A crisp, fresh salad is one of our favourite dishes, especially in the summer. Seasonal produce abounds in our Farm Boy stores, where we source it directly from local and Canadian farmers and growers whenever possible to bring you the best quality at an excellent value. Building the ultimate salad highlights our fresh produce, but also requires a few more steps to transform it into a showstopping dish.
For potlucks, picnics, BBQs, or outdoor parties, consider making the ultimate salad to wow guests. With just seven simple steps, you can craft a salad that’s delicious, nutritious, and bursting with vibrant flavours and textures. From the base to the dressing and everywhere in between, discover everything you need to build the ultimate salad at your local Farm Boy.
Blog Overview
- There are seven easy steps to building the ultimate salad.
- Start with a leafy base then add fruits and/or veggies, protein, whole grains, something crunchy, something fun, and a dressing.
- Choose seasonal fruits and vegetables for the best quality and most nutrition.
- Mix and match your favourite ingredients to find the ultimate salad combination that works for you.
- Scale up or scale down your salad depending on how many people are eating.
- Find everything you need at your local Farm Boy fresh-market, always at an excellent value.
Step 1: Start with a leafy base.
Some of the best salads start with a base of leafy greens. For maximum flavour and nutrition, choose something hardy and vibrant that can stand up to other ingredients and not wilt under the pressure. We like kale, romaine lettuce, arugula, mixed greens, or spinach. One to two cups are ideal for a large salad, and you can scale up depending how many people you’re serving.
Leafy Salad Recipes
Step 2: Add colour with fresh fruits and veggies.
We love going all in with colourful fruits and veggies when we’re building a salad. At Farm Boy, we get you closer to the farm by hand-selecting the highest quality produce at an excellent value from local and Canadian growers and farmers whenever possible.
For the best balance, choose one or more of the following:
- 1 cup fresh veggies (beets, bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, or tomatoes)
- ½ cup fresh fruit (apples, blueberries, grapes, pears, raspberries, or strawberries)
- 1-2 tablespoons dried fruit (dried apricots, dried cranberries, or raisins)
- ¼ sliced or diced avocado
Fruit-and-Veggie Salad Recipes
Step 3: Punch up the protein.
In addition to all the vitamins, fibre, and minerals provided by farm-fresh fruits and veggies, the ultimate salad also needs to fill you up when it comes to protein. Choose leaner proteins or plant-based options to maximize nutrition without forgoing flavour. The combination of fibre and protein also work in tandem to help you feel fuller and more satisfied for longer. (No more afternoon slump!)
Choose one or two of the following, depending on your preference:
- Beans or lentils (black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, or lentils)
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Grilled chicken
- Grilled steak
- Salmon, shrimp, or tuna
Protein-Packed Salad Recipes
Step 4: Grab some grains.
Bulk up your salad with the added nutrition and texture of whole grains. Depending on the flavour profile of your salad, you can mix and match different grains of your choosing to strike the ideal balance. You can also play with the amounts used to get the taste and texture you’re looking for.
Some of our favourite wholesome grains to use in salads are:
- Barley
- Brown or wild rice
- Farro
- Quinoa
Great Grain Salad Recipes
Step 5: Get your crunch on.
There are loads of delicious ways to add some texture to your ultimate salad. Crunch can take the form of fresh veggies like crisp cucumber and bell peppers or fruits like apples. Plus, there’s also lots of fun, creative additions that can pump up your salad and make it feel like a brand new dish every time.
You can make things extra convenient for yourself by picking up one of our Salad Toppers. Available in flavours like Eastern Sunset, Fiesta, House Blend, and Mediterranean, their crunch-salty-sweet flavour profiles add a burst of delicious texture and taste.
Add some amazing crunch to your salad with options like:
- Chopped nuts (almonds, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, or walnuts)
- Seeds (pepitas, sesame, or sunflower seeds)
- Chow mein or ramen noodles
- Pretzel or sesame sticks
- Croutons (like Farm Boy™ Garlic, Lightly Seasoned, or Ranch Croutons)
- Crushed chips (fattoush chips, pita chips, or tortilla chips)
Crunch-tastic Salad Recipes
Step 6: Add some funk.
