19 Leafy Green-Packed Recipes That Aren't Salad (2024)

Salads are great and can be even better with the right components, but they’re not the only way to get your greens. Whether it’s soup made from collard greens or pasta sauce made with spinach, these dishes show leafy greens like kale, mustard greens and chard in a new light. Pack in the veg with recipes like our Garlic-Ginger Mushroom Lettuce Wraps. Or, let your greens pop in our Whole-Grain Spaghetti with Italian Turkey Sausage, Arugula & Balsamic Tomato Sauce.

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Spaghetti with Creamy Lemon-Spinach Sauce

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Give your veggie servings a boost with this easy spaghetti with spinach sauce recipe. Loosely inspired by the flavors of classic pesto, this vibrant pasta packs in plenty of spinach and basil with a garnish of nutty walnuts and savory Parmesan cheese. Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil and a green salad on the side.

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Mainland Lu'au

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The Hawaiian word lu'au can mean three things: a gathering or celebration, the young leaves of the kalo (aka taro) plant, or a dish made with those leaves, coconut milk and sometimes chicken or squid. This recipe is a version of the latter from chef Kiki Aranita, made with collard greens, which are easier to find on the mainland. This lu'au recipe makes a generous amount, but you won't regret it since it holds beautifully—you can even freeze it so you have a nutritious side dish at your fingertips.

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Garlic-Ginger Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

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These super-savory lettuce wraps feature a mix of mushrooms and plenty of peanuts for crunch. Refrigerated garlic and ginger pastes help keep prep to a minimum. If you want a boost of vegetarian protein, stir in a scrambled egg or crumbled tofu after the mushrooms are done cooking and before you add the sauce.

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Whole-Grain Spaghetti with Italian Turkey Sausage, Arugula & Balsamic Tomato Sauce

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Total happiness in a bowl: pasta, sausage, tomatoes and herbs. The tomatoes get sweet and tender and turn into sauce with the stock and the pasta. Without ever adding any butter, the spaghetti sauce is rich and silky. Adding the herbs at the end gives the dish a fresh pop of color and flavor. This is one healthy pasta recipe we can definitely get behind!

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Spanakopita Stuffed Peppers

These stuffed bell peppers have a filling inspired by the Greek spinach pie, spanakopita, but you don't have to worry about working with phyllo, so they're great for an easy vegetarian dinner.

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Green Veggie Bowl with Chicken & Lemon-Tahini Dressing

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For this healthy 30-minute dinner, treat your veggies like pasta and cook until al dente, or just done. If you have a little extra time, double or triple the lemon-tahini dressing and use it to quickly dress a salad or as a sauce for steak or shrimp.

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Spinach, Feta & Sausage Galette

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This impressive galette is packed with spinach, feta and sausage for the ultimate savory breakfast. To prevent the eggs from slipping, make sure to create wells in the bed of cooked veggies. We love set whites and a slightly runny egg yolk. Cook the galette a minute or two longer if you want your egg yolks set.

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Buttermilk Fried Tofu with Smoky Collard Greens

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Dipping tofu in buttermilk makes the coating stick for a crispy pan-fried tofu, reminiscent of fried chicken. Spicing up the collards with paprika coats them with smoky flavor while keeping this dish vegetarian. And this quick, easy and healthy dinner comes together in just 25 minutes, so it's great for busy weeknights.

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Spinach & Feta-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

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These stuffed portobello mushrooms have a filling inspired by the Greek spinach pie, spanakopita. To keep them quick, we ditched the phyllo, so they're great for an easy weeknight vegetarian dinner.

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Herby Fish with Wilted Greens & Mushrooms

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This healthy fish recipe makes a tasty and easy weeknight meal. Serve with wild rice or roasted potatoes.

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4-Ingredient Adas bis-Silq (Lentil & Chard Soup)

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Even though this lentil soup is made with just a handful of ingredients, it’s incredibly flavorful. If you have a special bottle of olive oil, drizzle some on top of each bowl before serving. If you can’t find or don’t like chard, kale or collards would be equally delicious. Excerpted with permission from Lebanese Cuisine by Madelain Farah and Leila Habib-Kirske, published by Hatherleigh Press.

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Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps

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Stuff crisp lettuce leaves with a savory filling inspired by PF Chang's famous lettuce wraps. These low-carb wraps made with tofu, mushrooms and daikon radish are an easy vegetarian dinner. Add julienned carrots to the wraps for a bonus crunch.

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Collards & Portobello Grilled Cheese

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Meaty portobello mushrooms and sautéed collards turn this easy grilled cheese recipe into a healthy meal. If you don't have Dijonnaise on hand, make your own by stirring 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard into 3 tablespoons mayonnaise.

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Gat Kimchi Bokkeum Bap (Mustard-Green Kimchi Fried Rice)

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Cooling cooked rice is key here—it dries out the rice and firms it up so it doesn't stick together when it's fried, yielding fluffier results.

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Chicken, Spinach & Feta Wraps

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This chicken, spinach and feta wrap recipe is elevated by the convenience of rotisserie chicken and the scrumptious flavor of sun-dried tomatoes. Whisk together the easy dressing, toss with the chicken, add spinach and wrap it all together for a delicious lunch or dinner. Using rotisserie chicken speeds up the process, but you can also reach for this recipe if you have leftover cooked chicken on hand.

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Roasted Root Veggies & Greens over Spiced Lentils

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This earthy bowl of lentils is topped with leftover roasted root veggies from a large batch for an easy weeknight dinner. Keep it vegan or add a drizzle of plain yogurt for extra richness.

