Salad recipes
10 AIP Salad Recipes
I want to say something about salads that took me a while to learn myself. A bowl of leaves at 1pm is why you're standing at the pantry at 4pm, and that isn't a discipline failure. That is arithmetic.
So every one of these 10 has real protein and real fat built into it, which is what turns a salad into lunch.
Buffalo Chicken Salad
This salad asks for real effort. 3 separate components go into it: the fried chicken, the carrot buffalo sauce
Mayo-Free Tuna Salad on Apple Slices, the AIP Way
A cold, mayo-free tuna salad on apple slices, ready in about 15 minutes with real protein, B12, and omega-3 fa
Southwestern beef salad with mango salsa and guacamole
A Southwestern beef salad with mango salsa and guacamole standing in for tomato and peppers, a real meal that
Avocado and radish over greens: a creamy, citrus-bright side that travels
Built to travel without wilting or browning, this avocado and radish bowl proves a packed lunch can still tast
Golden raisin coleslaw: crunchy, herb-flecked, no mayo
This slaw is built the honest way from the start: shredded cabbage and carrot, sweet golden raisins, a generou
Sheet pan taco salad: the comfort food that earns its place
Taco night deserves a real seat at this table, and this rebuild gives you the warmth and hand-built layers of
Smoked Salmon and Zucchini Noodle Salad, the AIP Way
Raw zucchini noodles with smoked salmon and a coconut milk dressing, a cool, no-cook salad rich in omega-3 fat
no-cook bacon, apple, and avocado salad with a lemon-ginger dressing
Some days you do not have the energy to stand at a stove, and this salad only asks for a knife and a bowl. 10
AIP roasted delicata squash and kale salad with figs and a basil-balsamic dressing
Ribboning a whole head of kale by hand and working the dressing into it with your fingers until the leaves rel
Berry-Cherry Fruit Salad with Lemon-Ginger Syrup
Fruit salad sounds almost too simple to count as a recipe, and that is exactly its appeal. A bowl of berries a
See all 88 Salad recipes
- A Bright Bowl of Kale, Cabbage, and Carrot in 10 Minutes
- A bright fruit salad you can make in one bowl
- A briny olive salad to keep in the fridge
- A club sandwich, turned into a bright bowl of greens you can build in 10 minutes
- A cool bowl of bright fruit for the elimination days
- A creamy fruit salad without the dairy
- A fruit salad that lets the fruit lead
- A layered chicken salad you can make the night before
- A warm winter salad that earns its place at the holiday table
- AIP Chicken Salad Lunch
- AIP chopped veggie salad with balsamic vinaigrette - a fast-food sandwich shop salad made compliant
- AIP colorful cauliflower salad - blanched cauliflower, dried fruit, turmeric-anchovy dressing
- AIP roasted delicata squash and kale salad with figs and a basil-balsamic dressing
- AIP summer grapefruit, kiwi, and avocado salad, no-cook
- AIP zucchini noodle pasta salad, no-cook, with clean-label salami, olives, and artichokes
- Apple Fennel Salad
- Apple, bacon, and mint: a small sweet-savory plate
- Arugula Salad with Pomegranate and Honey-Lemon Dressing
- Asian pear and pomegranate over greens: a bowl that makes vegetables easy to love
- Asparagus and zucchini noodle salad: a green, gentle plate that comes together in 1 pot
- Avocado and radish over greens: a creamy, citrus-bright side that travels
- Bacon, apple, and avocado with lemon-ginger dressing: a salad that builds the habit
- Beet and carrot salad: bright, make-ahead, and forgiving
- Berry-Cherry Fruit Salad with Lemon-Ginger Syrup
- Black and Blue Spinach Salad
- Blueberry Spinach Salad
- Bright shredded carrots with herbs and lemon
- Broccoli salad with a bright honey vinaigrette, no mustard needed
- Broccoli with warm spice and not a single nightshade
- Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Cauliflower tabbouleh: an herb-heavy salad built without a single grain
- Chicken Caesar Salad
- Chicken Waldorf Salad
- Citrus and Bacon Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Classic Tuna Salad
- Cranberry Avocado Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
- Crisper Cleanout Salad
- Dill Beet Salad
- Easiest Sardine Salad
- Festive Strawberry and Golden Beet Salad
- Golden raisin coleslaw: crunchy, herb-flecked, no mayo
- Greek Kale Salad
- Greek Meatball Salad: warm meatballs over a cool, herb-dressed bowl
- Greek salad, the AIP way
- Guacamole, taken apart and laid over greens
- Jicama slaw: 1 bowl, no heat, crisp and bright
- Mayo-Free Tuna Salad on Apple Slices, the AIP Way
- Nightshade-Free Taco Salad over Seasoned Cauliflower Rice
- No-cook AIP salad of dino kale, avocado, pomegranate, cucumber, and mint with a lemon-garlic-honey dressing
- No-cook AIP salad of sliced cucumber, radish, and red onion in a creamy coconut-milk dill dressing
