Mix and Match Grain Salads

Shake things up.

by: Paula Roy

Don’t love lettuce? Meh on mesclun? Annoyed with arugula? Never fear – there are loads of salad options that don’t involve greens and they’re super easy to toss together. In fact, most grain-based salads can be prepared well in advance, plus they’re robust enough to make them perfectly packable lunches; make a big batch on the weekend, tuck in the fridge and you’re all set for several days. Best of all, grain-based salads can be enjoyed warm, cold or at room temperature – however you like them!

I like to shake things up in my salad spectrum by mixing and matching different grains, dressings and toppings. This handy guide offers a few of my favourite combinations. Just pick a grain as your base, then work your way down the chart selecting flavour enhancers, vegetables, dressings and toppings. Throw it together and you’ll be done without even breaking a sweat.

Just pick a grain as your base, then work your way down the chart selecting flavour enhancers, vegetables, dressings and toppings. | YMC

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Recipes
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Easy
salad
mix and match
grain
paula roy
Paula Roy

Paula Roy readily admits that she’s obsessed with food. Typically, it’s the first thing she thinks of in the morning and the last of the day as well. She recognizes that not everyone shares her passion for cooking, so she channels much of her enthusiasm into creating family-friendly recipes that are easy to prepare and yield delicious results.

Although her husband and kids are eager taste testers, Paula knows she’ll eventually be paying for their therapy thanks to her constant cries of, “don’t touch that plate, I haven’t taken a photo yet!”

Paula loves to travel and explore whatever culinary treasures a destination has to offer. In addition to leading cooking classes and making frequent TV appearances, she’s also a busy freelance writer and serves as the food editor of popular style magazine Ottawa At Home. In addition to her contributions for YMC, you can also follow Paula’s edible adventures through her blog, Constantly Cooking, and keep up with her daily kitchen antics on Twitter and Instagram (@paulajroy).