacon and Onion

If you love the sweet, earthy flavor of beets but think you don't have time to cook them on a weeknight, you'll appreciate this fast microwave method. Wrapping peeled beet wedges in parchment paper allows them to steam to tender perfection in less than half the time it would take to roast them.

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Maple-Bacon Kale Salad

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Maple-Bacon Kale Salad

Here's a way to make the most of craveable flavors like bacon and maple, in a dish that's still got plenty of nutritional value. The bacon drippings go into the salad dressing, along with mustard, vinegar, and maple syrup for a simple side dish that pairs well with grains, veggies, pastas, or proteins. It's low in sodium and sat fat, but tastes luxurious! 

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Beet Salad with White Beans and Orange

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Beet Salad with White Beans and Orange
Raw beets have a subtle earthiness and a wonderful crunch when thinly sliced. The tart vinaigrette will soften the slices slightly. White beans had filling fiber, so this side can easily become a main dish. Toss with a leafy green, such as arugula, if you want this classic gluten-free side to be feature-worthy salad.

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Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

Credit: Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Lindsey Lower
View Recipe: Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

Chef Jonathan Waxman taught Cooking Light Editor Hunter Lewis how to make this fall salad many years ago. Riff with the ingredients to find the flavor balance you prefer. With a zing of fresh citrus to cut through the acidity, this crunchy winter salad is the perfect light addition to your holiday spread.

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Buttered Beet and Carrot Sauté

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Buttered Beet and Carrot Sauté

If you love the sweet, earthy flavor of beets but think you don't have time to cook them on a weeknight, you'll appreciate this fast microwave method. Wrapping peeled beet wedges in parchment paper allows them to steam to tender perfection in less than half the time it would take to roast them.

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Lemony White Bean-and-Arugula Salad

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Lemony White Bean-and-Arugula Salad

An quick side salad with cannellini beans lends healthy plant-based protein to your meal, and a simple DIY dressing keeps sodium low by using less salt than bottled versions you'll find in the grocery store.

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Summer Pea, Watermelon, and Farro Salad

Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Summer Pea, Watermelon, and Farro Salad

This unusual yet delicious combination of flavors makes a good substitute for traditional pasta salad at your next cookout.

Pantry Checklist:

  • Watermelon
  • Farro
  • Parsley
  • Green Peas
  • Pecorino Romano Cheese

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Chicken and Spring Greens with Açai Dressing

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Chicken and Spring Greens with Açai Dressing

This salad is a model of nutrition. The greens and onion provide a variety of vitamins and minerals, the pecans add healthy fats, and the chicken is a great source of lean protein, all with less than 300 calories per serving. Açai dressing is rich in antioxidants, but so is any bottled berry dressing.

Pantry Checklist:

  • Mixed baby salad greens
  • Cooked chicken breast
  • Red onion
  • Toasted pecans

Prep: 6 minutes

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Salmon, Asparagus, and Orzo Salad with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Salmon, Asparagus, and Orzo Salad with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

With orzo pasta as a base, this salad makes for a hearty, filling meal that highlights the fresh flavors of asparagus and raw onion. If you use a bottled dressing, add a little dried dill to it, as the flavor is great with salmon.

Pantry Checklist:

  • Asparagus
  • Orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
  • Skinless salmon fillet
  • Red onion

Prep: 3 minutes
Cook: 18 minutes

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Chicken Caesar Salad

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Chicken Caesar Salad

It doesn't get any more classic (or easier) than this salad. Bottled Caesar dressing is easy to find, but homemade is something everyone should try at least once. It's used here as both dressing and basting sauce for the chicken.

Pantry Checklist:

  • Caesar Dressing
  • Chicken cutlets
  • Romaine salad mix
  • Tomatoes
  • Parmesan cheese

Prep: 3 minutes
Cook: 4 minutes

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Chicken BLT Salad with Creamy Avocado–Horned Melon Dressing

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Chicken BLT Salad with Creamy Avocado-Horned Melon Dressing

The salad itself couldn't be much simpler―chicken (use leftovers if you've got 'em), lettuce, tomato, and bacon―but it yields tons of flavor. The unique and exotic dressing is worth the effort, but bottled ranch or blue cheese are fine too.

