There was a time in my life when I didn’t like salads. I thought of them as nothing but stingy, unfulfilling and just plain boring. But you’d never know it by the look of my meals today (ahem, a lot of salad).

Too often, salad is an afterthought, served as a first course or an accompaniment to other dishes, but there’s no reason for it to play second fiddle to the main meal. Ever since going vegan, I’ve learned through experimenting and diversifying my palate that a salad doesn’t have to be a depressing plate of pale lettuce topped with itty bitty tomatoes, a few slices of tasteless cucumbers and bottled dressing. A well-made vegan salad, in particular, really doesn’t have to suck.

A salad can be made up of pretty much anything you want: lots of greens, of course, but also other vegetables, grains, fruit and protein. Even in the cooler months or darkest days of winter, you can celebrate seasonal produce and feature at least some local ingredients—say fresh, tender asparagus, cubed beets and sprouts in spring and root vegetables, eggplant and Brussel sprouts in fall.

A salad I’d prepare for dinner, for instance, can feature avocado, cooked grains, all kinds of greens and other vegetables, as well as chickpeas or lentils and a creamy dressing made with cashews, lemon juice and garlic. I’d improvise based on what’s available or what I’m craving, as I usually do. And so can you!

There’s really no single way to make a salad and also no wrong way. When it comes to salad, anything goes! Let your imagination run wild with the goal of preparing a healthful meal: maybe baked tofu or quinoa left over from dinner yesterday, swiss chard you sautéed or green beans you steamed to have with the quinoa or tofu, and maybe lentils leftover from the day before.

This peach barley salad I threw together recently celebrates fresh, juicy peaches that play off a batch of tender, chewy pearl barley, a very under-appreciated grain in my opinion. You might think peaches in salad don’t make sense, but it works. Together with chickpeas, cucumber, grape tomatoes, fresh parsley and a tangy tahini dressing, it makes for a filling, supper-worthy salad when served over a bed of curly kale and lettuce.

Four tips for taking that side-dish salad to the next level:

• Celebrate what’s in season: Salads will only be as good as the ingredients you use, so aim for a variety of fresh seasonal veggies like young carrots, early beets, fresh basil and real, local tomatoes.
• Keep the salad dressing simple: A little oil and balsamic vinegar can dress up any plate, or blitz together a mix of tahini, lemon and parsley for a creamy, heartier dressing. Experiment with flavours and incorporate the five basic tastes (think sweet, sour, salt, bitter and umami) and make a new batch every week to keep things interesting.
• Play with colour: Don’t forget strawberries and raspberries, bright fresh peas, steamed broccoli or sauteed green beans. In the cooler months, throw on some roasted, cubed squash or carrots.
• Add complex carbs and protein: For a heartier meal, add steamed sweet potato wedges, cooked whole grains or beans, as well as a serving of protein like edamame, tempeh or tofu. Sprinkle on some hemp hearts, chia seeds or toasted nuts and seeds for an extra boost.

Need real examples? Check out my Salads! board on Pinterest.

Now it’s time for lunch!

Peach barley salad

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp tahini
• 2 tbsp water

For the salad:

• 1 cup uncooked hulled or pearl barley
• 3 cups water or vegetable stock
• 1 large peach, diced
• 1/2 cucumber, diced
• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed
• shredded curly kale & lettuce, for serving

Directions:

For the dressing:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until combined.

For the salad:

1. Combine the barley and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Once it has reached a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover the pot, leaving the lid slightly ajar, and continue to cook until barley is soft. For pearl barley, cook for 25 minutes. For hulled barley, cook for 40 minutes. Keep an eye on the pot as barley tends to give off a lot of foam and can cause the pot to boil over. The barley is done when the water has been absorbed and the barley is soft and chewy. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
3. In a large bowl, combine the peach, cucumber, grape tomatoes, parsley, chickpeas and cooked barley.
4. Drizzle salad with dressing (depending on your tastes, you might not want to use it all) and mix to combine. Serve over shredded curly kale and lettuce.

