Believe it or not, this is my go-to recipe when I don’t have much time on hand to whip up a decent lunch. However, it’s got everything!

Packed with flavor and nutrients, this salad will surely keep you full the entire day!

Besides, it is super easy to make, and you can prepare all the ingredients (and the dressing) ahead of time, and simply assemble it right before serving.

I used to put all ingredients side by side in a large tray, after which I had to slide all leftovers into a plastic container to store them in the refrigerator, which meant more dish-washing. Last week, I decided to make it as a layered salad inside a huge, rectangle shaped plastic container. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that earlier! I made enough salad for the entire family to eat for a few days. As long as the dressing is in a mason jar, the salad remained fresh; I dressed each portion individually.

I really don’t measure anything for this salad. I simply eyeball. I mean, the bigger the crowd, the more the ingredients.

Moreover, I don’t always have all the following ingredients around, so it’s not a rule to use them all, but if I have people coming over, I love the idea of having a salad bar with all of the following options for my invitees to choose from.

Ingredients:

Chopped lettuce

Arugula

Chopped tomatoes

Chopped cucumber

Chopped bell pepper

Shredded carrot

Corn kernels

Fresh button mushrooms

Boiled potatoes

Boiled beets

Steamed broccoli

Hard boiled eggs

Canned tuna (in water)

Cooked quinoa

Basically, a little bit of everything makes a huge container to yield at least 4 servings.

Dressing:

Again, I don’t measure, but below is an estimate enough to dress 4 servings.

The juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lite mayo

2 tsps mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

For the salad: If you are making it a layered salad, simply layer all ingredients in the plastic container. I usually start with the leaves, followed by the tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots and corn. And then I proceed to adding the layers of steamed and/or boiled ingredients, and I finish off with the tuna and boiled eggs on top (the protein goes on top).

Otherwise, place all ingredients next to each other in a large tray.  For serving, spoon the desired ingredients into your bowl. Toss them with 2 tbsps of dressing.

For the dressing: Add all the ingredients to a mason jar. Close it and shake it well for a minute. You now have a ready dressing that will last in the fridge for up to a week!

Happy healthy eating!