Salads have a notorious reputation when it comes to food choices. Honestly, people think salads are only for losing weight or are made with just greens, making them boring and sad. I think that salads are a great way to enjoy delicious veggies, and of course, they’re healthy. All you need is a great dressing, the right combination, and a proportion of veggies. Therefore, this recipe makes a simple veggie salad delicious with a unique creamy avocado dressing. It is perfect for lunches or as a side.

You Will Need…

For Veggie Salad

Mixed Greens: Greens will add a herby, earthy taste and a pop of color. I highly recommend spinach, kale, arugula, or a mix of two or three.
Red cabbage: Red cabbage is earthy, slightly sweet, and tangy. Thinly shredded cabbage is a nice addition to the salad due to its crunchy and snappy texture.
Carrot: Sweet and crunchy carrot gives the salad a delicious, vibrant flavor and look.
Bell pepper: You can add red, yellow, or green bell pepper. They all have different tastes and a crunchy texture. I personally like red bell pepper because of its subtle sweetness.
Cucumber: Cucumber adds an element of freshness to the salad. I love how its soft center and crunchy outside balance out the bold textures of the salad.
Cherry Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes will burst in your mouth with tangy and sweet freshness. These mini-flavor bombs have a more concentrated flavor than big ones.
Sprouts: Sprouts are a delicious addition to the salad. They bring the crunchy and earthiness.

For Avocado Dressing

Avocado: A ripe avocado is all you need. The creamy avocado gives the salad a delicious and unique texture and taste.
Lemon Juice: It brings out a subtle tangy flavor to cut through the creaminess of avocado.
Olive Oil: Olive oil gives a unique flavor to the dressing. It is optional but highly recommended.
Garlic: It gives the dressing delicious garlicky spiciness.
Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is a natural sweetener with a rich flavor. Again, it is optional but highly recommended.
Water: Gradually add water to the dressing to adjust its consistency.
Salt: Of course, salt is the main seasoning that combines all the flavors.
Pepper: Black Pepper will add zesty spiciness to the dressing.

How do we know if the Avocado is Ripe?

Three pointers will help you determine if an avocado is ripe:

You can use the squeeze method. Gently squeeze the avocado; it should be firm but not rock-hard firm. If it feels mushy, then it might be overripe.
The skin of the avocado will be dark green to blackish green.
The skin will be bumpy (if hass variety). If not, let it sit for two days until it ripens.