Salad Bar Vegetable Soup Recipes

SALAD BAR VEGETABLE STIR-FRY

Steps:

• Cook rice in 1 cup water with salt as directed on package.
• Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet or wok, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add cauliflower and carrots; cook and stir 4 minutes. Add broccoli; cook and stir 1 minute. Add 3 tablespoons water. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender.
• Add pea pods, bell pepper and stir-fry sauce; cook and stir until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds. Serve over rice.

SALAD BAR VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan heat a tablespoon of olive oil seasoned with sea salt and pepper. Sauté the corn, scallions, and carrots until lightly browned, then add the mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach and cook until they've given up their water. Add the garbanzo beans and water.
• Simmer for 30-40 minutes until reduced by a third. If you want, stir in the sour cream (or half and half). Taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt and pepper.

BEEFY VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• In several large kettles, combine the first seven ingredients. Add water to cover. Add tomato sauce and broth.
• In other large skillet, cook ground beef and onions until meat is browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Drain. Add to vegetable mixture. Season with salt, basil and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until celery is tender.

ULTIMATE SALAD BAR

Steps:

• Use this more as a guide for creating the ultimate salad bar at home. You don't have to follow this completely as written.
• First the base. I like to have three different lettuces to choose from. In three separate large bowls, place the chopped romaine, spring lettuce mix and baby spinach and set aside.
• Next up is the protein. Use help from the store for this. Go to the deli counter and get roasted chicken and just slice or shred at home. Cooked ham that you dice up can be a quick fix as well! If you want to cook the tofu yourself, drain extra-firm tofu very well and pat dry. Then cube up and sauté in a pan with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook the bacon strips in the oven on a baking sheet for a quick and easy no-mess way of cooking. Lastly, hard boil some eggs for a quick protein rich alternative to meat!
• No salad bar is complete without veggie toppings, and you'll want lots of them. In small bowls, lay out the different sliced and chopped vegetables. This can be whatever you like, have on hand or find at the grocery store in season. I used avocado, carrots, peas, cucumber, corn, tomatoes, and red onion. Canned beans like chickpeas or black beans add a nice hearty bite to salads as well.
• Now let's talk cheese. Sure we're trying to be healthy but a small amount of cheese never hurt anyone. Set out some of your favorite cheeses. I like crumbled feta for a nice salty bite, or grated parmesan. Simple shredded cheddar or cubed mozzarella would be great as well.
• Finish things off with some crunchy and/or chewy toppings. Nuts or seeds are always a good idea. Sunflower seeds, pecans, walnuts or dried fruit are all good options. Take advantage of what the store has to offer. You can't forget the croutons either. I don't think I can have a salad without croutons.
• For dressings: You can buy some or you can make one or both of these super easy dressings. For the Dijon Vinaigrette, place all of the ingredients into a mason jar and secure tightly with the lid. Then shake until fully combined. It's that simple! For the creamy Dijon dressing, whisk together the ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Transfer to serving dishes and place near the end of your salad bar.
• Then just have your guests go through and create their own salads!