Your July Recipes Are Here
Weeknight Simple: Salad Edition
Welcome to the salad edition—but not in the way you think. These are meals that just happen to be classified as salads. They’re bold, substantial, and unapologetically satisfying. Think: whole grains, high-protein elements, layers of cooked ingredients, and dressings that make you want to lick the spoon. In the spirit of shopping your fridge before you shop the store, I am spotlighting some recipes from my archive that have main character energy.
These recipes also nod to the framework I teach in my Salad Workshop—a class for anyone who’s ever felt uninspired by salad but wants to change that. If you’re looking for structure, formulas, and remixable blueprints to build craveable, protein-rich salads from whatever’s on hand, it’s a great place to start.
And as always, Weeknight Simple is here to bring you three flexible, protein-and-flavor-forward dishes each month—designed to help you eat well, eat enough, and keep dinnertime interesting without overthinking it. Let’s get into it.
If you're a free subscriber, you get to vote on which recipe will be featured in next week’s free newsletter—so don’t miss that section at the bottom.
Here’s what’s on the menu this month:
Puffed Quinoa and Edamame Chaat
A layered, loud, gloriously chaotic kind of South Asian street food where sweet, spicy, tangy, creamy, and crunchy all show up to the party… and no one’s trying to play it cool - meet Chaat.
This version is my summer remix. Reimagining bhel puri, but with more plants, more protein, and a deeply satisfying crunch that won’t leave you crashing an hour later. Puffed quinoa takes the place of puffed rice, and we anchor the bowl with edamame, roasted corn, and creamy avocado. Peanuts give you that street-style crunch, while tangy chutneys bring it all to life.
You might not keep puffed quinoa or coriander and tamarind chutneys in your pantry—yet—but trust me when I say: you’ll find yourself using them on everything. (Granola! Salads! Toast! Eggs!) This chaat is not just a salad, and definitely not just a snack. It’s a full-bodied, flavor-packed meal that tastes like summer on your tongue—and yes, it might just convince you that this is the new normal.
Grated Egg Salad with Cheezy Avocado Dressing
This is the one I reach for on those bright, breezy days when everything I want feels green: peas, soft herbs, and tender greens—all chopped finely so every bite delivers a bit of everything. It's a salad that looks delicate but has real staying power, thanks to the grated eggs (or crumbled silken tofu, if you’re keeping it plant-based) scattered generously on top.
And then there’s the sauce. My Cheezy Avocado dressing is rich, impossibly creamy and has a kick from the jalapeno. It brings the whole dish together in a way that’s more composed than a tossed salad, but still totally unfussy. Practically no cooking required, aside from boiling the eggs, and if you pair it with a slice of Ezekiel toast or a piece of good sourdough, it becomes a deeply satisfying meal that tastes like July in a bowl.
Greek-Style Couscous Pilaf
This one practically begs for a breeze and a chilled glass of something citrusy. Originally made with quinoa, I gave it a summer update using pearl couscous for more heft and chew. It’s the kind of low-to-no-cook lunch you prep once and then forget about—until it rewards you, even better, days later. The briny mix of olives, artichokes, feta, lemony dressing, and soft herbs all soak into the grains, transforming it into a Mediterranean vacation by the end of the week.
Serve it straight from the fridge, spoon it into lettuce cups, or tuck it into a pita with a smear of hummus. Not technically a salad, sure—but isn’t it, really?
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