Healthy & Delicious Salad Recipes - Cooking with Cassandra

Warm Potato Salad (Earls Restaurant Copycat)

Earls Copycat Warm Potato Salad | cookingwithcassandra.com

This potato salad is the MOST delicious potato salad from Earls Kitchen + Bar, a Canadian casual dining restaurant. I managed to recreate a version of it here! Every time I go with Walt or my girlfriends, I always make sure I get the Blackened Chicken, as the potato salad comes as a side with it. I took the opportunity to go to Earls for a few dinners and extra wine nights with the girls so that I could do some very important research on recreating this potato salad recipe at home. Fun was had! Walt now only wants this version. The secret? The bacon grease. SO GOOD!...

Best Turkey Taco Salad

Taco night holds a special place in my heart—it's more than just a meal, it's a nostalgic tradition that brings back memories of family gatherings and fun-filled evenings. There's something comforting about the simplicity of tacos, and this Turkey Taco Salad recipe offers a modern twist on this classic favorite that is always a hit. For taco salad lovers looking for a healthier option, this Turkey Taco Salad recipe is the answer. Made with lean ground turkey, fresh vegetables, and a zesty cilantro lime yogurt dressing, this salad is a flavorful and satisfying meal. What's more, it's easy...

Earls Santa Fe Chicken Salad (Earls Restaurant Copycat)

For the Canadians frequenting this site, you are no doubt familiar with Earl’s restaurant. Earls changed their recipe for this and the salad, sorry Earls, just doesn't taste the same anymore. I went on a mission to recreate this recipe at home. After many attempts and ingredient variations, I finally crafted the perfect replica of Earls' famous Santa Fe Chicken Salad. The taste testers—the girls I went and had this with for so many years—couldn't believe it. Dare we say this version is even better than the original. I'm so excited to share it with you here! This salad is truly a must-try!...

Delicious Steak Salad With Yogurt Dressing

I LOVE summer barbecues! However, too often, hearty dishes steal the spotlight. Think burgers and potato salads! I mean I adore these recipes. But sometimes I just crave a mouthwatering summer salad! And right now, Summer Salads are having their moment! For readers who have been here for a while, you know my beliefs on dressings, vinaigrettes, and sauces—they can truly make or break a recipe. It's all about that sauce! It adds that extra pizzazz and can be conveniently prepared ahead on the weekend for easy weeknight meals. This steak salad features scrumptiously marinated, thinly sliced...

Curry Roasted Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes

Curry roasted fall salad | cookingwithcassandra.com

Last Thursday was just like any other busy work day. I was running from a Zoom call at home to another meeting, and then to a recipe photoshoot session for the blog (which turned out to be really fun!). I had packed this salad in my bag for lunch and as I was microwaving this in the studio, my teammates looked at me and exclaimed, “Cassandra, what is that?! It smells amazing!” That was a good sign for this new salad I was testing out. It’s always so daunting to try new, daring recipes, but if people around me respond positively, then it’s a go! All I did was toss together...

Broccoli Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potato

veggie packed pasta salad | cookingwithcassandra.com

Are you team broccoli or team cauliflower? I’m guilty of being both! Cauliflower is my go-to among those two, and you’ll know this is true if you crawl around my blog a bit… I’ve got a lot of cauliflower recipes 🙂 But, I digress: our star of the show today is fresh broccoli and sweet potatoes! For this salad, we will be roasting sweet potato and broccoli. Together with our fluffy quinoa, we will toss briny feta cheese and a divine maple lemon dressing. It’s all made of fresh, whole-food ingredients and has all the flavors: sweet, citrusy, and savory. My secret to...

Arugula Beet Feta Salad with Candied Pecans

Beets are way underrated – if you have never cooked with this delicious and versatile superfood, today is the day to start. Beneath that tough exterior and that gorgeous deep purple hue, beetroots are a very nutritious root vegetable. They are rich sources of potassium, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C. It doesn’t get the credit it deserves! The latest addition to my salad recipes is this stunning beet salad with feta, arugula, and candied pecans. I would describe it as fresh, nutty, sweet, and salty. There’s also a balsamic vinaigrette that brings out all the best flavors of this...

Summer Berry Salad With Candied Almonds & Goat Cheese

Berry Salad on Platter | cookingwithcassandra.com

Call me obsessed, but anytime I get to add berries to a dish, I’ll do it. I mean, what’s not to love? They’re juicy, bite-sized and rich in antioxidants! Plus, they bring back all of those happy childhood memories of snacking on blackberries by the pool with my family. This summer berry salad is loaded with blueberries, blackberries, arugula, cucumbers, avocados, goat cheese and sugared almonds. Sweet, refreshing and just a hint of balsamic vinegar to top it off! It is the perfect side dish to go with a seafood or red meat dish. Recipe Ingredients Let me preface this by saying that...

Easy Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Pasta salad with cherry tomatoes | cookingwithcassandra.com

Growing up, I was surrounded by loads of Mediterranean food influences. I had a family full of amazing cooks and I was always served the best dishes from scratch, and now that I’m older, I realize that I was incredibly lucky to have had someone cook for me. In Mediterranean cooking, we use a lot of flavorful plant-based foods like legumes, grains, and herbs. But, we also love our sauces and dressings. People tend to think of Mediterranean food like Italian, but it actually is a melting pot of European, Middle Eastern, Asian, and African cuisines. This Mediterranean pasta salad...

Simple Shirazi Salad

Shirazi Salad | cookingwithcassandra.com

I’m so excited to share another Persian recipe with you guys because whenever there’s food involved, it’s always a good idea to go back to your heritage, am I right? With that said, I love trying new things and tasting food from different cuisines. What is your favorite dish from your culture or heritage? Let me know by commenting on this blog post – I’d love to know! Shirazi salad or Salad-e Shirazi is a vibrant, colorful salad that is commonly served in any Iranian household, including my own. It is known for this really uniform look since everything is cut to about the same...

Peach Arugula Salad With Honey Balsamic Dressing

Summer is here!!! Aside from the fact that I can finally stash away those bulky jackets, the warmer weather and sunnier days are welcomed by more time at the cabin, playing outside with Pete followed by ice cream! Guess who loves getting out of the house more than I do? Woof, woof! Summer also means an array of ripe and juicy fruits just waiting to be picked and brought home. The first thing I’m getting my hands on is fresh peaches. These plump and fuzzy fruits are great eaten as-is, but they’re even better in a crispy peach cobbler and a boozy red sangria. One other peach...

Healthy Strawberry Summer Salad

Strawberry Summer Salad | cookingwithcassandra.com

Every summer, my husband and I host barbecue parties for our family and friends. Because I like having variation, that means needing to think of different sides and fixings for each party. One of my must-haves is a salad – it’s healthy, refreshing and helps to balance the “heaviness” of all the grilled meats. But you’ll never see a boring salad at my party! I love serving steak salads (like this delicious steak salad with yogurt dressing), but when I need to fix something quick and easy, this strawberry summer salad is a great option. You really can’t go wrong with this salad. It’s...