Imagine a mouth-watering all-you-can-eat buffet laid out in front of you. Your eyes rove hungrily at the dozen or so inviting appetisers while decadent desserts elbow each other for your attention from the far end. The overlooked main course wistfully waits for a glance, knowing that its chance rests upon individual preferences. However, the one to bear the brunt of its hearty, ambrosial siblings is the hapless salad section. Healthy but forgotten and delicious but snubbed, it’s the first thing that touches your plate, if at all, and oft gets discarded with it. Sounds relatable? Well, it does to me, or at least did.

Gorging on sinful food without the slightest of remorse was my thing until my weighing scale threatened to die on me. Bigger clothes became a necessity more than a choice. Not to mention the painful joints and elevated heartbeats that followed after any physical activity. So when I started my weight loss journey, healthy eating was understandably the first thing to focus on. Rather than trying out fancy unsustainable diets, I made simple changes in my daily food. Luckily, that worked.

You can’t make a foodie quit indulging though, can you? After I reached my goal weight I worked on creating healthy and delectable recipes not just for myself but my family too. Small adjustments and replacements enhanced the nutritional value of regular food while allowing for guilt-free cheat days. Funnily, the most interesting and oft-dreaded addition was the humble salad! Never a fan of raw vegetables, I was fascinated with the amazing variety one could explore. This was the idea and motivation behind this series. Yes people, brace yourself for some un-Varsh-like treats!

Let’s have some fun and pamper our tastebuds in a good way, shall we? I’ll try and include salad recipes that are easy, inclusive, colourful and filling. You can toss them together with minimal effort and use seasonal ingredients for better taste. Today’s salad recipe is one of my absolute favourite. A hearty cold pasta salad with balanced nutrients and delightful anytime of the year.

What you need:

Boiled pasta (preferably Fusilli or Farfalle) – 1 cup

Chopped vegetables (capsicum, onions, cherry tomatoes, zucchini) – 1 and ½ cups

Shredded basil leaves – ½ cup

Shredded iceberg lettuce – 1 cup

Diced or grated cheese (Mozzarella or Parmesan or both) – 3 tbsp

Olive oil – 3 tbsp

Lemon juice – 2 tbsp

Salt, Pepper, Chilli flakes and Dried oregano as required

Putting it together:

Prepare the dressing with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, chilli flakes and dried oregano by mixing them together nicely. Sauté the vegetables in a pan for a couple of minutes, with or without oil.

Take a big bowl. Add the cooled vegetables and all the remaining ingredients to it. Toss them gently or the pasta will break. Add the dressing. Toss again well so the pasta and vegetables are coated with the dressing.

Your cold pasta salad is ready. Keep it aside for a while. You can refrigerate it too.

This cold pasta salad with hot broccoli and spinach soup constituted my dinner and I felt comfortably full. Don’t the colours on my plate look enticing? You can add olives, parsley, baby corn, purple cabbage, etc and create your own variations to this recipe. Also, skip the cheese to make it vegan. Your salad, your call. Don’t forget the fresh salad greens for the crunch though.

Did you like the recipe and the concept behind this series? Please leave a line and let me know. Also, do share your personal favourites with me so I can try them too.

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