The Lean Green Bean

Shrimp Cobb Salad

Lindsay — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000

This Shrimp Cobb Salad comes together quickly and is perfect for a fresh, healthy lunch or dinner! Customize the toppings to your liking and top with a light vinaigrette.

*Originally published 5/2011. Updated 10/2025*

Hi friends!
Popping in to share this quick and easy Shrimp Cobb Salad for an easy lunch or dinner. Shrimp is one of my favorite quick-cooking proteins and cobb salads are perfect for packing in a ton of healthy ingredients. If you don’t like shrimp, try my Steak Cobb Salad.

If you’re on a salad kick and need more ideas, try:

Or try this Ultimate List of Salad Topping Ideas for some inspiration!

Why You’ll Love This Healthy Shrimp Cobb Salad

This shrimp cobb salad is easy to love for a lot of reasons:

Fully customizable. Feel free to swap out any toppings you don’t like or add your own.
Great for meal prep – All the components of this salad can be prepped ahead of time which makes it quick and easy to assemble at meal time.
Has protein and healthy fats – The shrimp is an easy quick-cooking protein and the avocado and salad dressing, especially homemade, both add healthy fats to help boost satiety.
It’s heart-healthy, packed with lean protein and veggies and healthy fats.

Shrimp Cobb Salad Ingredients

To make this salad, you’ll need:

Shrimp – Feel free to use any size you prefer
Bacon – I prefer to cook the bacon myself and chop it up but you could use bacon bits if you want
Hard boiled eggs – make your own or buy them pre-bought. Here’s how to make hard-boiled eggs in the instant pot.
Red onion – feel free to swap green, white, yellow onions etc for a milder flavor
Tomato – grape or cherry tomatoes halved or quartered work well
Avocado
Feta – I use crumbled feta. It does have a stronger flavor so feel free to swap with a different cheese if you prefer
Dressing – I like a lighter vinaigrette like the one I share below but you could use something creamy like ranch, etc if you want!

How To Cook Shrimp

You can choose to prepare the shrimp for this salad whatever way you prefer. A few ideas:

Sauteed – This is the method I typically use. Just heat some butter or oil in a skillet, add shrimp and seasonings and cook for 4-6 minutes, until shrimp are pink.
Grilled – If you have the grill fired up, thread the shrimp onto a few skewers, season and grill 2-3 minutes per side.
Baked – You can also bake them in the oven. Here’s a recipe for Oven-Baked Shrimp.

How To Make An Easy Shrimp Cobb Salad

To make this salad:

Cook the bacon, eggs and shrimp via your preferred method. To save time, you can grab pre-cooked shrimp and/or hard-boiled eggs.
Start with a bed of lettuce. Feel free to grab a bag of packaged salad greens to save time!
Add toppings. In a traditional cobb salad, ingredients are grouped into sections or rows on top of the lettuce but you can skip this step and combine everything mixed together on top.
Top with dressing – homemade or store-bought.

Shrimp Cobb Salad Dressing Options

The dressing options for this salad are endless. I typically use a maple mustard vinaigrette to keep it light but a lemon garlic dressing would also be great. If you want something a little more robust, try ranch or blue cheese to add some creaminess to the salad.

Cobb Salad Protein

The great thing about the cobb salad is that it pairs well with almost any protein. If you don’t like shrimp, try:

Steak – I’ve used leftover flank steak before!
Chicken – This is a great way to transform leftover grilled chicken.
Tofu – My Honey Garlic Air Fryer Tofu would work well on this salad. If you want to keep it vegetarian, you could swap the bacon for some beans
Salmon – If you don’t want shrimp but still want seafood, try adding my Air Fryer Salmon Bites.

Shrimp Cobb Salad Meal Prep & Storage

This salad is PERFECT for meal prep! Prep all of the components ahead of time and store separately until you’re ready to serve. Shrimp can be cooked and stored in a glass container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Same with bacon and hard-boiled eggs. They can be sliced/chopped ahead of time as well.

Save the avocado to slice right before serving so it doesn’t turn brown but the tomatoes and onions could be cut ahead of time and stored as well.

To prep your lettuce ahead of time, chop, wash and spin dry and store in a bag with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture and squeeze all the air out before sealing the bag.

If you choose to make homemade dressing, that can be prepped and stored in a mason jar in the fridge. Just give it a good shake before serving.

Shrimp Cobb Salad Tips and Tricks

A few tips and tricks:

Don’t overcook your shrimp! When shrimp take on a pinkish color and form a “C” shape, they’re done. If they curl up tight into an “O” shape, they are overcooked.
To keep your lettuce crisp, chop, wash and spin dry, then store in a bag. Add a paper towel to soak up the excess moisture and squeeze the air out before sealing the bag shut.
Vary the veggies – Salad is a great way to utilize veggies that are in season. Try nice ripe tomatoes in the summer. In the Fall, add some roasted squash!

Shrimp Cobb Salad Recipe

Here’s the recipe I use:

Shrimp Cobb Salad

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

This Shrimp Cobb Salad comes together quickly and is perfect for a fresh, healthy lunch or dinner! Customize the toppings to your liking and top with a light vinaigrette.

