How to Make Easy and Delicious Keto Salad Recipes You'll Love

Choosing Keto-Friendly Ingredients

Incorporate plenty of leafy greens. Most green vegetables are keto friendly, which is great news if you’re a salad fan! Load up on lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, and bell peppers. Other keto-friendly veggies include: Cauliflower and broccoli Asparagus Mushrooms Summer squashes Onions and garlic Celery Tomatoes

Load up on fatty proteins. The keto diet is a high-fat, low carb diet. Bulk up your salads with fatty, protein-rich ingredients, like beef and bacon. Other good options include chicken with the skin on, fish, and eggs. High-fat dairy products, like cheeses or sour cream, are also keto-friendly options. Unfortunately, if you’re a vegan or vegetarian, you won’t be able to turn to beans as an alternative source of protein. Most legumes are starchy and packed with carbohydrates, which are a keto no-no. Stick to low-carb options like nuts and seeds, or high-protein veggies like avocados and asparagus, instead.

Top off your salads with healthy fats. Healthy oils and fats are a staple of the keto diet. Drizzle on healthy vegetable oils, such as olive, sesame, or canola oil. You can also mix in fatty vegetables, such as avocado. Creamy dressings, like blue cheese, buttermilk ranch, or yogurt-based dressings, are also good keto-friendly options. But if you’re not making your own dressing, check the ingredients to make sure there aren’t a lot of added sugars. These healthy fats will help create ketones in your body that will help you burn energy, calories, and weight.

Steer clear of bread-based toppings. If you want to keep your salad keto-friendly, hold the croutons. Instead, get the crunch you crave from toppings like nuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds. Croutons and other breads are high in carbs, making them a bad choice for a keto salad. When you eat foods like fruits, grains, and starchy vegetables, your body burns the glucose from those foods. If you limit them in your diet, your body will burn fat, instead.

Avoid carrots and other starchy vegetables. Skip the carrots, turnips, potatoes, and other starchy vegetables when you’re making a keto salad. These veggies are high on carbs. Most fruits also contain carbs, so avoid adding apple slices or other fruits to your salads. A small handful of berries from time to time is okay, though. When you follow a keto diet, it can help you break away from cravings for sugar and carbs.

Classic Cobb Salad

Wash and dry the romaine lettuce and watercress. With its hearty combination of greens and proteins, cobb salad is a great option when you’re going keto! Start by washing about 10 cups (470 g, or 2 heads) of lettuce and 1 bunch of watercress. Separate out the lettuce and watercress leaves from the bunch, then place all your greens in a large bowl of cool water. Swish them gently in the bowl to loosen any dirt, then let them soak for about 10 minutes. Remove the leaves from the bowl and gently shake them to remove excess water. You can dry your greens by spinning them in a colander or gently rolling them in a clean, lint-free kitchen towel. Make sure the greens are thoroughly dry before adding them to your salad.

Chop up the vegetables, meat, and eggs with a sharp knife. Using a sharp kitchen knife and a cutting board, chop up the lettuce. There’s no need to chop the watercress. You will also need to: Slice 1 medium cucumber. You may find it helpful to cut it in half lengthwise first. Cut 4 ounces (110 g) of cherry tomatoes in half. Slice 1 large shallot. Dice 8 ounces (230 g) of cooked chicken breast (preferably with the skin on) and 1 large avocado. Chop 6 slices of crispy bacon into small pieces. Peel 2 large hardboiled eggs and chop them into quarters.

Toss the greens together in a large bowl. Place the chopped lettuce and the watercress in a big salad bowl. Use your hands or some salad tongs to gently toss them together until they’re well mixed. Tossing with your hands is a great way to mix the greens and make your salad light and airy. It’s also gentler than using tongs. Just wash your hands with soap and water and dry them thoroughly first!

Top the greens with the eggs, bacon, and other vegetables. Layer on the cucumber, avocado, tomatoes, shallot, chicken, bacon, and eggs. Since you’ll be tossing the salad again, there’s no need to arrange them in any particular order.

Use salad tongs to toss the salad together. Grab some salad tongs and gently combine the ingredients together until they’re thoroughly mixed. Or, if you prefer, you can use your hands. If you use tongs, work gently to avoid bruising or crushing the greens.

Drizzle on the dressing of your choice and toss the salad again. Grab a high-fat, low-carb dressing, like a red wine vinaigrette made with olive oil or a creamy blue cheese dressing. Pour on a little dressing and toss the salad to distribute it evenly. Do a taste test and add a little more dressing if you like. To make a quick and easy red wine vinaigrette, combine ⁄3 cup (160 mL) of extra virgin olive oil, ⁄3 cup (79 mL) of red wine vinegar, 1 crushed garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon (.5 g) of fresh, ground black pepper in a jar. Close the jar and shake it well to combine the ingredients. Serve the salad in bowls while it’s crisp and fresh!

