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.

Top view of a salad with eggs and poppyseed dressing in a white bowl.

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

Flatlay of ingredients for meal salad with poppyseed dressing.
  • Beans & chickpeas – I use black beans or kidney beans and chickpeas in this recipe.
  • Eggs – optional, but great hard-boiled or jammy in this recipe
  • Yellow onion – you can substitute with a shallot.
  • Greek yogurt – you can use any fat content of Greek yogurt.
  • Mayonnaise – I prefer vegan mayonnaise so that is what I keep in the house, but regular mayonnaise works just the same in this recipe.
  • Apple cider vinegar – this is the best flavor vinegar for this recipe. If you must substitute, you can use champagne vinegar.
  • Sugar – You can use granulated white sugar, cane sugar, or turbinado sugar.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Top view of a meal salad with ingredients separated for easy picking.

🥗 More Salad, Please!

Here are some of my other favorite salads using fresh produce.

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Meal Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

5 from 10 votes
Print Recipe Save
A hearty green salad with poppyseed dressing, featuring crisp romaine lettuce and a creamy, tangy dressing for a light and flavorful main dish.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 456kcal

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 eggs
  • 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

Poppy Seed Dressing:

  • 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 eggs, 1 pint sprouts, 1 english cucumber
  • Assemble your salad and enjoy!

Video

Notes

The dressing keeps in the refrigerator for 2 days.
* The times assume the eggs are refrigerated and not at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 242mg | Potassium: 1441mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 8710IU | Vitamin C: 111mg | Calcium: 207mg | Iron: 4.8mg
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.

4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    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

    1. 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.

5 from 10 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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