Barley & Veggie Salad with Greek dressing

Today I'll share a quick salad recipe with Greek yogurt dressing just perfect for summer. In summer during daytime, I don't feel like eating, I kind of loose my appetite (which happens to many people), during that time a simple cold salad what I prefer to indulge, which is healthy as well as yummy. To make this salad nutritious and filling for me, I used cooked barley and well soaked green beans and veges on a bed of lettuce with chilled yogurt dressing. Yummmmmyyyy.....

Ingredients : (serves 2-3 persons)
Cooked pearl barley : 1 cup
Green beans : 1 cup(soaked overnight)
Carrots : 1
Red beets : 1
Cucumber : 1
Small radishes : few
Tomato : 1
Fresh parsley(finely chopped)

For dressing :

Greek Yogurt : 1/3 cup ( or normal yogurt will also do)
Juice of 1 lemon
Honey : 1 tblsp.
Olive oil(prefered)/vegetable oil : 2 tblsp.
Garlic : 1 clove(big-grated)
Salt and ground Black pepper to taste

Method :

• To cook the barley, boil some water, add barley and little salt. Cook in reduced heat until barley in tender(it takes about 30-45 minutes average).
• Soak green beans in enough water overnight. Don't need to boil.
• To make the dressing : In a bowl, whisk together honey, lemon juice, yogurt, garlic and little salt and pepper. Chill in refrigerator for 30-45 minutes.
• Assembling the salad : cut all the veggies into bite size pieces. Before serving, in a big bowl, add the veggies, cooked barley and soaked green beans. Add chilled yogurt dressing. Mix and finally sprinkle chopped parsley. Season with salt and black pepper if needed.
• Serve.......................

Sending this to Usha's Healthy Inspiration - Salad event
and to my event "Spotlight : Summer food & drinks",
and to Madhuri of Cook-curry Nook on her event "Serve me some - Salad"

Red cabbage, kidney beans and Tomato salad with a zesty salad dressing

As Summer is approaching quite fast towards us, our meal should be light but nutritious and at the same time should fulfill our hunger pangs. Salad is one such sort of meal which fits these criterions. In summer, I don't feel like having a heavy lunch, instead I would love to have some simple homemade soup and a plate full of crispy salad with a simple light dressing. Same time, salads are also good for your health. Fresh, raw vegetables contain vitamins, minerals and fiber in their full form. You can eat as much as you want until you're satisfied with minimal calories and salads are almost fat-free, unless you're adding some heavy cream in your salad dressing.
To make your salad low in calories and fat free, buy fat-free salad dressing or make your own mixing little Olive oil, flavorful vinegar, honey and lime juice. Add some nuts, fresh fruits, dry fruits, cooked barley in it to make it more nutritious. Choose dark colored vegetables for your salad, as they contain more vitamins and minerals compared to light colored veges.  So adding all these, you can make a perfectly balanced meal.....remember, the right amount of nutrients per meal is what you want.

Here is one Simple but crunchy, crispy salad idea for you.....this salad is very easy to put together and crispy and goes well as a side dish with any meal.

Ingredients :

Red cabbage (shredded) : 1/2 head
Tomato : 2(chopped)
Cucumber : 1(chopped)
Corn kernels : 1/2 cup
Red onions : 1(finely chopped)
Soaked and cooked red kidney beans : 1/3 cup(optional but recommended)
(You can see how colorful salad is it from the colorful ingredients, right?)

For dressing :

Vegetable oil/Olive oil(preferably) : 2 tblsp.
Fresh lemon Juice : 2 tblsp.
Vinegar : 2 tblsp.
Fresh cilantro/coriander leaves : 2 tblsp. (chopped)
Oregano : 1 tblsp. (optional)
Sugar : 1 tsp.
Salt and pepper to taste

Method : 

• Chop all the vegetables. You can add any vegetables of your choice. 
• Make dressing by putting all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together to mix well.
• Add dressing in your salad bowl and combine well. Your zesty salad is ready to serve.
  
  
  
  
  

Reposting my older salad posts for the event :

•  Mixed Fruit & Veg Salad with Thai dressing
•  Green Moong-Tomato kachumber

Sending all 3 of these salad to Healthy Inspirations Event - Salad, hosted by Usha @her place, Veg Inspirations
And to Madhuri of Cook-curry Nook on her event : Serve me some-Salad

Green Moong-Tomato Kachumber

What is a "Kachumber" ?
Kachumber is an Indian salad usually made with cucumber, tomatoes, and onions or all sorts of tiny vegetables, flavored with salt, pepper and lemon juice. It goes with any Indian dish like, Pulao, dal(lentil preperation), veg. or non-veg. preperations. The varieties can be endless.