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

Toss the shrimp in melted butter. Place 8 ounces (230 g) of uncooked shrimp in a bowl and pour 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of melted butter over them. Use a spoon or tongs to lightly toss the shrimp until they are thoroughly coated with butter. If the shrimp aren’t already peeled and deveined, you’ll need to do that before tossing them in the butter. Thaw frozen shrimp first by putting them in a strainer and running cold water over them for about 5 minutes.

Sear the shrimp in a skillet over medium-high heat. Put the shrimp in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook them for about a minute, or until they start to turn pink. Flip them over and cook them on the other side until they’re opaque (not see-through) and pinkish all over. Once you flip the shrimp, it should take less than a minute for them to cook through. Use a big enough skillet that you can spread the shrimp out in a single layer. This will help them cook more quickly and evenly. Use a spatula to transfer the shrimp to a plate. Set them aside and let them cool down while you assemble the rest of the salad.

Chop the avocado, tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro. You’ll need 1 large avocado, a handful of cherry tomatoes, 1/2 a red onion, and a few sprigs of fresh cilantro or parsley. Grab a sharp kitchen knife and a cutting board, and mince up your vegetables. Chop them into small pieces so you can easily mix them together with the shrimp. Always be careful when using a sharp knife. Make sure to keep your fingers out of the way!

Toss the vegetables and dressing together in a large salad bowl. Pour your chopped vegetables into a bowl. Drizzle on 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of lime juice and 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of olive oil, then use salad tongs to gently toss everything together. Alternatively, drizzle the olive oil and lime juice directly onto the sides of the bowl, then dump in the veggies. Toss them with clean hands for a light and airy result.

Add in the shrimp and give it a stir. Toss the cooked shrimp into the bowl with the veggies. Gently stir the salad with your hands or a wooden spoon to mix in the shrimp. If you like, add a little salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve up your salad in bowls for a quick and satisfying keto-friendly lunch!

Egg Salad

Whisk together the chives, mayo, and lemon juice. Put 1 tbsp (3 g) of chopped chives in a medium-sized mixing bowl with 3 tablespoons (44 mL) of mayonnaise and 2 teaspoons (9.9 mL) of lemon juice. Whisk the ingredients together with a fork or an egg whisk until they’re thoroughly combined. If you like, you can add a little salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Chop up 6 hardboiled eggs. Boil 6 eggs to the desired firmness. Rinse them under cold water or put them in an ice bath until they’re cool enough to handle. Peel the eggs and chop them up into small pieces. To get nice, firm yolks, place the eggs in cold water in a pan, then bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover the pan and take it off the heat, then let the eggs sit in the hot water for 8-10 minutes before transferring them to cold water.

Cube the avocado. Slice an avocado in half, then remove the pit by prying it out with a spoon or the tip of a knife. Remove the peel and cut the flesh into cubes with a sharp kitchen knife. As an easy alternative, score the avocado flesh lengthwise with a knife while it’s still in the peel. Peel the skin off to release the slices, then cut the slices into smaller chunks.

Toss the avocado and eggs in the dressing. Put the avocado and eggs in a bowl with the mayo and lemon juice dressing. Gently toss the ingredients together with salad tongs or a pair of wooden spoons. Enjoy your zesty egg salad! This salad pairs well with crispy bacon served on a bed of fresh lettuce.

Ultra-Simple Arugula Salad

Mix up your olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl. This salad is incredibly quick and simple to make, and with its combination of olive oil, leafy greens, and cheese, it’s also Keto-friendly. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the 6 tablespoons (89 mL) of extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of lemon juice. Whisk them together with a fork or whisk until they’re thoroughly combined. If you like, sprinkle in a little salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Toss the arugula with the dressing. Place 4 cups (80 g) of clean, dry arugula in a large salad bowl. Drizzle the dressing over it and toss them together with your hands or a pair of salad tongs. You can also drizzle the dressing onto the sides of the bowl, then pour in the arugula and toss it lightly with your hands.

Top it off with some grated parmesan cheese. Add a sprinkling of fresh grated or crumbled parmesan cheese to taste. Put your salad in a serving bowl and eat it while it’s still fresh and crisp! You can also top it off with parmesan-style vegan cheese shreds for a dairy-free alternative.