Author: Lindsay
Yield: serve 4

Ingredients

For the shrimp

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled, devined and thawed
2 Tbsp butter (or oil if you prefer)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt

For the salad:

4–6 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1 medium avocado, diced
8 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
1 cup diced red onion
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup crumbled feta
8 cups mixed greens or leaf lettuce

Optional dressing:

3 T oil (I use avocado oil)
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp maple syrup

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Melt butter or heat oil in a large pan. Add shrimp and seasonings and saute over medium heat for 4-6 minutes until shrimp are just pink and form a C shape.
Place 2 cups of lettuce in each bowl.
Divide toppings evenly among 4 salads and add toppings in rows of shrimp, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, bacon, onion and tomatoes.
Top with crumbled feta.
Combine oil, vinegar, mustard and maple syrup in a jar. Seal and shake to combine. Taste and add salt and/or pepper if desired. You can also double the dressing recipe if you like more dressing!

Shrimp Cobb Salad FAQs

What is the best dressing for shrimp cobb salad

If you’re looking for a lighter option, most vinaigrette dressings would be great. Try honey mustard or balsamic vinaigrette. If you want something creamier, ranch or blue cheese would add great flavor to the salad!

Can I make shrimp cobb salad ahead of time?

Yes! All the components of this salad can be prepped ahead of time, making it quick and easy to assemble when you’re ready to eat.

How do I grill shrimp for cobb salad?

The easiest way to grill shrimp is to thread them onto skewers, season and grill 2-3 minutes per side.

Is shrimp cobb salad healthy?

Yes. This salad is packed with lean protein, vegetables and healthy fats making it a great balanced meal option for lunch or dinner.

Can I use frozen shrimp in cobb salad?

Shrimp cooks best from a thawed state. Feel free to use frozen shrimp, just thaw before cooking either under cold running water or in refrigerator overnight.

How long does shrimp cobb salad last in the fridge?

You can store the components separately for 3-4 days. Once you combine them into a salad, it’s best to eat within a day to avoid things getting brown or soggy.

What toppings go best with shrimp cobb salad?

Traditional cobb salad toppings include, bacon, hard boiled eggs, avocado, onion, tomato and crumbled cheese like blue cheese or feta. You can make it seasonal by adding things like roasted squash, corn, apples or berries depending on the season.

Can I make shrimp cobb salad without eggs?

Yes, feel free to omit the hard boiled eggs from this recipe.

What’s the difference between shrimp cobb salad and a regular cobb salad?

The biggest difference is the protein. The most traditional protein for a cobb salad is chicken breast or turkey, but this recipe uses shrimp and almost any protein source would work well on this salad.

Can I meal prep shrimp cobb salad for lunches?

Yes! This salad is perfect for meal prep because all the components can be cooked and prepped ahead of time!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Grilled Steak and Potato Kabobs

Lindsay — Thu, 08 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

These Grilled Steak and Potato Kabobs are perfect for a healthy weeknight dinner or your next summer BBQ. A simple marinade adds flavor to the steak and veggies and the potatoes are pre-cooked in the microwave to make grilling quick and easy!

*Originally published 8/2018. Updated 5/2025*

Hi friends!

I’ve got another delicious recipe to share with you guys today: Steak Kabobs with Potatoes. They’re simple enough for a weeknight family dinner but fancy enough for a party or BBQ. Added bonus- they are easy to prep ahead so they’re grill-ready when you are!

I love these grilled steak and potato kabobs because they are easy and super versatile. An easy marinade of oil, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, Worcestershire sauce garlic and onion adds flavor to the meat and veggies and you can choose your favorite veggies to customize the meal to your liking.

Shish kabobs with potatoes

Can you put potatoes on kabobs?

Yes! I think a lot of people overlook potatoes as a vegetable option for kabobs because they take longer to cook than other vegetables but with one simple trick, you can definitely include potatoes in your next kabobs.

How to prep potatoes for kabobs

The trick for potatoes is cooking the potatoes in the microwave before assembling the kabobs so that everything cooks evenly on the grill in just 10 minutes!

You can prep the potatoes earlier in the day or just before you’re ready to assemble the kabobs.

How long to boil potatoes for kabobs

If you’re not excited about using the microwave, you can also boil the potatoes before putting them on the skewers. The boiling time will depend on the size of the potatoes but typically about 3-5 minutes for smaller potatoes and anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes for larger potatoes. You want them to be soft enough that you can easily push the skewer through the potato but not so soft they fall apart on the grill.

Microwaving or parboiling the potatoes before grilling will help you get crispy grilled potatoes on kabobs – crispy on the outside and soft on the inside!

Best type of potatoes for kabobs

You can use naturally small potatoes like those from the Little Potato Company or choose larger yellow or red potatoes and cut them into chunks. I wouldn’t recommend russet potatoes.

These grilled steak and potato kabobs are perfect for getting your kids in the kitchen with you! My kids had fun piercing holes in the potatoes before microwaving and threading everything onto the skewers. My oldest also helped me chop the veggies – zucchini is especially good for younger kids to practice cutting – and mix the ingredients for the marinade.

If you microwave the potatoes ahead of time and let them cool, the kids can also help you assemble the skewers. For more kids in the kitchen tips check out my Ultimate Guide to Teaching Kids To Cook!

