For a long time, salads have had a bad rap. Many people see them as boring, bland meals only eaten in an attempt to lose weight.

But Clementine Haxby, the recipe developer and nutritional advisor for the London-based salad chain The Salad Project, wants to change that.

Haxby, a personal trainer and chef, has written a new book showcasing 30 dressings and 55 salad recipes, published in April 2025.

The recipes are “designed to redefine the historical notion of a salad — from something that provides the fewest possible calories, to a dish that offers the broadest possible range of nutrients to fuel the busiest of days,” she told Business Insider.

They don’t need to involve hours in the kitchen, either, but spending a little time cooking some ingredients rather than using solely raw foods can make all the difference. Haxby’s top tip is to make generous amounts of dressings at the weekend to use over the week ahead.

A salad should be nutritionally balanced, containing protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and fat, dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine previously told BI. But don’t forget about different flavors and textures, Haxby said.

“I’m pretty passionate about making sure people recognise just how broad the definition of a salad can be so we can all move on from thinking of salads as something exclusively green that you order to be ‘good,’ but ultimately leads to hunger pangs and an empty biscuit jar by 4 p.m.,” Haxby said.

She shared three of her favorite salad recipes, and dressings, with BI.

The Salad Project Caesar

Serves two

Haxby said: “There are few meals more perfectly balanced, or more likely to cause a bout of food envy. Here we have our classic SP Caesar, loaded with spiced chicken, juicy tomatoes, and crispy onions, but don’t stop there. Get creative and customize. Go wherever the wind takes you — just don’t use iceberg lettuce, please.”

Ingredients:

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic granules
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon fine cooking salt
• 1½ teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 425 grams mini chicken fillets
• 50 grams kale, destemmed, rinsed, and dried
• 1 lemon (juice)
• ½ baby gem lettuce, leaves whole, rinsed and dried
• 100 grams cherry tomatoes
• 40 grams Parmesan
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 4 tablespoons crispy onions

For the focaccia croutons (optional):

• 200 grams focaccia
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt

For the chipotle Caesar dressing (makes enough for four to six salads):

• 35 grams Parmesan
• 1 garlic clove
• 130 grams mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• ½ lemon (juice)
• 3 black peppercorns
• Generous pinch of cayenne pepper, plus extra to taste (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, plus extra to taste (optional)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 25 milliliters water

Method:

For the dressing:

1. Grate your Parmesan using a microplane or a fine grater and set aside.
2. Peel and crush your garlic using the side of a knife or a garlic crusher and a little sea salt to help turn it into a smooth paste.
3. Place all the ingredients, excluding the water, into a blender and blitz until silky smooth. Gradually add the water and mix with a fork or small whisk until you reach your desired consistency. Play with the spice level by adding more cayenne pepper for a hotter Caesar, or more paprika for something a little smokier. Store in an airtight jar or container in the fridge for up to one week.

For the salad:

1. Measure the spices, salt, and ½ teaspoon of olive oil into a medium mixing bowl and stir well to combine into a paste. Add the chicken fillets and use your hands to coat until the fillets are all well-dressed. Set aside at room temperature to marinate while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
2. Finely chop the kale and place into a large mixing bowl. Dress with the juice of half of the lemon, a pinch of sea salt and a grind of black pepper. Use your hands to massage the dressing into the leaves to help soften and enhance the flavor.
3. Tear the lettuce leaves from the core and add them whole to the kale, gently folding through to distribute them evenly. Add two tablespoons of the dressing and use your hands to toss through.
4. Slice your tomatoes into halves and set aside.
5. Heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat and add your marinated chicken fillets. Once sizzling, reduce the heat to medium—high to avoid the outsides burning. Cook for seven to eight minutes, flipping the fillets with tongs every couple of minutes, until nicely golden and cooked through. Remove from the heat and squeeze over the juice from the other half of the lemon, then finish with a sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
6. Load the dressed leaves onto a serving plate, then grate over half of the Parmesan using a microplane or fine grater. Pile on your tomatoes and half the crispy onions.
7. After they’ve had a couple of minutes to rest, slice the chicken fillets (or leave whole) and lay them onto the salad. Top with the remaining dressing, the remaining crispy onions, and the grated Parmesan. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a hefty grind of black pepper.

For focaccia croutons (optional):

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/350°F. Slice or tear the focaccia into five to seven-centimeter pieces and place in a mixing bowl. Add olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Use your hands to coat well, then place onto a baking tray. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes before shaking the tray and returning to the oven for a further seven minutes until crisp and golden.

Chilled sesame noodles with balsamic mushrooms, lime slaw, and toasted furikake seeds

Serves two

Haxby said: “Noodle salads are one of the greatest gifts to home cooks who are time-poor. With quick-cook noodles ready in two minutes, we’re always shocked by how fast you can whip up something nutrient-dense that packs a flavor punch. This is a cold bowl of umami flavor pops that will recharge your batteries, while reserving your energy thanks to the minimal effort it requires.”

