9 Simple Salads You Can Make in Under 15 Minutes

1. Arugula and Fig

Open up a bag of peppery arugula and lightly toss with salt and pepper. Quarter a few figs (two per person) and scatter over the greens. Drizzle your favorite store-bought balsamic vinaigrette over the top. It’s bright, fruity, and just acidic enough to complement the acidity of the tomatoes in the vegan pizza.

2. Vegan Caesar

Chop up a head of romaine or purchase pre-chopped lettuce. Toss with a vegan Caesar dressing (we enjoy the Follow Your Heart brand) and make it rain croutons. Kelly’s Croutons can’t be beat! Finish with a few shards of vegan parmesan (try VioLife brand). The parm is optional, but highly recommended. Once you try it, you’ll never go back.

3. Simple Mixed Greens

There is absolutely no chopping required here—it’s as simple as salad can get. Empty a package of mixed greens into a large salad bowl. Dot with cherry tomatoes and coat with a basic vinaigrette of olive oil, vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Check out this recipe to quickly make your own or purchase a store-bought dressing. It’s easy to inhale half your weight in this salad, but remember to leave room for vegan pizza!

4. Cucumber, Tomato, and Feta

Let’s deviate from the leafy greens for a second. To make this sturdy salad, slice an English cucumber (the long ones) and halve a handful of cherry tomatoes. Toss with a squeeze of lemon juice, a glug of olive oil, and a dash each of salt and pepper. Sprinkle on some store-bought dairy-free feta (try Follow Your Heart or VioLife) to add some funk.

5. Greek

This classic combination is seemingly on every menu for a reason. It’s timeless, and it never fails to please. Chop up a head of romaine and toss together with thinly sliced red onion, diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, and pitted kalamata olives (unless you prefer to play Russian Roulette with the pits—eat with caution). Dress the mix with a basic store-bought vinaigrette. If the cheese on our vegan pizza isn’t enough, add a few chunks of vegan feta to this bowl of greens.

6. Tricolor

If you’ve got a taste for bitterness, give this salad a try. Chop up equal parts escarole and radicchio and combine with a few handfuls of arugula. Cut the sharp flavor of these greens with a simple dressing of balsamic vinegar and olive oil (use a 1:3 ratio), shaken together with a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Whenever we make this salad, we pronounce it tri-co-lore-ay. If you’re eating vegan pizza, why not put on an Italian accent?

7. Beet

Beets can take time to cook, but that’s why we reach for beets that have been pre-roasted or steamed to make salad prep a flash. We like to roughly chop steamed beets from Trader Joe’s and toss them together with sliced red onion, orange segments, orange juice, a handful of arugula, and salt and pepper to taste. Finish this vibrant, unique salad with a drizzle of olive oil.

8. Wedge

Don’t even bother chopping a head of iceberg into bite-sized pieces. Cut the head into four wedges, plate, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with vegan blue cheese or ranch dressing. Salad, done. Just be sure to serve with a fork and knife … and probably some napkins.

9. Basic Romaine

We remember countless renditions of this salad growing up, but here’s the gist of it: toss chopped romaine with shredded carrots, diced tomatoes, and cucumber slices. Serve with a vegan ranch. Obligatory vegetable quota, reached!

We’ve just given you nine stellar, simple salad options, but don’t forget the vegan pizza! Order your eight-pack variety box here (we ship nationwide!) or swing by Whole Foods Market to pick up our two bestsellers—Everything But the Hog and Salsicca Italiano.