Ever find yourself with a fridge full of leftovers you just can’t bring yourself to eat? Well, that’s always me. But recently, I decided to tackle that culinary conundrum head-on in the most practical way possible. In my quest to incorporate 30 different plants a week—as recommended by top nutrition experts—I went on a creative fridge clean-out adventure. The result was pretty good. A Prettyyy, pretty good leftover salad. And utterly fabulous Mixed Green and Grain Salad that felt straight out of a ‘gourmet’ home kitchen and definitely worthy of any haute cuisine menu.
I understand that most of us struggle with the idea of what to do with leftovers. We promise ourselves we will eat them, yet each time we open the fridge, we still can’t muster the enthusiasm. And often it’s the lack of inspiration or the fear that they won’t taste as good the next day that holds us back. But in most times, that may not be the case though. Leftovers, especially grains and vegetables that are about to go bad, can easily be made into a lovely salad like this one in the pic below. Making for a nice, filling lunch or dinner salad without the need to waste food or spend extra time cooking.
Everything I used for This Filling Salad
Ingredients
Mixed greens (arugula, baby spinach, and other leafy greens)
Cooked grains (quinoa, spelt)
Diced mango
Diced sweet potato
Shredded carrot
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Cooked and shredded chicken breast
Some chopped red onion
Mixed beans
Wall-nuts
The Dressing
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Notes
Nuts were obviously not part of the leftovers; I just like to add them to salads to bring in extra crunch and a boost of healthy fats. This salad is versatile; you can substitute the chicken with tofu or chickpeas for a vegetarian option.
Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for extra freshness.
I know, this is a long list of ingredients for just one salad. But, like I said, it was meant to be super filling. If I hadn’t used all the ingredients in one go, whatever was left would have ended up in the bin anyway. And let’s be honest, I’d probably still feel guilty every time I opened the fridge and saw those sad, unused vegetables. This was a great way to remind myself that I hadn’t met my quota for plant-based foods and could do so by mixing all these things together. Besides, if I didn’t, I’d probably be hosting a one-person pity party for my wilting greens and overripe mango. Obviously, everyone will end up with something different based on what’s in their fridge—this was my end result. So, embrace the chaos of your fridge and turn those forlorn leftovers into a culinary masterpiece of leftover salad!