Pantry Checklist:

  • Cooked chicken breast
  • Tomato
  • Romaine salad mix
  • Center-cut bacon

Prep: 7 minutes

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Roast Beef, Beet, and Arugula Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Roast Beef, Beet, and Arugula Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

A mix of tastes and textures is key to this salad; it has sweet beets, crunchy pine nuts, bitter arugula, meaty roast beef, and creamy-and-tangy goat cheese. There's so much flavor in the salad that a quick toss with plain olive oil can replace the dressing easily.

Pantry Checklist:

  • Beets
  • Arugula
  • Deli roast beef
  • Goat cheese
  • Pine nuts

Prep: 8 minutes
Cook: 8 minutes

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Spinach Salad with Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Nectarines

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Spinach Salad with Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Nectarines

Most stone fruits pair well with pork, so if you have peaches, plums, or apricots on hand, use them instead of the nectarines. The sweet-and-sour flavor of balsamic vinaigrette matches the fruit well, while the salty bits of feta provide contrast.

Pantry Checklist:

  • Peppercorn-flavored pork tenderloin
  • Nectarines
  • Baby spinach
  • Light balsamic vinaigrette
  • Feta cheese

Prep: 6 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Other: 10 minutes

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Steak Salad with Creamy Horseradish Dressing

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Steak Salad with Creamy Horseradish Dressing

This dish combines the best parts of a steak house dinner―the simple salad with creamy dressing and the steak―into one easy meal. Since the beef will be served relatively unadorned, use the highest quality you can and don't cook it beyond medium.

Pantry Checklist:

  • Beef tenderloin steaks
  • Sweet butter lettuce blend
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • English cucumber

Prep: 6 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Other: 10 minutes

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Chicken, Bean, and Blue Cheese Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Chicken, Bean, and Blue Cheese Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Leftover chicken, pasta, or any cooked green vegetable can go into this salad, making it a great fridge-clearer. Pungent blue cheese breathes new life into the rest of the ingredients. But even if you start from scratch, it's superfast and supereasy to make.

Pantry Checklist:

  • Rotini (corkscrew pasta)
  • Green beans
  • Cooked chicken breast
  • Blue cheese

Prep: 6 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes

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Grilled Salmon and Grapefruit Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Grilled Salmon and Grapefruit Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette

The tart-and-sweet flavor combination in grapefruit matches the tender salmon's sweetness and elevates its flavor. Blood orange juice gives the dressing intense orange flavor, but any citrusy vinaigrette will do.

Pantry Checklist:
 

  • Salmon fillets
  • Vidalia or other sweet onion
  • Mixed baby salad greens
  • Jarred red grapefruit sections

Prep: 11 minutes
 Cook: 10 minutes

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    1 of 21 Tortellini Salad with Zucchini and Peas
    2 of 21 Caprese Tomato Salad
    3 of 21 Black-Eyed Pea Salad
    4 of 21 Roasted Veggie Stalk Salad
    5 of 21 Radish and Parmesan Salad
    6 of 21 Beet Salad with Bacon and Onion
    7 of 21 Maple-Bacon Kale Salad
    8 of 21 Beet Salad with White Beans and Orange
    9 of 21 Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
    10 of 21 Buttered Beet and Carrot Sauté
    11 of 21 Lemony White Bean-and-Arugula Salad
    12 of 21 Summer Pea, Watermelon, and Farro Salad
    13 of 21 Chicken and Spring Greens with Açai Dressing
    14 of 21 Salmon, Asparagus, and Orzo Salad with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette
    15 of 21 Chicken Caesar Salad
    16 of 21 Chicken BLT Salad with Creamy Avocado–Horned Melon Dressing
    17 of 21 Roast Beef, Beet, and Arugula Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
    18 of 21 Spinach Salad with Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Nectarines
    19 of 21 Steak Salad with Creamy Horseradish Dressing
    20 of 21 Chicken, Bean, and Blue Cheese Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
    21 of 21 Grilled Salmon and Grapefruit Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette

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