Peach season is in full bloom here in Ontario and what better way to celebrate this delicious stone fruit than as the centrepiece of a summerlicious bruschetta recipe. This fancy appetizer consists of crusty baguette slices, spread with a creamy, buttery basil macadamia nut cheese, and topped with a sweet peach salsa. It’s seriously heaven on a plate and perfect to whip up for your next backyard BBQ party. It got rave reviews when I recently served it to a group of omnivore friends—in fact, most of them asked for seconds!

I’ve made a similar recipe many times before, using this delicious macadamia cheese and a standard tomato-based bruschetta topping. This version, however, lends that sweet summertime twist to a familiar dinner party staple.

If you have gluten allergies and don’t want to use bread, I’d suggest using the toppings in corn tortilla cups (broil very briefly to soften the cheese) or to stuff in mushrooms (bake until soft). Enjoy!

Summertime bruschetta

Yield: about 20 pieces

Ingredients:

For the peach salsa:

• 4 small peaches, peeled and pitted
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

For the macadamia nut cheese:

• 1 cup raw macadamia nuts
• 1.5 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 large or 2 small baguettes

Directions:

1. To make the peach salsa, add the peaches, grape tomatoes, onion, parsley and basil to a food processor and pulse to break up the large pieces. Add the remaining salsa ingredients and pulse until desired consistency is achieved.
2. Strain the mixture in a colander to remove excess liquid. Allow the mixture to sit in the colander while you make the macadamia nut cheese.
3. Rinse and dry your food processor. To make the nut cheese, process the macadamia nuts, nutritional yeast, basil, lemon juice, garlic and salt until combined.
4. To make the bruschetta, slice the baguette into 1-inch slices. Spread on the nut cheese and then top with salsa. Broil at 500F for about 5 minutes, or until the edges of the bread is crusty and browned. Serve immediately. Any remaining nut cheese and salsa can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Macadamia cheese adapted from Angela's recipe.

Reading the “Oh Canada!” article made me feel grateful for living in one of the most veg-friendly metropolitan cities of the Great White North. The article featured a number of Toronto entrepreneurs who make our Canadian cruelty-free community so great, from Ruth Shamai of Ruth’s Hemp Foods, Ruth Tal of Fresh Restaurants, to Ken Bontius of Panacea and the Animal Rights Kollective (ARK II), and Angela Liddon of Glo Bakery and Oh She Glows.

The article also featured a sidebar of some of the popular vegan restaurants this side of the border that are helping to make our “alternative” meals more accessible and mainstream. I was particularly happy to see Guelph’s Cornerstone Cafe and London’s Veg Out listed. Smaller towns in Ontario have come a long way since I went veg almost 20 years ago! Even my hometown of Brantford, which had no veg options in sight when I was growing up, now has a vegetarian cafe called Stir It Up that opened a few years ago.

Although not mentioned in the article, Toronto’s seasonal farmers’ markets are also fantastic places to celebrate vegetarian fare. This summer, I’ve been making regular trips to Evergreen Brick Works. This past Saturday, many of the market vendors showcased fresh peaches, which were just too irresistable to pass up. Guess what I did with them when I got home? I incorporated them into a fantastic recipe that highlights their juicy goodness. This is an excellent treat if you’re looking for a little something for an afternoon tea break or even for breakfast with fruit jam.

Peach-cardamom quick bread

Yield: one loaf

Ingredients:

• 2 cups spelt flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup Sucanat
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup nondairy milk
• 6 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup soy yogourt
• 2 soft peaches, peeled and diced

Directions:

1. Lightly oil a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
2. Whisk together the spelt flour, baking powder, Sucanat, cardamom and salt in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the nondairy milk, coconut oil and soy yogourt.
4. Combine the wet and dry mixtures and stir until just mixed, and then add the peaches. It will be a thick batter.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before slicing.