Salads

If you're like me, chances are that if someone says salad, the first thing you think of is a plate with lettuce, tomatoes, maybe cut up onions, and dressing. Then there's potato salad and egg salad.

But salads can be so much more, as today's post will attest. Check out the Corn and Black Bean Salad, the Taco Salad with Cumin Dressing, the Chicken and Spinach Salad, or any of the other yummy salads. Enjoy!

PASTA SALAD

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, though I suspect it's a diabetic recipe, as it has the nutritional info. Yield: 6 servings (6 cups total)

Ingredients

3 cups cooked tricolor spiral pasta (1-1/2 cups dry), or 3 cups other cooked pasta

1 large ripe tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup black olives, drained and sliced

1/2 cup prepared fat-free Italian or Parmesan-pepper dressing

Directions

Combine all the ingredients; toss to mix. Chill to blend the flavors. (This salad is even better the second day.)

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 cup): Calories: 165, Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 10 mg, Sodium: 355 mg, Carbohydrate: 22 g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 5 g, Protein: 9 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 Starch, 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat

CORN AND BLACK BEAN SALAD

Recipe Yield: Makes 4 cups. Serving size about 1/2 cup.

Source: NPB

Recipe and image appear courtesy of the National Pork Board.

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/corn-and-black-bean-salad.

Ingredients

1 (15-oz.) can cooked black beans, drained

1 (10-oz.) can corn kernels, drained

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

2 green onions, sliced

2 tablespoon minced parsley

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons lime juice

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

In large bowl, toss together ingredients, except pepper. Generously sprinkle salad with pepper. Cover and refrigerate 2-24 hours before serving.

Notes:

Purple black beans, golden sweet corn and diced red and green bell pepper make a colorful medley in this easy salad. Make it ahead and refrigerate; it keeps up to 5 days.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 120; Fat: 6 g; Sodium: 60 mg; Cholesterol: 66 mg; Protein: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 20 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Bread/Starch, 1 Vegetable, 1 Fat

TACO SALAD WITH CUMIN DRESSING

Recipe Yield: Servings: 8

Source: The Diabetic Newsletter

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/taco-salad-with-cumin-dressing.

Ingredients

8 tortillas

1 teaspoon powdered mustard

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

1 teaspoon ground cumin

8 cups romaine lettuce

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 cups turkey, chopped and cooked

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

6 large ripe tomatoes, chopped

4 teaspoons lemon juice

2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

Directions

Toast the tortillas on a baking sheet in a 400F oven for about 10 minutes.

While hot, sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese.

Cool and break into bite-size pieces.

Chop the lettuce and arrange it in the bottom of a salad bowl.

Make the cumin dressing by combining the salt, vinegar, pepper, garlic powder, lemon juice, mustard, cumin, water and oil in a bowl or jar.

Heat the turkey in a skillet with the cumin seeds.

Sprinkle chunks of turkey over the lettuce.

Add the tomato pieces and cheese.

Pour on the cumin dressing and top with tortilla chips.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 205; Fat: 11 g; Protein: 17 g; Carbohydrates: 10 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Fat; 1/2 Bread/Starch; 1/2 Vegetable; 2 Lean Meat

TABBOULEH FRUIT SALAD

Yield: 6 servings

Source: "The Complete Diabetes Prevention Plan"

Found in Info: “The Complete Diabetes Prevention Plan: A Guide to Understanding the Emerging Epidemic of Prediabetes and Halting Its Progression to Diabetes”

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups prepared bulgur wheat

3/4 cup seedless red grapes

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup sliced scallions

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sliced almonds or pine nuts

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

Dressing Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Combine the bulgur wheat, grapes, apricots, scallions, almonds or pine nuts, parsley, and mint and toss to mix well. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and stir to mix well. Add the dressing to the salad and toss to mix well. Cover the salad and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (per 3/4 cup serving): Calories: 186, Carbohydrate: 27 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Fat: 8.2 g, Saturated Fat: 0.9 g, Fiber: 5.7 g, Protein: 4.6 g, Sodium: 204 mg, Calcium: 42 mg

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Fruit, 1 Fat

CHICKEN AND SPINACH SALAD

Recipe Yield: Yield: 14 cups (7 - 2 cups servings)

Source: Cooking Healthy and Fast

Book Title: Cooking Healthy and Fast

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/chicken-and-spinach-salad.

Ingredients

6 oz. fresh spinach

2 oranges, peeled and cut into chunks

2 cups cooked and cubed chicken

2 cups fresh strawberries

Dressing:

2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

3 Tbsp. orange juice

1-1/2 Tbsp. canola oil

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

1/3 tsp. poppy seeds

Directions

Mix dressing ingredients and regrigerate. Wash spinach and tear into bite size pieces. Add oranges, chicken and strawberries. Serve with dressing.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 135; Fat: 4 g; Sodium: 46 mg; Cholesterol: 31 mg; Carbohydrates: 10 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 fruit, 1 1/2 lean meat

SPICY GREEN SALAD

Recipe Yield: Yield: Makes 4 servings

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/spicy-green-salad

Ingredients

1/2 roasted red bell pepper*

1-inch wedge sweet onion, chopped

1 small garlic clove, chopped

1 medium plum tomato, seeded and chopped

1/4-1/2 jalapeno pepper, chopped (for a hotter dish, do not remove seeds)

1 tsp. agave syrup or honey

1 Tbsp. fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

4 large romaine lettuce leaves

4 red-leaf lettuce leaves

1 packed cup baby arugula

6-inch piece English cucumber, sliced

2 plum tomatoes, sliced crosswise

1/8-1/4 red onion; about 3-4 very thin slices as rings

Directions

In blender, whirl red pepper, onion, garlic, tomato, jalapeno, agave, broth, vinegar and salt until pulpy. With motor running, whirl in oil. Set dressing aside while making salad.

Wash greens. Tear lettuces into bite-size pieces and whirl in salad spinner to dry. Place lettuce and arugula in salad bowl. Add 1/4 cup dressing and toss until greens are just coated. Add cucumber, tomatoes and onion rings. Toss lightly, and serve immediately.

* If possible, roast pepper yourself. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place seeded pepper half, cut-side down on oiled baking sheet and roast 20 to 30 minutes until skin is well-blistered. Place pepper in small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 20 minutes. Using fingers, remove skin. Roasted peppers may be tightly covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 70; Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: 0.5 g; Fiber: 2 g; Sodium: 160 mg; Protein: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 9 g