Healthy and hearty meal salads

Celebrate National Salad Month all summer long with these seven recipes for healthy, hearty meal salads.

Did you know that May is National Salad Month? Yep, salads gets their very own month! I know this thanks to my awesome friend and fellow healthy food blogger Katie from Healthy Seasonal Recipes. (That girl is seriously all about salad, my friends -- are you following her yet?)

Meal salads are a staple around Casa de Ninj, especially lately, as I've been needing to keep our weeknight meals quick and easy since our verrrrrrrrrrry slow cross-town move is taking up a lot of my time.

Plus, the farmers' markets are re-opening, the CSA share sign-ups have begun and my summer veggie plants are starting to get big. Yay for fresh vegetables!

So in honor of the impending summer fresh vegetable bounty and National Salad Month, here's a bookmarkable roundup of all my favorite meal salads.

Turkey, Apple and Fennel Bread Salad

(pictured above)
A great use for roasted turkey or rotisserie chicken leftovers: toss in a lemony vinaigrette with whole grain bread, crunchy fennel and sweet apples.

Naan Fattoush

This healthy and easy meatless salad is made with whole-wheat naan, protein-rich white beans and a tangy Greek yogurt dressing.

10-Minute Cherry and Chicken Couscous Salad

Pair sweet, ripe cherries with savory grilled chicken and crunchy granola in this summer salad recipe that takes only 10 minutes to prepare.

Kati Flatbread Salad

Kati rolls, a popular Indian street food, are here deconstructed into a meal salad that can also double as a unique appetizer pizza.

Shrimp and Avocado Tortilla Salad

Boiled shrimp, fresh veggies, baked chips and a yogurt dressing help make this cold shrimp and avocado tortilla salad a healthy meal that's quick to prepare.

Naan Panzanella

Enjoy this quick-to-prepare riff on rustic Italian panzanella salad, with lightly fried naan and a bright lemony dressing.

Blackened Blue Steak Salad

With a coffee-based marinade, tangy balsamic dressing and bold blue cheese, this blackened blue steak salad will quickly become as much of a weeknight favorite for you as it has for me (seriously, you don't want to know how often I make this salad).

Do you have a favorite healthy and hearty meal salad? Or, better yet, have you made one of my favorites shown above? Leave a comment: The Ninj wants to know.

Happy #nationalsaladmonth!