What To Serve with Steak and Potato Kabobs

These kabobs pair perfectly with salad of any kind! Try:

Or just serve up a bed of lettuce and use the kabobs as your salad toppings!

Grilled Steak and Potato Kabobs Recipe

Here are your directions:

Grilled Steak and Potato Kabobs

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

Author: Lindsay

Ingredients

1.5 pounds Certified Angus Beef® brand top sirloin steak
1/3 cup avocado oil (olive/canola oil also works)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper
1 small zucchini
16 baby red or yellow potatoes
3 slices thick cut bacon, cut in half

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Cut steaks into 10-12 large chunks. (Try to make them similar sizes so they’ll cook evenly)
Cut the pepper and zucchini into chunks as well.
Combine steak and vegetables in a large resealable bag.
In a small bowl, combine oil, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, Worcestershire, garlic and onion and stir to combine.
Pour marinade into bag, shake well and refrigerate overnight.
Pierce potatoes with a knife or fork, place in a microwave-safe bowl and toss with a little oil.
Microwave 3-4 minutes or until potatoes pierce easily with a knife. Let cool at least 10 minutes.
Discard marinade.
Thread skewers with steak, peppers, zucchini, bacon and potatoes.
Grill over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, flipping once.

So easy, right?? Here’s a temperature guide to follow depending how you like your steak cooked.

Grilled Steak and Potato Kabobs FAQs

Do you need to precook potatoes for kabobs? Can I use raw potatoes on kabobs?

Yes you need to precook the potatoes in some way before using them on kabobs. Potatoes take a much longer time to cook than steak and other vegetables so if you don’t cook them ahead of time, they will still be hard and only partially cooked when everything else is done. It will also be very hard to get skewers through raw potatoes.

Can I bake steak and potato kabobs in the oven?

Yes! You can easily prepare these grilled steak and potato kabobs in the oven. Try baking at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes or so. You can also separate your kabobs and do some all steak and some all veggies so that you can bake them for different amounts of time if you’re worried about overcooking the steak in the oven.

What marinades work best for steak and potato kabobs?

I like the one in this grilled steak and potato kabobs recipe But if you want other ideas check out Steak Kabobs with Potatoes or these Steak and Potato Skewers with Chimichurri.

Can you make vegetarian kabobs with just veggies and potatoes?

Yes! Feel free to leave out the steak in this recipe! Or even sub it for another protein like chicken or shrimp.

Are steak and potato kabobs good for meal prep? How do you store kabobs?

Yes! These can easily be made ahead of time. Once they’re cooked, remove from the skewers and store the steak and veggie mixture in a glass tupperware container.

Can you reheat steak and potato kabobs?

Yes. You can eat the leftovers cold or reheat in the microwave or air fryer.

How do I keep potatoes from falling off skewers on the grill?

The trick is to cook the potatoes just long enough that you can thread them on the skewers. If you overcook them, they will be too crumbly on the inside and will fall apart on the grill.

Be sure to let me know if you try this grilled steak and potato kabobs recipe!

Summer Grilling Recipes

Want more summer grilling recipes? Try one of these:

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Easy Fish Chowder

Lindsay — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

This Easy Fish Chowder recipe tastes better the longer it sits! Make a big pot over the weekend and enjoy for lunch or dinner all week!

*Originally published Sept 2016. Updated Dec 2024*

This easy fish chowder is a simple, budget-friendly meal that’s perfect for lunch or dinner. It’s healthy, nutritious and great for meal prep.

Hi Friends!

Have you ever spent time looking for the best of all fish chowder recipes? This is it. I’ve been eating it since I was a little girl and now make it often for my own family.

My Maine Fish Chowder Recipe

Every summer while I was growing up, my mom, sister and I would head out to Maine to spend a couple of weeks with my aunt. Aside from fresh Maine lobster and hot dogs, both of which don’t involve a whole lot of cooking, the one thing we ate every year on this trip was this simple fish chowder.

One of my biggest contributions as a kid was always standing over the sink peeling the potatoes…but aside from that and chopping up potatoes, onion and bacon, that’s really all there is to it!

Why You’ll Love This Quick and Easy Fish Chowder Recipe

Budget-friendly – made with just 7 affordable ingredients
Perfect for meal prep – it tastes better the longer it sits
Works with any white fish, not just haddock – I often use cod
Skip the oyster crackers on top and this chowder is gluten-free

This simple fish chowder recipe is beginner-friendly and requires minimal ingredients. It’s also easy to customize. If you want to throw in some extra veggies, feel free! Want to add more seafood? You could definitely add shrimp, clams etc.

Easy Fish Chowder Ingredients

Here’s the basic list of ingredients for this recipe:

Bacon – just a few slices adds a lot of flavor
Onion – I often sub sliced leeks for onions so feel free to do that!
Potatoes- You can use peeled white potatoes, or feel free to sub yellow or red potatoes with the skin on if you prefer
Broth – chicken or vegetable broth both work
Fish – You want a mild white fish. Haddock is my favorite but can be hard to find so I often use cod
Old Bay – A crucial ingredient for the chowder flavor!

Simple Fish Chowder with Step by Step Directions

To make the chowder, just follow a few simple steps:

Saute the bacon, onions and potatoes.
Add broth, spices and fish.
Stir in milk or cream and serve!

