Salads & Soups Archives - Cook With Manali

Lentil Tabbouleh Salad

bowl of lentil salad garnished with mint and parsley

August 30, 2021

Make the classic Tabbouleh more filling by adding lentils to it in this Lentil Tabbouleh Salad. An easy meal which is perfect for quick lunches and is also vegan and gluten-free.

As an Indian, I eat a lot of lentils. It’s a staple for me and I cook them at least 3 times a week if not more (as a kid I ate them every day!). But as you would probably guess, 99% of the time, I eat lentils as dal. I make all kinds of dals from simple dals like moong dal, masoor dal to my favorite dal tadka and dal...

Spinach Strawberry Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

bowl of salad with spinach strawberries, almonds

August 4, 2021

A simple salad made with spinach, strawberries, toasted almonds, goat cheese all tossed with a fresh, homemade strawberry vinaigrette. This Spinach Strawberry Salad makes the perfect summer salad!

This recipe is inspired by a salad that I recently had at one of the local restaurants. It was fresh, tasty and made just the perfect summer salad. It was just a bit too sweet for my liking so I re-created a similar version...

Simple Vegan Tomato Soup

bowls of tomato soup topped with croutons and cilantro

February 16, 2021

Easy Vegan Tomato Soup made in the Instant Pot!

This simple soup made with basic ingredients will warm you up on a cold day.

Tomato Soup was one of the only 2-3 soups that I was aware as a kid, the other being sweet corn and mixed vegetables soup.

We always made quick tomato soup during winters and it was almost always made from that packet of Knorr soup,...

My Favorite Chickpea Salad

pair of hand holding a bowl of chickpea salad served in a wooden bowl

January 12, 2021

Vegan and gluten-free, this Chickpea Salad is my absolute favorite.

It has cucumber, onions, dates and olives tossed together in a flavorful dressing. It’s also great for meal-prep.

As a vegetarian, chickpeas are one of my absolute favorites!

There’s so much you can do with them. Make hummus, chana masala, add to burgers and of course they make the best...

Mango Arugula Salad with Balsamic Dressing

bowl of mango arugula salad with a fork placed in the bowl and another plate of salad in the background

July 2, 2020

This refreshing Mango Arugula Salad is just the perfect summer salad.

Tossed with a balsamic dressing, it is also vegan and gluten-free.

During summers, if there’s one thing that you would always find in my house, it’s the mangoes.

Since Sarvesh is a huge fan, he keeps ordering them from all stores possible (just to try his luck at the best tasting...

Cauliflower Sweet Potato Salad with Curry Cashew Dressing

bowl of yellow color salad with cauliflower, sweet potato, onions and garnished with cilantro placed in a handcrafted serving tray

March 21, 2020

Roasted Cauliflower Sweet Potato Salad with a creamy curry cashew dressing!

This flavorful salad is packed with so much flavor and will be a great salad for the warm days ahead. It is also vegan and gluten-free.

Say hello to my favorite salad these days!

It has all my favorite things- there’s cauliflower, sweet potato, cilantro, green onion and a dressing made with...

Cherry Quinoa and Chickpea Salad

bowl of salad with cherry, quinoa, arugula, chickpea served with a spoon

June 13, 2019

Cherry Quinoa and Chickpea Salad with arugula, pistachios and feta cheese makes a light and refreshing summer salad.

Topped with balsamic vinaigrette, it has quickly become my go to salad this cherry season!

Come summer and I am all for light and fresh salads.

Since fruits are in abundance during the summer...

Vegan Broccoli Salad with Blueberries

May 14, 2019

Vegan Broccoli Salad with a creamy cashew tahini dressing!

This fresh summer salad has blueberries, onion, cranberries and pecans for that extra crunch. Great for potlucks and summer picnics.

It was really warm here last week with temperatures in mid 80s. When it gets that hot, all I crave is salad and ice creams and popsicles.

While I do...

Vegan Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Soup)

vegan tom kha gai in a black bowl placed in a black rimmed plate with a spoon in the background and some cilantro on the side

January 17, 2019

Vegan Tom Kha Gai aka Thai Coconut Soup is creamy, delicious and has so much flavor to it. You only need the right ingredients to make this at home in no time!

January is a hard month to get through. There are many reasons for this. One, it’s the first month after the holidays and it’s hard to get back to work and daily life.

And two it’s so dark and cold that basically you...

Vegan Lentil Soup

September 28, 2018

Lightly spiced and comforting Vegan Lentil Soup. This soup makes a nutritious and filling meal.

Serve it as such or along side a piece of bread.

I love the soup season, Sarvesh not so much!

I think he can never have soup only for dinner. He think soup is like an appetizer and he...

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

August 8, 2018

One of my favorite summer salads, this Mediterranean Chickpea Salad has lots of flavors, is super easy to make and good for you!

It has always been hard for me understand the weather here. One moment it’s super grey and cold and the next day it’s so hot that we need to turn on the air conditioner. It was never like this in Delhi. When it was hot, it was hot and there was never a respite until of...

Black Bean & Corn Salad

July 10, 2018

Looking for an easy summer salad? Try this Black Bean Corn Salad. Super refreshing, easy to make and makes a great side dish!

How hard is it to get back to life after a vacation? Very! if you ask me right now. I returned from my Europe trip last week and since then I have been struggling to get back to work.

First there was so much laundry, unpacking etc etc but the worst bit was the jet lag. Now...