Filling, Lettuce-less Salads for Summer

As a defiant response to Sad Desk Lunches, the Food52 team works to keep our midday meals both interesting and pretty. Each week, we’ll be sharing our happiest desk lunches — and we want to see yours, too.

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Today: Free your salads from lettuce monotony.

If you relieve your salad of its leaves, you’re that much less likely to turn to cold pizza or deli sandwiches for midday sustenance. There’s a whole world of lettuce-less salads out there, and they’re particularly exciting in spring. Crunchy, spear-able vegetables like snap peas and asparagus can be blanched at home, and dressing them ahead of time won’t lead to wilting. 

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More: We also like tossing asparagus with a spring garlic pesto; make it for dinner, then eat leftovers for lunch. 

Recently, our Community Manager Catherine tossed together this salad of green beans and carrots, padded by fava leaves (!) and pea shoots (more crunch!) and topped with Parmesan. “It feels like you’re eating a bigger, better meal than just salad,” she said, “since it’s not 98% water. Plus it has lots of texture!” Lettuce has its place, of course, but we’ve come to appreciate spending a few days away from it.

If you’re ready to eschew your standard greens, here are a few more ideas for satisfying, lettuce-less salads for spring:

• New Potato and Pea Salad with Mustard and Mint
• Shaved Asparagus and Mint Salad
• Radish Salad with Curry-Orange Dressing
• Creamy Crunchy Cucumber Avocado Salad
• Shaved Asparagus with Burrata, Radish, and Cucumber

What are your favorite lettuce-less salads for spring? Tell us in the comments!