Mom hack – I often use half cream, half 2% milk. It adds that creamy flavor without it tasting overly rich!

What should I serve with fish chowder?

This is a hearty soup that makes a great meal all on it’s own. Don’t forget to top with oyster crackers or serve with some crusty bread for dipping.

You could easily pair with a side salad for a nice balanced meal!

What is chowder? What makes chowder different than soup?

Traditionally, chowder is thicker, richer and creamier than most soups. Chowder broth is often thickened with flour and cream, although this recipe does not use any flour.

What are the different types of chowder?

Manhattan clam chowder is easily recognizable because it uses a tomato-based broth.
New England clam chowder is more popular. It is made with a thick and creamy white broth and usually contains a mix of clams, potatoes, bacon and celery.
Long Island clam chowder is made with a creamy tomato-based broth.
Rhode Island clam chowder is similar to New England versions but with a much thinner broth that isn’t creamy.
Seafood chowder or fish chowder typically contains fish or a mix of shrimp ,fish and other seafood instead of just clams.

Can I use seafood instead of fish? What are the easy seafood chowder ingredients?

Yes! If you’re making this chowder, consider this a base recipe. Use the same ingredient list but feel free to add in some clams, mussels, shrimp etc if you prefer those!

Easy Fish Chowder Recipe

Here’s how you make this super easy fish chowder:

Easy Fish Chowder Recipe

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 8 reviews

This Easy Fish Chowder tastes better than longer it sits! Make a big pot over the weekend and enjoy for lunch or dinner all week!

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 Tbsp oil
3 slices bacon, diced
2/3 cup diced onion
2 medium white potatoes, peeled and diced
2 c chicken or vegetable broth
1.5 – 2 pounds Haddock (or cod) fillets, skin removed
1–2 tsp Old Bay
salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups 2% milk, whole milk or half & half

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Saute bacon, onion and potatoes for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add broth and lay fish on top of potatoes in pot. (Don’t worry about cutting it up. It will flake apart when cooked)
Add the Old Bay, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until fish and potatoes are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Use a spatula to break the fish into chunks.
Reduce the heat and add the milk or half and half. Heat through but don’t boil.

Fish Chowder FAQs

What fish is good for chowder? Can I make this fish chowder with cod?

We always used haddock when we made it growing up but it turns out that can be hard to find here in Ohio so I typically use cod and it works great. Really any thick, meaty white fish should work great!

Should I use fish stock?

This recipe does not use fish stock. You could substitute some or all of the chicken broth for fish stock if you want to but it isn’t necessary.

Can I freeze fish chowder?

While this isn’t my absolute favorite dish to freeze, it can be frozen. Make sure it is cooled completely and be aware that the texture might change slightly when it’s reheated. To minimize this, reheat very slowly at a low temperature.

Is this a healthy fish chowder? Is it better to use heavy cream or milk?

Yes, this soup is overall fairly healthy. Whether to finish with heavy cream or milk is a personal preference. I most often ate it with heavy cream growing up and I most often make it with 2% milk now as an adult. The heavy cream or whole milk will give it a much richer taste and make the broth more white and creamy.

I use 2% milk and the broth is not quite as thick but ends up being the perfect richness for me.

What is Old Bay Seasoning?

Old Bay is a pre-mixed seasoning blend that’s made with a mix of celery salt, peppers, paprika and other spices. It’s a very distinct flavor and when a recipe calls for it, I tend to use it without substitute to achieve the desired flavor.

Do I have to make fish chowder with bacon?

The bacon is optional but I personally think it adds a ton of flavor to the soup. With so few ingredients, the bacon flavor can really shine through and pairs well with hearty white fish and potatoes.

Is this easy fish chowder gluten-free?

Yes. This recipe is gluten-free as written as long as you get gluten-free oyster crackers if needed.

How can I turn this into a simple fish soup? What about dairy-free fish chowder?

To make this a fish soup recipe, leave out the cream/milk at the end and add some extra veggies! This would essentially make it a dairy-free fish chowder. Or you could try subbing almond milk or coconut milk for the milk/heavy cream for a dairy-free version.

Also, note I garnished mine with extra bacon and some parsley for photos but that’s definitely not required. Turns out soup made with white fish, white potatoes and milk/cream really isn’t that visually appealing…but luckily it doesn’t impact the taste!

Looking for other soup recipes? Try these:

This easy, affordable fish chowder is perfect for meal prep and makes a great dinner for busy families!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

Lindsay — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

This Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad is a simple, healthy side dish recipe. Choose your favorite veggies, then add some bacon, goat cheese and an easy balsamic dressing.

*Originally published 10/2017. Updated 10/2024*

Hi friends!

Popping in today to share a fun new pasta salad recipe with you guys.

This Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad is packed with…you guessed it…roasted veggies! The best part about this recipe is that it’s so easy to customize with your favorite vegetables.

Some of my favorites include Brussels sprouts, green beans, red peppers and sweet potatoes. I also often use broccoli and sometimes I’ll throw in some carrots.

It’s best to choose vegetables that all cook similarly so if you’re going to use carrots, chop them fairly small and know that they might still have a little crunch to them compared to vegetables like brussels sprouts, green beans and peppers.

