5 substantial salads that are complete meals all on their own

Chicken Caesar salad with a twist

Caesar salads start off being fairly filling, but this version moves into a whole new meal-type category. The addition of chicken breasts and two types of lettuce means this is not only just an interesting salad, but will satisfy your hunger pangs, too.

Get the recipe for Caesar salad with a twist here.

Cold salad with noodles, cucumber, avocado and mango

In the peak of summer, when you can’t bear to think of turning your oven on, this salad is a life-saver. Swap the asparagus for broccoli if you like, and if you think this needs a bit more protein, feel free to add some cooked chicken or prawns.

Get the recipe for cold salad with noodles, cucumber, avocado and mango here.

Lentil, grilled brinjal and butternut salad with tahini dressing

This salad, with its filling components and varied textures, is one of our perennial favourites – even when it’s not summer. The lentils give this real staying power, but you could sub in any grain of your choosing. Just don’t skip the dressing – in fact, make double and pour it over everything.

Get the recipe for lentil, grilled brinjal and butternut salad with tahini dressing here.

Pomegranate molasses chicken with bulgur wheat salad

A chicken and bulgur wheat salad might not sound like the most interesting thing, but the pomegranate glaze adds a big punch of flavour. Mix and match with the greens used here – kale, baby spinach and even finely sliced, blanched broccoli would also work wonders.

Get the recipe for pomegranate molasses chicken with bulgur wheat salad here.

Indian-style bean salad

Adding beans to a salad to bulk it up? Ground-breaking. But hear us out on this one, this salad is not just perfect for a quick midday lunch, but it’s substantial (and interesting) enough to hold up as a summer dinner option, too. The wraps make it pretty filling, but you could add chicken or grilled fish if you wanted to.

Get the recipe for Indian-style bean salad here.