An Easy Shortcut for Quick Tossed Salads

It's such a long and drawn-out ordeal to chop a lot of colorful vegetables for a tossed salad, but I've been using a shortcut which saves a lot of time.  Back in the BC days (before children), I was an Assistant Food Service Supervisor at Penn State, and when I used to order fresh produce for tossed salads, vegetables were sent from the "Produce Center," all chopped or sliced as ordered!  How I've wished for that luxury in my home especially when it came to tossed salads and soups.  So I shred, slice, or chop certain vegetables to be used in salads and  bag them in a Ziplock  where they wait in the refrigerator to be added to salads.  My favorite vegetables to use are sliced cauliflower, thinly sliced red cabbage, and shredded carrots - all mixed together.  These keep quite well for about a week. 

Then when I plate up a salad for my husband and myself, on each plate I put a handful or so of organic mixed greens and maybe spinach, with a handful of the prepared colorful vegetables on top.  Vegetables that get soggy or turn brown such as sliced celery, sliced cucumbers, or chopped peppers are not cut up ahead of time for instant use, but they could be saved whole in a bag to be cut just before serving. But all you really need for a colorful and healthy salad are mixed greens and the mixture of prepared vegetables!

So ...  now a tossed salad really can be a fast food that's healthy for you and your family!

Add  a special dressing with homemade mayonnaise as the base, and you've got a very quick and healthy tossed salad.