Enjoy this hearty meal salad with poppyseed dressing, featuring crisp romaine lettuce paired with a velvety, tangy dressing that has just the right amount of sweetness. The tender, refreshing greens are complemented by the rich, creamy dressing, creating a delightful contrast of textures. This light yet flavorful salad makes for a perfect main dish, full of vibrant, fresh ingredients.
Modeled after the Intermezzo salad (now Cafe Mezzo), this beloved salad includes beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, jammy eggs, sprouts, carrots, and more on a bed of romaine lettuce.
This summer/fall salad is usually on repeat in my house along with chicken Caesar salad wraps which are also delicious using this dressing instead of Caesar salad dressing.
🧾Ingredients in this recipe
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🥗 More Salad, Please!
Here are some of my other favorite salads using fresh produce.
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Meal Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
Ingredients
- 2-3 heads romaine chopped
- ½ small head purple cabbage sliced/shredded
- 2 large carrots thinly sliced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 2 avocados pitted and sliced
- 4 jammy eggs see instructions
- 1 pint sprouts
- 1 english cucumber peeled and sliced
- 1 can black beans or kidney beans drained and rinsed well
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed well
- Optional: Croutons
- 1/2-1 tsp microplaned yellow onion or shallot
- ¼ cup greek yogurt
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp white or turbinado sugar
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Slightly reduce the rolling boil and place your eggs on a slotted spoon and gently lower them into the boiling water.For jammy eggs, simmer for 7.5 minutes. For hard-boild, simmer for 10.*In the meantime, fill a medium bowl halfway with water and add a handful of ice cubes.When the eggs are ready, transfer them from the boiling water to the ice bath using the slotted spoon. Let them sit there for 2-3 minutes.
- In the meantime, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing until combined.1/2-1 tsp microplaned yellow onion or shallot, 1/4 cup greek yogurt, 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp white or turbinado sugar, 1 tbsp poppy seeds, 1 tsp dijon mustard
- Mix the romaine, purple cabbage, and carrots in a large bowl with the dressing. Mix well. Add the optional croutons.2-3 heads romaine, 1/2 small head purple cabbage, 2 large carrots
- Mix the beans in a separate bowl and pour over a corner of the salad.1 can black beans or kidney beans, 1 can chickpeas
- Working your way around the bowl, add the sliced tomatoes, sprouts, sliced avocado, sliced cucumber, and eggs.1 pint cherry tomatoes, 2 avocados, 4 jammy eggs, 1 pint sprouts, 1 english cucumber
- Assemble your salad and enjoy!
Bravo on making a hearty salad recipe that I really enjoy that’s healthy and refreshing tasting. This meal salad with poppy seed dressing has to be handsdown one of the B-E-S-T darn salads I have had in years. I could eat this everyday for dinner and be a happy girl!
Heidy
Thank you so much for sharing this with me, Heidy… you just made my day! I feel the same way… it’s a salad I actually crave!
I desperately need to know where Candace Walker got her shelves in her kitchen:)
Hi Jenniffer… I sent you an email! They are unfinished Doug fir 2x12s… we didn’t put them in ourselves, but I’m sure you can easily get something similar.