- No-cook AIP salad of spring mix, arugula, cucumber, radish, and pear with a ginger-mint vinaigrette
- Pear and Fennel Salad
- Persimmon Fruit Salad in Its Own Shell
- Persimmon and Fennel Salad with Cilantro, the AIP Way
- Pickled beets: earthy, sweet-tart, and waiting in the fridge
- Pineapple Chicken Salad
- Red Beet Salad with Garlic and Parsley, the AIP Way
- Roasted Beet Salad with Herbed Egg-Free Mayo
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad with Bacon-Garlic Dressing
- Salmon Salad with Ginger-Blueberry Dressing
- Salmon and Slaw Zoodle Bowl
- Sheet pan taco salad: the comfort food that earns its place
- Shredded red cabbage with charred broccolette, chopped dates, and parsley, tossed in a ginger and apple cider vinegar dressing
- Smoked Salmon Salad
- Smoked Salmon and Zucchini Noodle Salad, the AIP Way
- Southwestern beef salad with mango salsa and guacamole
- Strawberry Basil Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Strawberry Kale Salad with Bacon Dressing
- Summer Harvest Salad with Pear Vinaigrette
- Summer chayote salad: cool, crisp, and easy on a hot day
- Thai tuna salad: pantry tuna made bright, no cooking required
- Very Berry Fruit Salad
- Vietnamese shredded chicken salad: roast, shred, toss raw
- Watermelon-Mint Salad
- Zucchini-noodle Italian salad
- a big summer salad of leaves, strawberries, olives and crisp vegetables with a yuzu-balsamic dressing
- bright cucumber and red onion salad with mint and dill, no-cook AIP Core
- broccoli apple salad, raw broccoli tossed with a creamy coconut-lemon dressing and chilled
- celery root and carrot salad with apple - raw, shredded, AIP elimination-compliant
- cucumber and peach salad with olive oil and apple cider vinegar dressing
- foraged purslane summer salad with peach and avocado, a no-cook elimination-phase side
- no-cook bacon, apple, and avocado salad with a lemon-ginger dressing
- no-cook radish and greens salad with a blended avocado-citrus dressing
- no-cook raw slaw of carrot, beet, apple, and cucumber with a simple olive oil and lemon dressing, naturally Core AIP-compliant
- raw grated beet and carrot salad over greens with an orange ginger dressing and toasted tigernuts
- roasted beets with their greens, grapefruit, and a balsamic anchovy vinaigrette, a whole-vegetable salad that wastes nothing
- seared New York strip layered into Mason jars with a balsamic anchovy dressing and crisp vegetables, make-ahead salads for the week
- shaved kohlrabi and apple salad with watercress and an orange blossom vinaigrette
The 4 parts that make it a meal
Greens or a crunchy base. A protein with some substance. A fat that makes it taste like food. And an acid, usually citrus, to pull the whole thing together. Miss the protein or miss the fat and you've made a side dish, however large the bowl looks.
This is the most useful thing to take from this page, because once you hold that shape you can build a salad from whatever is in the fridge without needing a recipe at all. Hold it as a guide rather than a rule.
When raw food is not sitting well
Raw vegetables can ask more of a gut that's inflamed, and if salads leave you bloated and uncomfortable, that's information rather than a verdict on salad. Many women find this eases as the gut settles, and mine did.
In the meantime, roast or wilt the base instead of serving it raw, and lean on the warm salads here. A roasted vegetable salad served just warm gives you the same meal and asks considerably less of your digestion.
Salad recipes, answered
What dressing can I use on the Autoimmune Protocol?
Anything built on olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut, brightened with lemon, lime, or a compliant vinegar and softened with herbs. What comes out is mustard, black pepper, seed oils, and most bottled dressings. A lemon and olive oil dressing takes about 2 minutes and keeps for several days.
Can I eat raw vegetables with an Autoimmune condition?
Many people can and do. Some find raw vegetables uncomfortable while the gut is still inflamed, and that often eases with time. If raw salads leave you bloated, roasting or lightly wilting the vegetables usually solves it without giving up the meal.
How do I get enough protein into a salad?
Cook it ahead. Roast a tray of chicken thighs or a piece of salmon at the start of the week and it becomes 3 lunches. Canned salmon and sardines are the fastest option there is, and last night's meat is the cheapest.
Is balsamic vinegar allowed on AIP?
Most vinegars made without grains are generally accepted, balsamic and apple cider and red wine among them, though some people are sensitive to them early on. Malt vinegar comes out because it's grain-derived. Your own tolerance is what decides it.