Sometimes, salads get a reputation for being a bit dull. However, when you’re building the ultimate salad, you know that this dish can be incredibly exciting, with a symphony of delectable flavours and textures. To take your salad from good to great, we recommend adding a funky element that keeps things interesting.
Some of our favourite ingredients for a little extra oomph are:
- Cheese (blue, cheddar, cotija, feta, goat, or Parmesan)
- Crispy onion strips
- Pickled veggies, olives, or kimchi
- Roasted seaweed
- Crispy bacon bits
Step 7: Drizzle on a dressing.
Finally, the pièce de résistance of any ultimate salad is the dressing. Creamy and rich or zesty and light, there are loads of delicious ways to finish off your salad. At Farm Boy, the dressings under our Private Label are made locally in Ontario with simple, real ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, garlic, honey, and herbs. Available in classic and unexpected varieties, each bottle is the perfect way to liven up your salad. (You can also use certain flavours as marinades for your favourite proteins, dips, and more.)
Scoop Up Ready-Made Salads
At Farm Boy, we understand that sometimes your schedule is too packed and life is too busy to make salads from scratch. In our Chef’s Market, you’ll discover ready-to-enjoy salads that are loaded with farm-fresh veggies, tender proteins, and savoury mix-ins, in either personal or family sizes.
Each salad is prepared daily by us in our own kitchen with our own recipes as a way to show you our commitment to premium quality at an excellent value. And don’t forget to grab any of our Farm Boy Dressings or Vinaigrettes! They’re crafted locally in Ontario from simple ingredients that allows our high-quality, ultra-fresh produce to shine.
Pasta-Packed Salads
Crafted by the Farm Boy Chefs using quality ingredients and exclusive recipes, our homestyle pasta salads deliver bold flavour in every bite. Each tasty creation combines tender pasta, fresh vegetables, and savoury mix-ins all tied together with a zingy, made-in-house dressing. Convenient enough to pack in your lunch bag or serve at a summer picnic, they’re available in a variety of delicious, globally inspired flavours.
Farm Boy™ Green Goddess Pasta Salad
Ingredients: Rotini pasta, cucumbers, green peppers, broccoli, celery, edamame, roasted pumpkin seeds, light mayonnaise, buttermilk, olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, tarragon, garlic, salt, black pepper, chives.
Farm Boy™ Italian Pasta Salad
Ingredients: Farfalle pasta, tomatoes, zucchini, green peppers, Asiago cheese, orange peppers, red peppers, olive oil, red onions, garlic, basil, salt, black pepper, vinegar, sunflower oil, extra virgin olive oil, mustard powder, oregano, chives, parsley, crushed chilis.
Farm Boy™ Cowboy Pasta Salad
Ingredients: Pasta shells, ground beef, light mayonnaise, tomatoes, corn, green peppers, black beans, cheddar cheese, olive oil, seasoning, chives.
Veggie-ful Salads
Wholesome, farm-fresh vegetables get paired with legumes, grains, cheeses, tender proteins, and more in any of our veggie-focused salads. Each one is prepared fresh daily by us with our own recipes and the highest quality of ingredients. Available in both personal and family serving sizes, they come with their own Farm Boy Dressing or Vinaigrette. Convenient and delicious, they take all the prep work out of a nutritious salad at an excellent value.
Farm Boy™ Fibre First Salad
Ingredients: Lentils, black beans, chickpeas, beets, carrots, green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, kale, cabbage, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, olive oil.
Dressing to Pair: Show off the fresh, flavourful ingredients in this salad with a simple, clean dressing. Our Simply Six Original Vinaigrette is crafted in house from just six ingredients.
Farm Boy™ Harvest Grain Salad
Ingredients: White quinoa, millet, red quinoa, buckwheat, roasted butternut squash, roasted sweet potatoes, kale, beets, dried cranberries, roasted pumpkin seeds.
Dressing to Pair: Our Apple Cider Vinaigrette is light, fresh, and tangy. It’s versatile and helps amplify the apple cider and honey notes found in this salad.
Farm Boy™ Cobb Salad
Ingredients: Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, eggs, Monterey Jack cheese, bacon, corn.
Dressing to Pair: Add a generous pour of our Creamy Ranch Dressing to this salad. It’s tangy, savoury, and creamy and can stand up to Cobb Salad’s heartier ingredients.
