Does a bowl full of lettuce and shredded carrots sound dull and uninteresting? There is no lettuce requirement when making a salad! In some of my favorite nutritious salads, lettuce isn’t even on the list of ingredients.

Here are my top 3 favorite Lettuce-Free Salads:

Broccoli and Bacon Salad
Full of flavor and fiber, this is an excellent potluck salad.

1 head fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
½ cup dried cranberries or raisins
¼ cup red onion, chopped
21/2 tabelspoons sugar
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sunflower seeds
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

In large bowl, toss broccoli, cranberries and red onions. In a separate bowl whisk together sugar, vinegar, and mayonnaise. Pour over broccoli mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate 2 hours – overnight.

Just before serving, sprinkle with sunflower seeds and crumbled bacon; toss and serve.

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Creamy Cucumber Salad
A cool and tasty snack or side dish.

4 cucumbers, sliced
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup sugar
½ cup water
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

Combine vinegar, sugar, water, dill and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium heat then remove from heat and set aside.
Place sliced cucumbers in a large bowl. Pour vinegar mixture over and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Drain and discard vinegar mixture. Stir in sour cream/yogurt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Spicy Couscous Salad
An excellent main course that goes well with soup and is delicious with grilled or shredded chicken.

1 cup water
2/3 cup couscous
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup chopped bell peppers
½ cup minced red onion
1 chopped zucchini
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed

Boil water in a small saucepan, remove from heat and add couscous. Cover; let stand 5-6 minutes. Uncover and cool at room temperature.
Combine oil, lemon juice, curry powder, garlic and crushed red peppers in a small bowl. Stir well and let stand.
Combine vegetables, beans, and couscous in a large bowl. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour to blend flavors.

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bethany@dvo.com

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