High-Protein Salads 2 Ways

And the Vegetarian Reset Lab is open for the last time this year

Judging by my weather app, salad season has definitively arrived - so I thought it was the right time to revive my Weeknight Simple Hot Tip series.

The concept of a salad as a meal is relatively new to me, as someone who grew up vegetarian in India. That being said, once I opened my mind to the possibilities and learned how to build them right, salads became one of my favorite go-to meals—especially in spring.

Here are 2 super-flexible templates that I use all the time to build a 20-30g protein salads that are satisfying, endlessly customizable, and never boring:

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🥗 Option 1: One Main Protein + Lots of Veggies

This is your protein-on-greens approach. A bit like adding shrimp or chicken to a salad—but the vegetarian version.

• Main protein (~20g):

  • ½ block firm or extra-firm tofu (see my Air-fried Tofu) OR,

  • 3 oz. paneer - lightly pan-fried if desired, OR

  • 3 boiled eggs, chopped

• Veggies: Fresh, roasted, sautéed—mix it up!

• Protein dressing (~5g):

  • Add 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast, OR

  • ¼ cup cottage cheese or Greek Yogurt, OR

  • 2 Tbsp nut butter blended into your pesto, green chutney, or harissa

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🥗 Option 2: Mix + Match (My Favorite)

This method gives you more flavor and textural variety—perfect for when you want to keep things interesting.

• Base protein (~10g):

  • ¼ block tofu, 1.5 oz. paneer, 2 eggs, or ⅔ cup edamame

• Carb + protein sources (~15g):

  • ½ cup cooked lentils

  • ¼ cup cooked quinoa

• Fat + protein source (~5g):

  • ¼ cup nuts, or

  • ¼ cup feta, goat, or parmesan cheese

• Veggies: A colorful mix of raw and cooked

• Dressing of choice: Creamy, zingy, or a simple drizzle of olive oil and vinegar —make it yours

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Want to Make This Effortless?

These are the kinds of meal-building tools we master inside The Vegetarian Reset Lab. If you want to learn how to mix and match vegetarian proteins with ease—and cook meals that keep you full, energized, and excited to eat—this course is for you.

And right now, enrollment is open for 3 more days. We officially begin on April 28th.

When you join, you’ll get:

• My complete 4-step system to build flavorful, high-protein meals

• Lifetime access to all lessons, templates, and recipes

• A 4-Week customized meal plan tailored to your needs

• 3 Live sessions + Q&A

  • Benchmark your carb and protein intake so you know your baseline and how to tweak your macros.

  • Customize recipes according to your dietary restrictions, ingredient preferences or cultural heritage.

  • Meal-prep like a pro with a fun interactive meal-prep session

• 1 Year of Weeknight Simple

• 60-Day Moneyback Guarantee

• Fast Action Bonus: a 3-part workshop series on summer salads, low-carb parathas, and one-pan protein-packed meals (free when you enroll by this Thursday 4/24!)

🎯 Enrollment closes soon

This is the last live batch of the Lab this year, as I start working on my next cookbook soon. The next live launch will be January 2026.

This is not about adding more to your plate… it’s about making space for what matters in a way that aligns with your goals.

Happy Earth Day, and happy salad season 🌎🥗
—Vasudha