Our Favorite Allergy-Friendly Salads

Spring is in the air, and it’s making me crave those fresh salads! Here are five of my favorite recipes for unique and delicious salads.

Greek Quinoa and Avocado Salad (Better Homes and Gardens)

This is one of our family go-to salad recipes! It’s already gluten-free and nut-free, and you can easily make it dairy-free by leaving out the feta cheese crumbles. It actually still tastes great without them!

The seasoning is so simple and yet spot on, but I would recommend doubling the amount of shredded spinach. Usually I just add extra shredded spinach instead of putting it on a bed of spinach. Also, this is especially delicious paired with freshly grilled chicken thighs. *Swoons.*

My Version of Honey Glazed Apple & Sweet Potato Casserole (Tried and Tasty)

Sometimes I just want to have a warm salad, and this does the trick. It takes longer than a normal salad recipe, but it’s worth the wait. This recipe is already gluten-free, and can be made dairy-free by using coconut oil instead of butter. You could also make it nut-free by…you know, leaving out the nuts.

I changed the recipe a little so it would taste more like a salad and less like a casserole:

1. I cooked up some quinoa.
2. I peeled and sliced two apples (or pears) and two sweet potatoes, arranging them in a greased 8×8 pan. I then poured the honey-butter-cinnamon-vanilla-nut mixture (from the original recipe) on top of them. Then I baked them at 350 until they were soft.
3. Then once everything is cooked, I put spinach on my plate, then a layer of quinoa, then the “casserole” of sweet potatoes and apples on top.
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and voila! Enjoy!!

Best-Ever Chicken Salad (How to Feed a Loon)

I use full-fat, plain Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise for this recipe, and it’s delicious that way! Also, I use rotisserie chicken instead of making it from scratch. I’m sure making it from scratch would taste amazing, but this mama has no time for that. To make it nut-free, just drop the almonds! I love serving it on a bed of greens along with avocado, tomato and chips. The leftovers taste great too!

Homemade Cobb Salad

This is how we make a gluten-free, nut-free and optionally dairy-free Cobb Salad.

-Cooked and crumbled turkey bacon (just check the ingredients)
-Hard boiled eggs cut in half
-Frozen corn kernels (we just microwave the corn to thaw it)
-Avocado
-Chopped tomatoes (cherry tomatoes or Roma tomatoes)
-Your favorite variety of chopped cheese (unless you want to go dairy-free) – we recommend Swiss cheese
-Your favorite salad greens
-Ranch dressing (unless you want to go dairy-free)

It’s a household favorite, and tastes like summer!

Homemade Taco Salad

I grew up loving Mexican food. Like, my family literally has a huge Mexican spread for Thanksgiving dinner. Who needs turkey when you have tacos? So now my husband and I have carried the tradition on by having our own version of “taco salad” once a week for dinner. Here’s how we make it:

-Sautée two thinly sliced red peppers, one thinly sliced zucchini, and one thinly sliced onion in olive oil. I add a little cumin, salt, oregano and basil as well. (I’ve never measured how much – just kind of shake some on as I go.)
-Cook up some brown rice.
-Chop up some black olives, Roma tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes) and avocado. (You can also add shredded cheddar cheese, if you can eat dairy!)
-Cook up ground beef with half a chopped onion and taco seasoning (check the ingredients for allergens).
-Pull out your favorite mixed greens and a bag of GF tortilla chips.
-Optional Topping: We also like to heat up some black refried beans (as always, check the ingredients on the can) mixed with a dash of oat milk.

We set it all out like a potluck and pile it onto our plates. It’s absolutely delicious and so filling too!

These are our favorite salad recipes! Now, I want to hear yours in the comments! What is your favorite allergy-friendly salad recipe? I can’t wait to try it!

XOXO,
That Allergy Mama