I like that for a little texture variety but it’s something to consider. If you don’t like that, swap carrots for broccoli or sweet potatoes.

Another great thing about this recipe is that you can use pretty much any kind of pasta. I’ve made it with ravioli, tortellini, elbows and spirals and they all work just fine.

Ingredients for Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

Here’s what you need to make this pasta salad:

Roasted vegetables -Brussels sprouts, broccoli, sweet potatoes, green beans and bell peppers are all great options.
Pasta – use your favorite type! I personally prefer tortellini or spirals
Goat cheese– a few goat cheese crumbles really add a nice flavor to this pasta salad
Bacon – Another great way to add flavor and a bit of texture
Homemade dressing– I use a simple homemade balsamic dressing which includes a mix of oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, maple syrup or honey and garlic.

How To Make Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

Making this pasta salad is pretty simple!

Cook your pasta.
Roast your vegetables.
Mix pasta and veggies with cooked, diced bacon and goat cheese.
Make the homemade dressing.
Stir everything together and serve!

Vegetable Pasta Salad Recipe

Here’s how you make it:

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

This Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad is a simple, healthy side dish recipe. Choose your favorite veggies, then add some bacon, goat cheese and an easy balsamic dressing.

Author: Lindsay
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: serves 4-6

Ingredients

3 cups spiral pasta (or your favorite type)
4 cups chopped vegetables (green beans, Brussel’s sprouts, peppers, sweet potatoes, etc – more if desired)
4 strips bacon, cooked and diced
approx 2 oz goat cheese, crumbled (more or less if desired)
1/2 cup oil (I use avocado oil)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 – 2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey (depends on desired sweetness)
1/4 tsp salt
1 clove of garlic grated with microplaner, optional

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process once cooked.
While the noodles cook, spread vegetables on a sheet pan, spray with oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes (depending on your desired degree of doneness).
Combine cooked pasta and veggies in a large bowl, along with chopped bacon and goat cheese crumbles and gently stir to combine.
Combine oil, vingar, mustard, maple syrup, salt and garlic(if using) in a jar with a lid and shake until well combined. Taste and add more sweetener if needed.
Pour half the dressing over pasta salad and toss to coat. Taste and add more dressing if desired.

Notes

Be sure to chop vegetables fairly small so they cook in 15-20 minutes.

Quick, easy and delicious. If you want to, you could add some leftover chicken into the mix as well!

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad FAQs

Do you serve this roasted vegetable pasta salad cold?

Totally up to you! This pasta salad tastes great warm, cold or room temperature. Keep in mind if you serve it warm, the goat cheese will melt.

How to store roasted vegetable pasta salad?

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

What are the best vegetables for vegetable pasta salad?

It’s best to choose vegetables that all cook in a similar time – broccoli, Brussels sprouts, red peppers, sweet potatoes and green beans all cook in about 20 minutes. Carrots can also cook in that time frame when chopped small.

If you’re worried, cook carrots on a separate baking sheet so they can cook a few extra minutes without overcooking the other vegetables.

Could you make this a grilled vegetable pasta salad?

Absolutely. Keep everything the same, just swap grilled vegetables for the roasted ones.

What are some other vegetable pasta salad recipes?

Here are a few others to try:

Or try this Creamy Tomato Chicken Pasta.

Best dressing for roasted vegetable pasta salad?

I tend to prefer balsamic or honey mustard but Italian is also a classic. Here are some easy homemade dressings to choose from:

What to serve with vegetable pasta salad?

Choose your favorite protein! This would be great with a side of marinated chicken or steak. Or you could mix some chicken sausage right in.

Try:

Easy Vegetable Pasta Salad

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Fall Vegetable Skillet Hash

Lindsay — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 04:00:00 +0000

This Fall Vegetable Skillet Hash makes a quick, easy dinner (or breakfast) that’s easy to customize. Perfect for busy nights and packed with protein and vegetables!

Thanks to Meijer for sponsoring this post.

Hi friends!

I’ve got another delicious recipe to share with you guys today. By now, most of us are knee-deep in school season and while the days are getting shorter, the activities are piling up and the nights are getting busier. Am I right??

Now is not the time for elaborate recipes…we all need quick, easy and nutrient dense. Enter this Fall Vegetable Skillet Hash. This easy dinner is packed with vegetables and protein, easy to customize based on what’s in season in your area and your taste preferences and comes together quickly. And don’t forget you can make things even easier on yourself by using Meijer Home Delivery to have all the ingredients delivered right to your door!

Fall is the perfect time to take advantage of local veggies that are in season. I chose to use butternut squash, apples, potatoes, swiss chard and green beans. You could easily sub a different type of squash or leafy greens or roast another veggie like broccoli for the side dish if that’s in season in your area!

I also chose to have all my ingredients for this easy dinner delivered using the ‘shopmeijer‘ app on a particularly busy night. I love that you can request local produce. I bought a bag of locally grown green beans last time I was there so I knew they’d have them and asked my shopper to look for them! If you’re buying things like avocados or bananas, you can also specify how ripe you want them to be.

Another thing I like about this dish is that you can customize the protein. I originally planned to make it with chicken but when the time came to actually cook, I just wasn’t feeling like chicken (pregnancy problems!) so I subbed scrambled eggs and it worked great! To make this dairy-free, you could also easily leave out the cheese.