Ingredients:

• 2 x 200-gram sachets pre-cooked udon noodles
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons tamari or light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 240 grams shiitake mushrooms or chestnut mushrooms
• 150 grams red cabbage
• 1 lime (juice)
• 1 pinch of sea salt
• 3 tablespoons kimchi (optional)
• Small handful of fresh coriander leaves
• 2 tablespoons toasted furikake seeds

For the sesa-miso dressing (makes enough for four to six salads):

• 20 grams sesame seeds (black add lovely color, but white are great, too)
• 10 grams fresh ginger
• 80 grams tahini
• 30 grams white miso paste
• 40 milliliters rice wine vinegar
• 40 milliliters tamari or light soy sauce
• 80 milliliters water, plus extra if needed

Method:

For the dressing:

1. Place your sesame seeds into a dry pan and place over a medium heat, swirling the pan constantly, until they are nice and toasted — about three to four minutes. Set aside.
2. Peel your ginger using the edge of a teaspoon and grate into a blender. Add the remaining ingredients, excluding your toasted sesame seeds, and blitz until smooth. You can also just pop all your ingredients into a jar and give it a good shake if you don’t mind a bit of texture from the ginger.
3. Finish by stirring through your toasted sesame seeds and adjusting the texture with a little extra water, if needed — but I’d recommend keeping this dressing on the thicker side, in case you want to use it as a noodle sauce. Store in an airtight jar or container in the fridge for up to one week.

For the salad:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/428°F and boil the kettle.

2. Place the udon noodles into a heat-proof bowl, then cover with boiling water. Let the noodles sit for two minutes, then use tongs to agitate them into individual strands. Drain off the hot water and either place the noodles in a bowl of iced water, or rinse with cold water to cool.
3. Place the vinegar, tamari or soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds into a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Rinse any dirt off the mushrooms, then tear or chop the largest ones in half. Keep any smaller ones whole, and remember they will shrink in the oven, so, if in doubt, leave them whole. Add the mushrooms to the bowl of marinade and use your hands to mix them well in order to coat, ensuring the sesame seeds are evenly distributed. Transfer to a parchment-lined roasting tray and place in the oven for 18 minutes.
4. While the mushrooms are cooking, thinly slice your red cabbage using a sharp knife, a mandolin, or a vegetable peeler. Place into a bowl and dress with the juice of half the lime and the pinch of sea salt. Mix well with your hands until the cabbage is well coated and starting to soften.
5. Add six tablespoons of sesa-miso dressing to the cooked and cooled udon noodles and pour onto your serving dish. Add the limey cabbage slaw, kimchi, and cooked mushrooms, making sure you include all the juices and sesame seeds left on the tray after cooking. Add sesa-miso dressing and the juice of the other half of the lime. Top with the toasted furikake seeds and a small handful of coriander leaves.

Hot honey halloumi and dill fattoush

Serves two

Haxby said: “This delicious fattoush (a traditional Lebanese salad made with fried pita bread) is piled high with fresh herbs and has a bright acidity that meets its match in the oozingly sweet and salty halloumi. We like chopping the vegetables nice and fine and spooning this from a bowl, using the halloumi like little sticky boats — but this also makes for a gorgeous display salad if you’re cooking for a crowd.”

Ingredients:

• 2 pita breads
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
• 120 grams radishes
• 1 cucumber
• 150 grams cherry tomatoes
• 15 grams flat-leaf parsley
• 5 grams dill
• 5 grams mint
• 225 grams halloumi
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt
• 1 tablespoon hot honey
• 2 tablespoons pickled onions

For the pomegranate and lime vinaigrette (dresses four to six salads):

• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• 40 milliliters red wine vinegar
• 1 lime (zest and juice)
• 1 teaspoon soft light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 100 milliliters extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons sea salt

Method:

For the dressing:

1. Place your cumin and coriander seeds into a small dry frying pan over a medium heat. Swirl gently and allow to toast (careful they don’t burn) for two to three minutes. You should be able to clearly smell the toasted spices. Allow to cool.
2. Meanwhile, add all the remaining ingredients to a blender. Once cooled, add your toasted seeds. Use the pulse setting to blitz the dressing — you want the liquid to emulsify, but you don’t want to over-grind the spices. Rather, aim to crack them so they release their best flavors and give a nice crunch to the dressing. Store in an airtight jar or container in the fridge for up to one week.

For the salad:

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C/428°F.
2. Slice your pitas along the seams to give you four ovals, then slice four times across the width and three times down the length to give you rectangles. Place your pita chips into a bowl and add the sesame oil, the fennel, cumin, and coriander seeds, and a pinch of sea salt. Use your hands to mix well and coat your pita. Place into a roasting dish lined with parchment paper, making sure you use a plastic spatula to scrape all the oil and seeds that haven’t stuck to the pita into the roasting tray too. Roast for eight minutes, or until golden and crispy. Leave on the tray to cool.
3. Top and tail the radishes, and then cut into quarters. Place into some iced water to crisp up.
4. Slice your cucumber in half lengthways, then use a teaspoon to scrape out the seeds. Slice each half lengthways into thirds, then chop across the strands at one-centimeter intervals to give you small dice. Place in a serving bowl.
5. Quarter your cherry tomatoes and add them to the bowl.
6. Remove and discard the bottom two inches of the parsley and dill stems, and pick the mint leaves from the stalks. Set aside a couple of sprigs of dill for garnish, then pile the herbs together and roughly chop before adding to the mixed vegetables. Dress the herby vegetables with three tablespoons of pomegranate + lime vinaigrette, then mix in the pita chips.
7. Slice the halloumi into slices half an inch to 1 inch thick. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium—high heat. When sizzling hot, add your halloumi in a single layer using metal tongs. After two minutes, drizzle one tablespoon of hot honey over the halloumi, then turn to cook on the other side. Leave for three minutes, or until the bottom takes on a dark golden color. Once it is well colored, turn over once more to finish coloring the first side. Use tongs to place your warm halloumi over the chopped salad.
8. Top your salad with the radishes and pickled onions. Add three to four more tablespoons of vinaigrette and finish with a generous pinch of sea salt and a couple of sprigs of dill. Serve immediately for the best halloumi texture!