A salad or kachumber in an Indian meal serves only as an accompaniment rather than a course in itself. It is eaten along with the main meal. Salads are not only a wonderful treat to the tastebuds but also are a visual treat. The colorful combination of various ingredients makes it absolutely irresistible. And the benefits of salads is not unknown to anyone. Fresh, raw vegetables contain all sorts of nutrients like vitamins, minerals and fiber. I am a total salad freak. I made this green moong kachumber with some Paneer preperation. The Combination was absolutely great.




Ingredients :
Green lettuce leaves : few
Soaked green moong : 1/2 cup
Tomatoes : 1/2 cup
Red onions : 1/4 cup
Lemon juice : 2-3 tsp.
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method :

• Soak green moong in hot water for at least 3-4 hours. if possible, soak overnight in cold water.
• Cut lettuce leaves and tomatoes in medium bite size pieces. Chop onions finely.
  
• Assemble lettuce, tomatoes, green moong and onions in salad bowl. Squeeze lemon juice, sprinkle salt and pepper. Mix with a big spoon and kachumber is ready to serve.
  

You can add any vegetables of your choice like cucumber, capsicum etc. with this dressing(salt, pepper and lemon). According to me, this is the best salad dressing of all.
Sending this red-green kachumber to Neha of Tasty recipes who is hosting FIC : Red-Green, this event is started by Sunshinemom of Tongue Ticklers

Mixed Fruit & Veg Salad with Thai Dressing

Salad in an excellent way to fulfil your daily food requirements with some essential and healthy nutrients. As most salads are prepared with raw vegetables and fruits, all essential nutrients are preserved. So I prepare this Mixed Fruit and vegetable salad with nuts and dates, where I get my daily fruit and veges, fibre & nuts requirements in one go and it tastes also great. For lunch, this salad is perfect. It makes me also satisfied and full. You can use any fruit and vegetables of your choice. I used these ingredients which were available in my refrigerator. And I love this Thai dressing, which is hot & sweet.

Ingredients I used :
Carrot : 2(thinly sliced-long)
Cabbage : 1/2 head ( thinly sliced)
Spinach : few leaves
Corn : 1/2 cup
Apple : 1 (thinly sliced-long)
Orange : (cubed- medium chunks)
Watermelon : (cubed-medium chunks)
Dates : 4-5 ( chopped)
Almond : 10 (chopped)
salt to taste
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper


For the dressing :
5 tblsp. coconut milk powder or coconut milk
1-2 tblsp. sugar
2 tblsp. boiling water
1/2 -1 tsp. hot chilli sauce or tabasco sauce (as per your own taste)
juice of 1/2 lime
Fresh red chilli :1(sliced)

Method :

• Cut carrot and cabbage in thin, long slices. Chop Spinach in big chunks.
• Cut apples in thin,long slices. Cut oranges and watermelon in cube like pieces.
• Microwave cabbage, spinach and corn(if using frozen one) in High for 4-5 minutes or until cabbage is little tender.
• Mix all the fruits and veges in one big bowl. Add salt and black pepper.
• To prepare the dressing, If using coconut milk powder, add boiling water to the powder and stir to make a creamy milk. It shouldn't be too watery, but creamy. adjust the water accordingly. Mix all other ingredients according to your taste in the coconut milk. Your dressing is done.
• Serve the salad on a plate and just before eating, drop spoonful of dressing on it. Enjoy the crunchiness of carrots, cabbage, apples and almonds in one spoon. You will love it for sure.

Suggestion : Have a bowl of soaked Yellow Moong dal with freshly shredded coconut with this salad. Soak moong dal in hot water for 1 hour. Add salt and coconut to it. Try out sometime............
Sending this lovely salad to LG of taste of Mysore, who is hosting an event, SWC-Salad under 15 minutes. I can't tell you the exact time LG, but it took me roughly 10-12 minutes. Guten Appetit!!, as Germans will say.
Also sending this Thai salad recipe to DK of culinary bazaar who is hosting AWED : Thai this month.