Green beans are one of my favorite vegetables to roast because they only take about 12 minutes. That means you can easily pop them in the oven while you whip up this skillet hash and everything will be ready at the same time!

When you chop your veggies, be sure to dice your squash fairly small so it cooks quickly. For the potatoes, I use one of my favorite tricks and cook them most of the way in the microwave to cut down on cooking time.

Here’s how you make it:

Fall Vegetable Skillet Hash

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

This Fall Vegetable Skillet Hash makes a quick, easy dinner (or breakfast) that’s easy to customize. Perfect for busy nights and packed with protein and vegetables!

Author: Lindsay

Ingredients

1 Tbsp butter or oil
2 strips bacon, diced
2/3 cup leeks, thinly sliced (approx 1 medium)
1.5 cup cubed and peeled butternut squash
2 cups chopped swiss chard (or kale, spinach, etc)
1 cup diced apple (approx 1 medium)
1 cup diced red or yellow potatoes
6 eggs
1 pound green beans, ends trimmed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place green beans on a baking sheet, spray with oil and roast for 12 minutes.
While oven is preheating and beans are roasting, make the hash.
Heat butter or oil in a large skillet.
Add bacon, leeks and butternut squash and saute over medium high heat for 7-8 minutes.
Place potatoes in a bowl, drizzle lightly with oil and microwave for 2 minutes.
Add potatoes, swiss chard and apples to pan and saute another 5 minutes.
Whisk eggs in a bowl, clear a space in the skillet and pour into center of the pan.
Scramble eggs to the desired doneness and mix all skillet ingredients together until combined.
Stir in cheese if using and serve warm along side roasted green beans.

Easy, right? This is the recipe that made me fall in love with butternut squash. And I know the apples may sound like a weird addition but trust me, they work!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Meijer. The opinions and text are all mine.

Instant Pot Salmon Tortellini Soup

Lindsay — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 05:00:00 +0000

Thanks to the National Fisheries Institute for sponsoring this post.

This Instant Pot Salmon Tortellini Soup recipe is simple, healthy and so easy to make for dinner. It uses ingredients from your freezer so its perfect for a night when you need a last minute meal.

Hi friends!

I am so excited to share this Instant Pot Salmon Tortellini Soup recipe with you guys. It’s so so so easy and absolutely delicious. And it’s the perfect way to add some more seafood to your diet. For the third year now, I’m partnering with my friends over at the National Fisheries Institute to share some easy seafood recipes like this Grilled Foil Packet Tilapia with Pesto Veggies, this Sheet Pan Italian Salmon with Green Beans and these Shrimp Curry Noodle Bowls.

A few years ago, they launched a seafood education initiative called Dish on Fish to help educate Americans about the importance of eating seafood and to encourage seafood consumption so be sure to follow them if you’re looking for easy ways to eat more seafood! You can find them on Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook.

The timing of this recipe is no coincidence! Did you know February is National Heart Month? That means it’s the perfect time to start eating more seafood, which is great for your heart! In fact, according to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Americans should be eating 2-3 servings of seafood each week. Fatty fish like salmon, sardines and tuna are full of omega-3 fatty acids which are good for your heart and low in saturated fat. They may help reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease.

So whip up a batch of this soup and dig in!

Instant Pot Salmon Tortellini Soup

This soup, as I mentioned, really could not be easier. I used a bunch of stuff that I always have stocked in my freezer, like salmon, tortellini (I love Giovanni Rana) and mixed veggies, and you don’t even have to thaw them first! That means its perfect for those nights when you’ve got nothing in the fridge and nothing on the menu!

Here’s how you make it:

Instant Pot Salmon Tortellini Soup

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

This Instant Pot Salmon Tortellini Soup is a quick, healthy dinner recipe that uses staple items from your freezer to make a heart-healthy meal.

Author: Lindsay
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: serves 4

Ingredients

2/3 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1–2 strips bacon, diced
12–16 ounces frozen boneless salmon
1 (10 oz) package frozen mixed vegetables
10 ounces frozen tortellini
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning (optional)
2–3 handfuls fresh baby spinach

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Set the Instant Pot to saute and add chopped bacon, onions and garlic to the pot. Saute for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Switch Instant Pot off. Add frozen salmon (cut into 3-4 pieces if not already portioned), frozen vegetables, frozen tortellini, broth and seasonings to the pot and stir.

Cover and use the manual (or pressure cook) button to set timer for 6 minutes.

Use quick release once finished, flake salmon into chunks with a fork and stir in fresh baby spinach.

Notes

You can use salmon with the skin on, just pull the pieces of salmon out after cooking, remove the skin, flake into chunks and return to the pot.

You could probably do this with fresh salmon and tortellini but I would cut the cooking time in half and I haven’t tried it myself.

Easy right?

[clickToTweet tweet=”This Instant Pot Salmon Tortellini Soup is made w/ staple freezer ingredients for a quick meal.” quote=”This Instant Pot Salmon Tortellini Soup is made w/ staple freezer ingredeints for a quick meal.”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Dish on Fish . The opinions and text are all mine.

