Not a fan of salads for this summer? Try these 3 fun veggie-packed dishes
Not a huge of fan of eating your veggies? Chefs share how to add a fun twist to your salad to ensure you get your daily greens
Craving fresh veggies and juicy fruits this summer? Well, the salad is your best bet. Teeming with crispy lettuce and shredded cabbage, crunchy cucumber, sweet tomatoes and nutty dry fruits, there are so many variations that can be made to a salad. From the addition of cheese to the salad dressing, customisation is key. It also works as a perfect vehicle to get in your daily dose of proteins as you can add chicken, fish, prawns, bacon and more.
Packaged however you like, some people are just not a fan of the salad. So, if you are part of Team Salad Is No Fun, these chefs share some fun ways to get your daily dose of vegetables:
Sushi roll-ups
Chef Kirti Bhoutika, the winner of Masterchef India Season 5, says that her cucumber salad roll-ups were a stroke of inspiration. “I had some salad ingredients and a sushi mat at home and so I gave this a try. The cucumber slices are slathered with cream cheese rolled up with other veggies and a peanut butter dressing.” To make this at home, use any veggies you have. Skip the avocados if you don’t have any at hand; use carrots instead. Use mayonnaise or cream cheese to spread on the thinly sliced cucumbers. Substitute the peanut butter with any other nut butter of your choice. To make this more bougie, you can add some truffle-infused oil too.
Vietnamese spring rolls
Content creator, Chef Prachi Agarkar, of MasterChef India Season 8 fame, says “These spring rolls are a great way to incorporate more vegetables in your diet, rather than just having a boring salad. You can customise them as per your liking and add any vegetables or protein you love. They are perfect for summer gatherings, brunches or as a light dinner.” in the Vietnamese spring rolls, you can add prawns, vegetables, herbs and rice noodles wrapped in rice paper. They are served with an irresistible peanut sauce. It’s fresh, veggie-packed, crunchy and umami. It makes for a perfect summer snack.
Lettuce wraps
Chef Sanjyot Keer of Your Food Lab, says, “There are so many different ways to have veggies and it’s not always as boring as people think. The one such recipe I love is DIY lettuce wraps.” Soak iceberg lettuce leaves in ice-cold water so that it turns really crispy and crunchy. You can toss together a few chopped vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms, french beans, corn, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli and green peas, along with ginger, garlic and chillies in a few sauces like soy, chilli sauce or schezwan sauce. You can also fry some rice noodles, they are fine and add texture to these wraps. You can also mix in some protein of your choice like chicken mince, crumbled tofu or soya.