This quick Italian salad plate for one is easy to adapt with veggies you have on hand. The dressing uses basic ingredients and everything is mixed on the plate for a delicious, healthy meal.
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Hello, my friends.
Recipes for one person aren’t very common, but I think there’s a place for them. I hope by the end of this post I will convince you of that as well.
You may have seen a sneak peak of this “salad plate for one” concept on my Instagram stories or on Pinterest.
My husband Brandon was the one that first introduced me to this concept years ago. He was making me a salad and we were out of dressing. So he just sprinkled a bit of this and a bit of that on my plate. And wow, it was almost magical how tasty it was.
Everything (including the dressing) is added and mixed together right on the plate. No extra dishes. No large batch of homemade dressing you will get sick of before it goes bad. A simple solution to healthy salads.
It’s almost as easy as sticking salad ingredients on a plate and pouring store-bought Italian dressing over it.
Since buying store-bought dressing is still easier you might be wondering:
Why use homemade dressing over store-bought dressing?
Most store-bought salad dressings contain preservatives and additives that are not healthy. That’s why they can last on the shelf and in the refrigerator for weeks on end without going bad.
This homemade dressing is made with 6 simple ingredients that I can pronounce. And they are all things I keep available in my pantry.
- avocado or light olive oil – you can use regular olive oil too but light olive oil has a milder flavor that I like better for salads
- balsamic vinegar
- Italian seasoning – I use penzeys Tuscan sunset
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
Good quality oil and balsamic vinegar will make all the difference in a delicious salad dressing. If you don’t like it, you won’t eat it on a regular basis no matter how much cheaper it was (yes I know that from experience).
I use the Chosen Foods brand of avocado oil and the Kirkland Signature brand of balsamic vinegar (I get both at Costco). There are other high quality options out there.
I hinted above about the rule of thumb I use when buying oil and vinegar for salad dressings: don’t buy the cheap stuff. I haven’t found any cheap options that I like on a salad. I’d love to hear what brands you love in the comments.
Variety, variety, variety
I’m excited because in the next few weeks I’ll be sharing four more salad recipes for one.
With today’s recipe plus the other recipes I will share, you’ll be able to change up the veggies and the dressing every time you make a salad for lunch.
Five salads for five weekdays. The perfect solution for people who want to eat healthier with easily bored food pallets, like mine.
This concept of a salad plate for one really becomes powerful when you add variety. I love variety!
Variety is what makes salad something that’s enjoyable to eat every day.
And the recipes I’m sharing are SOOO adaptable. Don’t be afraid to change things up.
Here’s a simple solution if you are looking to streamline the salad prep even more:
Prep once and eat five different salads on five different days
On the first day, chop up 2 heads of lettuce (I like romaine because it keeps fresh longer in the refrigerator). Then add 1 grated carrot or some diced cucumbers, tomatoes or bell peppers (depending on what you have) and 3 diced green onions.
That becomes the salad base you will use every day. Store it in a large covered bowl up to a week. I add a paper towel on the bottom to catch any extra liquid so it stays fresh longer.
Then when it’s time for lunch, load up a plate with the prepared salad and veggies.
Add the extras — chicken one day, chopped ham or a hard boiled egg another day. Even though the salad base stays the same, changing the extras and the dressing adds enough variety to make it exciting.
Portioning out and freezing already cooked meats (a rotisserie chicken, leftover grilled steak, asian-style beef, etc) for salads is another good way to make adding variety easy.
The perfect lunch on the go
If you are taking lunch to go, I love these clear Rubbermaid food storage containers (aff. link). They seal really well. I love that they are clear and the perfect size for a lunch salad. To avoid wilting lettuce and soggy extras (cheese, croutons, etc), I wouldn’t make ahead more than about 4 to 5 hours. Adding the dressing ingredients at the bottom may also help the salad stay fresh longer.
I’d love to hear if you come up with other creative to-go or make-ahead solutions.
The salad plate formula
This post is more like a formula than a recipe. I hope you’ll treat it that way. I have tested out the measurements but they are just to give you a basic idea.
Eyeballing the greens, veggies and toppings even the first time you make it should work just fine. Just aim for a dinner plate full of salad. After a few times you probably won’t even need to use measuring spoons for the dressing.
Hurray for less dishes!
Here are a few more tips to create the best quick Italian salad plate for one:
Mix the greens: Using two or three different types of greens will really improve the flavor of a salad. A good option is to buy greens that are already mixed: spring mix is one of my favorites.
Multiple veggies: Use at least three grated or diced veggies on top to give the salad enough taste variety.
Add color: The best salads have color variation. Not only is it more visually appealing, but health benefits come from “eating the rainbow.”
Add texture: I always enjoy a salad much more when in has a crunch factor. I try to always include something like croutons, nuts, or even crunchy lettuce.
Salt and Pepper: If you taste the salad and it’s not flavorful enough, try adding just a little more salt and pepper.
Okay, my friends. I’m ready to sign off.
I hope you have found something in this post that is helpful to you. I know for me, the concept of quick salads for one has been life-changing.
I’m excited to share more of my favorites with you soon!
Quick Italian Salad Plate for One
This quick Italian salad plate for one is easy to adapt with veggies you have on hand. The dressing uses basic ingredients and everything is mixed on the plate for a delicious, healthy meal.
Ingredients
Salad for one:
- 1 to 1 ½ cups salad greens e.g. lettuce, spinach, spring mix, baby chard or kale, arugula, cabbage, see note
- ¼ to ½ cup grated or diced vegetables e.g. carrots, cucumbers, green onions, bell peppers, tomatoes
- ⅓ to ½ cup meat or protein e.g. leftover cooked meat- grilled or rotisserie chicken or steak, chopped ham, hard boiled egg, cooked beans, grains or lentils, cheese cubes or grated cheese
- 1 to 2 tablespoons nuts & seeds e.g. pepitas, sunflower seeds, toasted almonds or walnuts
- 1 to 2 tablespoons croutons see note
Single serving Italian Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons avocado or light olive oil see note
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar see note
- dash Italian seasoning
- dash garlic powder
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
-
Fill up a dinner-sized plate with your choice of salad greens, grated or diced vegetables, meat or protein, nuts & seeds, and croutons, if desired.
-
Drizzle or sprinkle dressing ingredients over salad and toss right on the plate to combine.
Recipe Notes
1. Romaine lettuce is a good option if you are looking for something that will stay fresh for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.
2. For best flavor, use a good quality oil and vinegar.
2. I like to chop up the greens and veggies for a week’s worth of salads ahead of time. I usually store everything in a large bowl in the fridge with a paper towel on the bottom to catch any extra liquid. Then when I’m ready to eat, I load up my plate with the prepared salad and veggies. Then add the extras (meats, cheeses, nuts, croutons), sprinkle on the dressing ingredients, toss and enjoy.
3. I have made these salads in go-to containers (aff. link) when I want to take a lunch with me. Just prep it like you would on your plate and toss just before eating. To avoid wilting lettuce and soggy extras (cheese, croutons, etc), I wouldn’t make ahead more than about 4 to 5 hours. Adding the dressing ingredients first may also help the salad last longer.
4. We love these homemade croutons.
Recipe Source: Heather @ The Cook’s Treat
All images and text ©The Cook’s Treat
Disclaimer: post contains affiliate links for items on Amazon.