Instant Pot Thai Peanut Chicken Soup

Lindsay — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 04:00:00 +0000

This Instant Pot Thai Peanut Chicken Soup recipe is dairy-free and packed with summer vegetables. Perfect for a healthy lunch or dinner in under 30 minutes.

Hi friends!

You guys didn’t think I forgot about my Instant Pot did you? Don’t have one yet? Snag one here! (affiliate link) As you know, I bought mine back in November and have continued to use it pretty much every single week since then.

This most recent creation was an experiment that turned out SO well. It was loosely inspired by my Salmon Corn Chowder. For some reason, I crave chowder in the summer. I think it’s because I grew up eating this Easy Fish Chowder at my aunt’s house every summer. However, although I’m not completely dairy-free, I have continued to minimize my intake while nursing Little Miss…so my two go-to chowders were out of the running this summer.

Instant Pot Thai Peanut Chicken Soup

Instead, I grabbed a can of coconut milk from the pantry and took a risk combining some summer veggies like yellow squash, zucchini, peppers and corn with a non-traditional soup ingredient – peanut butter!

The end result was epically delicious – if you like coconut. The flavor of the coconut milk definitely shines through and it’s balanced well by the peanut butter. Then add a healthy squirt of sriracha and you’ve got yourself a spicy bowl of goodness! Plus it’s fast. A few minutes of chopping veggies and chicken, a few minutes for the instant pot to heat up and 10 minutes under pressure and boom!

Here’s how you make it:

Instant Pot Thai Peanut Chicken Soup

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

This Instant Pot Thai Peanut Chicken Soup recipe is dairy-free and packed with summer vegetables. Perfect for a healthy lunch or dinner in under 30 minutes.

Author: Lindsay
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

2 strips bacon, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1.5 cups sweet potato, diced
1 cup red pepper, diced
1 cup zucchini, diced
1 cup summer squash, diced
1 cup frozen corn kernals
1–2 Tbsp fresh ginger, depending on how much you like the flavor
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1.5 cups chicken broth
1.5 pounds chicken breast, diced
1 tsp paprika
1 can coconut milk (i used full fat)
1/4 cup peanut butter
optional garnishes: green onions, chopped peanuts, sriracha

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Turn the Instant Pot to Saute. Add bacon and onion and saute for about 3 minutes. Turn Instant Pot off.

Add all remaining ingredients except coconut milk and peanut butter and stir to combine.

Use manual mode and set Instant Pot for 10 minutes.

Use quick release, remove cover and add coconut milk and peanut butte. Stir to combine.

Serve warm with optional garnishes if desired.

Notes

Think you can handle it? I leave the sriracha out to let everyone add their own, but if everyone you’re making it for likes it spicy, feel free to add it in! The spicy kick is definitely what takes it to the next level.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Looking for a new summer soup? Try this Instant Pot Thai Peanut Chicken Soup for dinner!” quote=”Looking for a new summer soup? Try this Instant Pot Thai Peanut Chicken Soup for dinner.”]

Let’s chat:

What’s your favorite summer soup?

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Chicken Bacon Avocado Breakfast Tacos

Lindsay — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 05:00:00 +0000

These Chicken Bacon Avocado Breakfast Tacos are an easy way to transform leftover chicken from dinner into a healthy new morning meal!

Hi Friends!

It’s been a few months but I’m getting back into the swing of things with the monthly Recipe Redux prompt! This month the theme was tacos. Since we’ve been loving chicken lately and I’m always looking for ways to transform the leftovers, I whipped up some breakfast tacos!

I know, tacos for breakfast? What?! But trust me on this one. They’re simple to make and fun to eat. To up the fun factor, I actually made mine mini tacos…because I’m strangely obsessed with eating miniature versions of foods. Feels like I get to eat more even though it’s the same amount of food.

To make these, I also made some homemade tortillas. I used my favorite Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas recipe and Squish and I whipped up a batch. So easy and it was fun to make them mini-sized!

I used leftover pulled chicken for these but you could also cook some up fresh or use some pre-cooked chicken sausage if you’d like! Top them with salsa, hot sauce, cheese or all of the above! If you don’t mind reheating eggs, you could even make this filling ahead of time and then just spoon into taco shells and pop them in the microwave when you’re ready to eat them!

Here’s the recipe:

Chicken Bacon Avocado Breakfast Tacos

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

These Chicken Bacon Avocado Breakfast Tacos are an easy way to transform leftover chicken from dinner into a healthy new morning meal!

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup diced cooked chicken
2 strips bacon, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
4 eggs
1 small avocado, diced
hot sauce, cheese, salsa etc for optional toppings
tortillas – homemade or storebought

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

In a large saute pan, cook bacon and peppers. Add eggs and chicken and cook until chicken is warm and eggs are scrambled.
Stir in avocados.
Scoop into tortillas and top as desired!

Squish is a big taco fan so he was very interested in these:

Exactly why I can’t take blog photos when he’s awake!

Be sure to pin this recipe and let me know if you give it a try!

[clickToTweet tweet=”Transform leftover chicken into breakfast tacos with bacon, avocado and homemade tortillas!” quote=”Transform leftover chicken into breakfast tacos with bacon, avocado and homemade tortillas!”]

Let’s chat:

What are your favorite taco fillings?

