Vegan Salad Recipe

Whether you’re vegan or non-vegan, this salad recipe meets all your needs — taste-wise and nutrition-wise. Our chefs combine roasted sweet potatoes, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and fresh greens with a sweet and tangy dressing. Prepped and assembled in less than 30 minutes, this vegan salad is perfect for busy days.

Differences between Vegan Diet and Vegetarian Diet

Do the terms “vegetarian” and “vegan” — sometimes — confuse you? If yes, we are here to help you distinguish between them.

Before digging deeper into the differences, let’s discuss the similarity. Both vegan and vegetarian eaters choose not to consume meat, poultry, or fish. They believe avoiding animal flesh is one of the most ethical and healthy ways of living.

However, vegans take this a step further than vegetarians as they exclude all forms of animal cruelty and exploitation. For instance, while vegetarians may have eggs, dairy, and honey in their diet, vegans don’t.

With that explained, shall we give the stage to our vegan salad?

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Ingredients You'll Need

Our recipe is beginner-friendly with some ingredients needed:

• Sweet potatoes: Roasted sweet potatoes with a golden-brown color and slightly burnt edges bring a rustic vibe to our salad. Their sweetness and smokiness also go well with our maple soy dressing. Plus, roasting the sweet potatoes makes them softer and easier to digest.
• Cherry tomatoes: Regardless of the variety, tomatoes are made to bring joy and pleasure. Biting into their pulpy red skin, you will taste a rich umami flavor with a mild tanginess.
• Cucumber: We all love a crunchy bowl of salad with generous slices of cucumber. In this recipe, we decided to keep the skin and seeds, but if you prefer, you can quickly remove them with a knife.
• Asparagus: Roasting brings out the best in asparagus. The flavor and texture are more concentrated and superior to raw or boiled asparagus.
• Chickpeas: Chickpeas taste similar to cannellini or pinto beans with a nutty note and a starchy texture. For convenience, our chefs use low-sodium canned chickpeas.
• White beans: If you are looking for other alternatives, red kidney beans also work well for this recipe.
• Lettuce: A bed of mixed lettuce makes a sturdy base for our salad.
• Topping: Seeds and dried fruits add character to salads. Our recipe has no restriction on your choice of toppings, allowing you to be more creative with your food. Try substituting pumpkin seeds with quinoa or chia seeds and replacing dried cranberries with raisins.
• Dressing: The umami characteristics of soy sauce combined with the sweetness of maple syrup take this salad’s flavor profile to the next level. This, to us, is the finest salad dressing in the repertoire.

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Is Vegan Salad Healthy?

Yes, it is.

Our salad recipe is healthy as the bounty of veggies provides an abundance of plant-based protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Sweet potatoes are well known for their rich amount of complex carbohydrates and vitamin A, at 20.1 g and 14185 IU per 3.5 oz. Unlike those negative assumptions, not all carbs are bad. While refined carbs contribute little to no nutrients, complex types help moderate blood sugar levels.

Lettuce, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, seeds, and fruits are also brought together to complete our salad. Adding not only textures, and flavors but also nutrients, these ingredients are perfect to enjoy at any time – breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Plus, being low-calorie (246 calories), low-sodium (242.4 mg), and cholesterol-free, this vegan salad is a top-notch healthy meal option.

How to Store the Leftovers

If you’re making a vegan salad ahead of time, we recommend storing the vegetables and the dressing in separate containers. Make sure your greens are completely dried before storing to prevent them from turning yellow and rotten.

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To store leftover salads, place them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for a maximum of 3 days. However, as the quality decreases over time, it’s advisable to finish up your vegan salad as soon as possible.

Vegan Salad

5 from 1 vote

This delicious vegan salad recipe is mess-free, stress-free, and hassle-free! Only 25 minutes from the kitchen to the table, a healthy and refreshing side dish is ready for the taste test.

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• cook TIME 15 mins
• prep TIME 10 mins
• total TIME 25 mins

• COURSE Side Dish
• CUISINE American, Global
• SERVINGS
  4

  servings
• CALORIES 246 kcal

INGREDIENTS

1x2x3x

• 4 oz mixed lettuce
• 8 oz sweet potato (cubed)
• 8 oz asparagus (tough, woody ends trimmed)
• 4 oz cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 3 oz canned chickpeas
• 3 oz low-sodium canned white beans
• 2 oz cucumber (sliced)
• 0.5 oz pumpkin seeds
• 0.5 oz dried cranberries
• 2 tbsp parsley (finely chopped)
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 3 tbsp olive oil (divided to 1 tbsp and 2 tbsp)
• 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Heinz ketchup
• 1 tsp maple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS

1

Season 8 oz sweet potato and 8 oz asparagus with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp paprika. Gently rub the seasoning on the vegetables with your hands.

2

Place well-seasoned sweet potatoes in an air fryer. Cook them at 400°F for 10 minutes.

3

Continue to add seasoned asparagus to the air fryer. Roast for a further 5 minutes.

4

In a small bowl, add 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce, 1 tbsp Heinz ketchup, and 1 tsp maple syrup. Whisk vigorously until the dressing is well combined.

5

With 4 oz mixed lettuce, make a bed of green on a serving plate.

6

Atop, arrange 4 oz cherry tomatoes, 2 oz cucumber, 8 oz cooked sweet potato, cooked asparagus, 3 oz canned chickpeas, 3 oz low-sodium canned white bean, 0.5 oz dried cranberries, and 0.5 oz pumpkin seeds.

7

Drizzle the dressing all over the salad. Toss well.

8

Enjoy.

NUTRITION

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 246Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g

18%

Saturated Fat 2g

13%

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 8g

Cholesterol 1mg

0%

Sodium 242mg

11%

Potassium 553mg

16%

Carbohydrate 30g

10%

Fiber 6g

25%

Sugar 10g

11%

Protein 5g

10%

Vitamin A 9054IU

181%

Vitamin C 15mg

18%

Calcium 59mg

6%

Iron 3mg

17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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