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Chicken & Cucumber Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

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We love the crunch from sliced cucumber and jicama in these savory chicken lettuce wraps. Serve with the simple peanut sauce for an easy dinner recipe that will impress kids and adults alike.

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Braised Lentils & Kale with Fried Eggs

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These braised lentils are cooked with tender kale and bathed in a fire-roasted tomato broth with an egg on top to pack in the protein. Microwaveable lentils need just a short time in the pan to finish cooking. If you have cooked or canned lentils on hand, you can use them in their place, but you may have to shave a few minutes off the cooking time so they don't get too soft. We like how the soft, runny yolk coats the dish. If you want a harder yolk, cover the pan and add 2 or 3 minutes to the cooking time.

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White Bean-Sage Cauliflower Gnocchi

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Turn lower-carb cauliflower gnocchi into a complete and satisfying meal with this riff on classic brown butter and sage gnocchi. We added beans to amp up the fiber and protein for a fast and healthy dinner.

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19 Leafy Green-Packed Recipes That Aren't Salad (2024)

FAQs

How do you eat greens that aren't salad? ›

Throw some greens into a pesto sauce following this Easy Green Pea Pesto Spread recipe or into your favorite hummus. Make a delicious sandwich with greens tucked inside like this Grilled Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich with Labneh. Add greens to your favorite egg recipe to create something special!

What can replace salad? ›

  • Avocado Toast. Toast, indeed bread, in general, is often vilified and a no-go for many. ...
  • Vegetable Soup. This can take any guise; a smooth creamy soup, a clear broth with chopped vegetables thrown in or a more chunky thick minestrone style soup. ...
  • Hummus on Toast. ...
  • Buddha Bowl. ...
  • One Pan-fried Eggs and Veg.

What are the healthiest greens to eat? ›

Some of the most nutritious greens include spinach, kale, romaine, watercress, and arugula (see "Salad greens by the numbers"). They are rich in a combination of vitamins A, C, and K; several B vitamins (including folate); and potassium.

Which greens should not be eaten raw? ›

Vegetables that belong to the cabbage family such as cauliflower, Brussels, broccoli, and sprouts should never be consumed raw. These vegetables contain sugar that is difficult to digest. Eating these vegetables raw may lead to a number of gastronomical problems.

What are good healthy foods to eat if you don t like salad? ›

41 Healthy Things To Eat That Are Not Salad
  • Shakshuka. Photo by Ashley Manning / Via dartmouth.spoonuniversity.com. ...
  • Butternut Squash Mac 'n' Cheese. ...
  • Almond Butter Protein Balls. ...
  • Asparagus Fries. ...
  • Zoodles. ...
  • Sushi. ...
  • Maple-Glazed Stuffed Squash. ...
  • Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Risotto.
Sep 29, 2015

What are the 10 leafy green vegetables? ›

Here are 15 different types of leafy greens, their nutritional value, and tips on how to incorporate them into your daily meals.
  • Swiss Chard. Mint Images / Getty Images. ...
  • Turnip Greens. peuceta / Getty Images. ...
  • Kale. HUIZENG HU / Getty Images. ...
  • Collard Greens. ...
  • Mustard Greens. ...
  • Spinach. ...
  • Bok Choy. ...
  • Radish Greens.
Jan 9, 2024

What are the leafy greens that you cook? ›

F&W's guide covers a wide variety of greens and offers recipes that use them in pastas, stews, side dishes and more.
  • Chard.
  • Bok Choy.
  • Arugula.
  • Cabbage.
  • Kale.
  • Lettuce.
  • Spinach.
  • Watercress.

What greens are best for belly fat? ›

Spinach and other leafy green vegetables like kale, lettuce, etc. are great for burning belly fat and are very nutritious as well. There have been some studies done on the subject of the fat burning capabilities of spinach and the very healthy veggie has come out a winner in this category.

What greens can you eat everyday? ›

As a nutritionist, I would highly recommend getting more of the following salad leaves in your diet.
  • Spinach. Spinach is easy to get all year round, and is chock full of iron, calcium, potassium and vitamins B6, C and K. ...
  • Kale. ...
  • Swiss chard. ...
  • Collard greens. ...
  • Rocket. ...
  • Romaine lettuce. ...
  • Watercress. ...
  • Bok choy.
Nov 13, 2023

What leafy green is a Superfood? ›

Spinach, kale, bok choy, cabbage, and collard greens are just a few examples of the types of leafy greens you can enjoy on a WFPB diet. They are good sources of calcium, as well as vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, and folate.

How do you eat raw greens? ›

Salad greens are a rich source of vitamins and other nutrients. Great things happen when you add salad dressing. Benefits: Mixing in a tablespoon or two of oil-based dressing not only perks up the taste, but makes the salad more nutritious by promoting the absorption of vitamins and minerals your body needs.

How do you sneak greens into your diet? ›

Soups are one of the easiest ways to disguise greens. Even if the recipe doesn't call for it, I will add in a couple of handfuls of leafy greens at the end and they wilt in super easily. This makes your kids' favorite potato or chicken noodle soup even more hearty and nutritious!

Can you drink greens instead of eating them? ›

But, the truth is that drinking greens in supplement form can never replace eating a diet that banks many whole fruits and vegetables. "Think of a green powder as exactly what it is—a supplement. You're always better off eating whole vegetables and fruits to get the full nutrition benefit and antioxidant power.

What happens when you cook leafy greens? ›

What are we losing when we cook green leafy vegetables? Cooked veg loses some of the nutrition- vitamins tend to dissolve with heat and leak into the water. Steaming them helps- you don't lose as much. Raw veg contains the most vitamin content.

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