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

For more taco recipes, click the image below to check out this month’s linkup!

Warm Spinach Bacon Salad with Chicken

Lindsay — Mon, 08 Aug 2016 04:00:00 +0000

This Warm Spinach Bacon Salad with Chicken transforms leftover chicken into a whole new meal that’s perfect for lunch or dinner.

Hi Friends!

Quick post today because this mama is tired and battling heartburn like you wouldn’t believe…but I just had to pop in and share this recipe with you. I hesitate to even call it a recipe actually….it could probably be more accurately titled “a 10 minute way to transform leftover chicken into a new meal”. And it just might become your new go-to lunch option if you’re a work-from-home mama who is a fan of food prep (like me!).

Speaking of food prep, are you following me on SnapChat (leangreenbean1)? Yesterday morning I snapped my whole food prep session! Anyways, grilling up a bunch of chicken breasts is one of my food prep staples, especially in the summer. That leaves me with fully cooked chicken that I can use on sandwiches, in casseroles, etc throughout the week.

Sometimes, like last week, I get a little overzealous and cook a bit too much chicken. I ended up dicing and freezing some to use in soups and casseroles when baby comes….but I also whipped up this tasty concoction for lunch one day. Guys, it’s so easy. It’s literally ready in under 10 minutes and is SO tasty!

Here’s what you do:

Warm Spinach Bacon Salad with Chicken

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

This Warm Spinach Bacon Salad with Chicken transforms leftover chicken into a whole new meal that’s perfect for lunch or dinner.

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 9 minutes
Yield: serves 2

Ingredients

2 strips bacon, diced
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms
4 cups fresh baby spinach
6 ounces cooked chicken, sliced
2 hard boiled eggs
1 large peach, sliced
balsamic vinegar for drizzling.

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Add bacon, mushrooms and onions to a small pan and saute for 5 min over medium high heat.
Add spinach and saute until wilted.
Divide onto two plates, top each with 3 ounces of chicken, 1 egg and peach slices.
Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve.

A few notes:

You can serve this with the chicken warm or cold. I like the contrast of the warm spinach with cold chicken but that’s just personal preferernce.
If you don’t have peaches, strawberries would also be good.
To change things up, try topping with a little mozzarella or feta if you’re a cheese lover like me!

You’ll notice I skipped the balsamic drizzle in these pictures because it’s hard to make that look pretty

[Tweet “Transform leftover chicken with this Spinach Bacon Salad from @leangrnbeanblog!”]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Guacamole Waffle Bites

Lindsay — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 07:00:00 +0000

These gluten-free Guacamole Waffle Bites make a great appetizer or side dish. With just a few simple ingredients, they’re packed with flavor and are a fun, easy recipe for anyone to make!

Hi friends!

It’s time for another recipe roundup with some of my fav bloggers. If I’m being totally honest, I completely forgot about this post until about 2 days ago when Julia sent us a little reminder! The move threw me off my game a little bit. That, coupled with the fact that we have yet to go to the grocery store since we moved in, meant I had to get a little creative and use what I had on hand.

Turns out, situations like that sometimes lead to the best recipes. I’ve kinda been loving my waffle maker ever since I started making these Whole Wheat Yogurt Waffles regularly and I thought it might be kinda fun to make some bite-sized waffles and put a savory spin on them. I used sweet potatoes as the base…because i ALWAYS have those on hand…and mixed in some bacon and cheese for flavor, along with an egg to hold everything together.

I wasn’t really sure how they would turn out but I was pleasantly surprised at how good they tasted. To top them up, I whipped up a small batch of guacamole with a lonely avocado, a few cherry tomatoes, and some red onion. You could easily use store-bought guac to make these even easier!

Here’s the exact recipe:

Guacamole Waffle Bites

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

These gluten-free Guacamole Waffle Bites make a great appetizer or side dish. With just a few simple ingredients, they’re packed with flavor and are a fun, easy recipe for anyone to make!

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 12-14 waffle bites

Ingredients

1 cup cooked & mashed sweet potato
2 strips cooked bacon, diced
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 egg
Guacamole for topping

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Combine the sweet potato, bacon, cheese and egg in a bowl and mix until well combined.
Drop one tablespoon of the mixture into each of the four, well greased, sections of a regular waffle iron and cook as directed.
Top with guacamole and serve. (You can serve them with the waffles still warm or at room temperature.

This made 14 waffle bites for me I think. Feel free to experiment with other toppings for these as well. Maybe some hummus? Or more bacon and cheese

Serve them as an appetizer, side dish or snack at your next summer cookout. Speaking of cookouts….4th of July anyone?!

Are you getting together with friends and family? Def make these…and then also check out these other brilliant ideas:

Perfectly portioned from Julia @ The Roasted Root
Paleo Red, White & Blue Vanilla Cake Parfaits

Perfect for showcasing summer produce from Sarah @ Making Thyme For Health
Summer Green Bean Salad

A creative spin on a summer dessert from Arman @ The Big Man’s World
Healthy No-Bake S’mores Cups

Festive and fun from Alexis @ Hummusapien
Chocolate Drizzled Fruit Kabobs

Drool-worthy and delicious from Kylie @ Imma Eat That
Almond Butter Snickerdoodle Bars with Cheesecake Frosting