22 Gut-Healthy Salads That Are High in Protein
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
Stop your search for a satisfying salad that’s also delicious, because you’ll find one right here in this collection. These veggie-packed mixes offer at least 15 grams of protein per serving to help you stay full for longer, promote muscle recovery and maintain healthy digestion. They’re also chock-full of prebiotic-rich foods like artichokes, chickpeas and pears, plus probiotic-rich ingredients like kimchi, tempeh and yogurt to support a healthy gut microbiome.
You’ll love every refreshing bite of recipes like our Green Goddess Salad and Forbidden Rice & White Kimchi Steak Salad for lunch or dinner any day of the week!
Smoked Salmon Salad Niçoise
This twist on a classic Niçoise salad uses smoked salmon in place of tuna and adds extra vegetables in place of hard-boiled eggs and olives.
Green Goddess Salad
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell
This gorgeous green goddess salad combines fresh shrimp, cucumber, artichoke hearts and cherry tomatoes with homemade dressing.
Forbidden Rice & White Kimchi Steak Salad
This steak salad doesn't feature a typical dressing, but tangy kimchi, savory pan-fried shallots and lemon juice pack it with flavor. Forbidden rice helps add more color and nutrition to this tangy dish.
Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna
This power salad will keep you fueled for hours, thanks to 26 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. Tossing the dressing and kale, and then letting it stand in the jar, softens it enough so you don't need to massage or cook it to make it tender.
Chopped Salad with Chicken & Creamy Chipotle Dressing
This chopped salad with chicken is smoky and zesty thanks to the creamy chipotle dressing. Cilantro adds a pop of freshness to each bite.
Falafel Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing
Deep-fried falafel can be a total grease bomb. But these pan-seared falafel still get crispy in just a few tablespoons of oil with equally satisfying results. Be sure to use dried, instead of canned, chickpeas in this healthy recipe—canned chickpeas add too much moisture.
Chicken & Kale Taco Salad with Jalapeño-Avocado Ranch
This healthy, super-fast salad recipe swaps out romaine for kale, giving you more than 10 times the vitamin C. Easy flavor hacks like store-bought ranch and pickled jalapeños help make a creamy, tangy and spicy dressing you'll want to drizzle on everything from salad to sliced veggies and shredded poached chicken.
Mâche & Chicken Salad with Honey-Tahini Dressing
If fresh peas aren't available, thawed frozen peas make an excellent substitute. Look for tender mâche at farmers' markets and natural-foods stores.
Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad with Wild Rice
This fresh take on chicken salad features a creamy yogurt-balsamic dressing and plenty of fresh herbs. It's a great option for leftover cooked chicken.
Farro Salad with Arugula, Artichokes & Pistachios
Precooked farro makes this dish come together in no time. And you can make it in the same bowl you serve it in, minimizing cleanup!
Grilled Salmon Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Homemade raspberry dressing? You bet. Prep it a day ahead and this easy salmon salad will come together in no time.
Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas
In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.
Salmon Caesar Salad
This easy Caesar salad subs creamy Greek yogurt and buttermilk for the traditional egg yolks and olive oil and mixes in mildly bitter radicchio in addition to classic romaine. Using just a small amount of flavorful Parmigiano-Reggiano shaves calories and sodium too.
Orzo Salad with Chickpeas & Artichoke Hearts
This hearty orzo salad features feta, lemon and dill, three ingredients often found in Greek cuisine. Enjoy for lunch or dinner.
Tempeh "Chicken" Salad
Eating probiotics--live bacteria in raw fermented food, such as tempeh and miso--can rev up the good bacteria in your body, which may help you with weight loss. Look for tempeh near the tofu in the produce section. Try vegan mayo for a completely plant-based lunch.
Spinach Salad with Steak & Blueberries
Combine steak, walnuts, blueberries and feta cheese in this simple salad and you have yourself a healthy and satisfying supper. Serve with grilled baguette and a glass of rosé.
Lobster Niçoise Salad
Steamed lobster is a luxurious swap for tuna in this otherwise-classic, veggie-loaded Niçoise salad. In a pinch--or if you don't want to deal with a giant pot of boiling water on a steamy summer day--many supermarkets have freshly picked lobster meat at their seafood counter or in the freezer case. Serve with a warm baguette for lunch or dinner.
Curried Chicken & Pasta Salad
This crowd-pleasing pasta salad is potluck-perfect for barbecue season.
Classic Niçoise Salad
This colorful platter salad with origins in the south of France makes a well-balanced and satisfying hot-weather meal. Coating the potatoes in dressing while they are still hot helps them absorb the flavors.
Chicken Waldorf Salad
Leftover cooked chicken makes this chicken Waldorf salad, loaded with apples, grapes, celery and walnuts, a snap to assemble. If you use rotisserie chicken, keep in mind that it's salty and omit the salt in the dressing. Serve over watercress, with a chunk of whole-grain baguette.
Quinoa Deli Salad
This healthy version of a deli salad combines hearty quinoa and chickpeas with small amounts of ham and mozzarella, so you get all of the flavor without overdoing it on the sodium. This healthy quinoa salad is great as dinner and doubles as a delicious lunch the next day.
Spinach & Artichoke Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette
Inspired by the classic warm party dip, this simple salad can be served up right away or divided into small lidded containers for a week of delicious lunches. To keep the hard-boiled eggs tasting fresh, we suggest adding them to your salad just before serving or in the morning before packing your lunch to go.
Read the original article on Eating Well.
