This week’s bowl is all about crisp textures, bright flavors, and simple prep — a satisfying salad that comes together quickly and keeps lunches interesting all week long.
This week’s Salad of the Week is the Simple Prep Asian Crunch Bowl, a colorful combination of leafy greens, crunchy vegetables, edamame, and a creamy peanut-lime dressing that brings everything together. The mix of textures and flavors makes this one of my favorite summer lunch salads.
One of the things I enjoy most about this bowl is how easily it comes together with a little prep ahead. Like all of my Salad of the Week recipes, it follows the Daily Salad Formula by combining leafy greens, vegetables, plant-based protein, healthy fats, and a flavorful dressing into one satisfying meal.
This bowl is also easy to adapt based on what you enjoy or already have on hand. Swap the vegetables, change the protein, or adjust the toppings while keeping the same basic structure. Once you understand the framework, it becomes easy to create nourishing salads without overthinking what to make.
Here’s how this week’s bowl comes together:
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What’s included this week
• Simple Prep Asian Crunch Bowl (ingredients and how I assemble it)
• Creamy Peanut-Lime Dressing (Oil-Free) recipe
• Prep-ahead tips to make it easy for the week
• Simple Miso Mushroom Ramen (recipe)
Bowl Ingredients
Leafy Lettuce
• Use a mix of tender leafy greens you enjoy — tower-grown or store-bought — such as romaine, leaf lettuce, butter lettuce, or spring mix
Cruciferous Greens & Veggies
• Cabbage, shredded (fresh or bagged)
Alliums (Onion Family)
• Scallions, thinly sliced
Plant-Based Protein & Staying Power
• Shelled edamame, cooked and cooled (frozen works perfectly)
• or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Amp Up the Volume
• Cucumber, thinly sliced or chopped
• Carrot, shredded (fresh or bagged)
• Celery, thinly sliced
Crunch / Healthy Fats
• Almonds, sliced (a small amount adds crunch while keeping the bowl light)
Finishers
• Fresh cilantro
• A squeeze of fresh lime
Creamy Peanut-Lime Dressing (Oil-Free)
This is a make-once, use-all-week batch (6–8 servings).
Ingredients
• ½ cup natural peanut butter
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp coconut aminos
• 2 tsp maple syrup or date syrup (optional)
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger (or ½ tsp ground ginger)
• 2 small cloves garlic
• ⅔–1 cup water, to thin
• 2–4 tsp rice vinegar (optional)
Directions
Add all ingredients except the water to a blender.
Blend until smooth.
With the blender running, slowly add water until the dressing reaches your desired consistency.
Taste and adjust if needed.
Storage
Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Stir before using.
Note
For a peanut-free option, sunflower seed butter can be used instead of peanut butter. The flavor will be slightly different but the creamy texture works very well.
How I Build the Bowl
Start with a generous base of leafy greens in a large bowl.
Add a handful of shredded cabbage.
Spoon the edamame (or chickpeas) over the greens.
Scatter cucumber, shredded carrot, and sliced celery across the bowl.
Sprinkle sliced almonds and scallions over the top.
Add fresh cilantro.
Drizzle with the Creamy Peanut-Lime Dressing.
Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime and gently toss before eating.
Prep-Ahead Tip
Prepping a few ingredients ahead of time makes it easy to build fresh salads throughout the week.
• Cook shelled edamame according to package directions and allow to cool
• Thinly slice or shred cabbage
• Thinly slice scallions
• Slice or chop cucumber
• Slice almonds, if whole
• Shred carrots
• Slice celery
• Chop cilantro
• Prepare the dressing
Store each ingredient in its own jar or container in the refrigerator.
Keeping the components separate helps maintain freshness and allows you to assemble a bowl quickly whenever you’re ready to eat.
Want tips for turning these prep-ahead bowls into easy work lunches? See how I pack salads for work and busy weekdays 💚
Notes & Variations
Easy swaps
• Cilantro → fresh parsley
• Sliced almonds → pumpkin seeds or cashews
• Scallions → thinly sliced red onion
Easy add-ins
• Avocado slices
• Cooked quinoa
• Thinly sliced red bell pepper
Serve With (Optional)
This week I paired the Simple Prep Asian Crunch Bowl with Simple Miso Mushroom Ramen Soup.
The combination of a crisp, refreshing salad and a warm brothy noodle soup creates a balanced meal that feels both light and satisfying.
Simple Miso Mushroom Ramen Soup
Makes about 4–5 servings
Ingredients
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 4 oz brown rice ramen noodles
• 1½ cups mushrooms, sliced (fresh or frozen)
• 1 small can water chestnuts, drained and chopped (often sold pre-chopped)
• 2 cups baby spinach (or chopped spinach)
Aromatics
• 1 medium onion, diced (or ½ tsp onion powder)
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger (or ¼ tsp ground ginger)
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced (or ¼-½ tsp garlic powder)
Miso Base
• 2 Tbsp white or yellow miso paste
• ¼ cup warm broth from the soup pot
Optional Flavor Adjustment
• 1–2 tsp soy sauce or coconut aminos, to taste
Optional Garnishes
• 1–2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• sliced scallions
• squeeze of lime
• chili flakes
Directions
Dry sauté the onion in a soup pot over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, adding small splashes of broth as needed. If using onion powder instead of fresh onion, add it later with the ginger and garlic.
Add the mushrooms and cook for 3–4 minutes, until they begin to soften.
Add the ginger and garlic (or their dried alternatives) and cook for 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a gentle simmer.
Add the ramen noodles and cook according to the package directions.
Stir in the water chestnuts and greens and cook just until the greens are wilted.
In a small bowl, whisk together the miso paste and warm broth until smooth.
Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the miso mixture.
Taste and add soy sauce or coconut aminos, if desired.
Serve with your favorite garnishes.
Notes & Variations
• For a heartier soup, add 1 cup frozen corn or additional vegetables of your choice during the last few minutes of cooking.
• Tatsoi, baby bok choy, spinach, or kale all work well in place of the spinach.
• For extra mushroom flavor, increase the mushrooms to 2 cups.
• Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for several days, though the noodles will continue to soften as they sit.
Final Thoughts
Simple bowls like this are a reminder that healthy meals don’t need to be complicated. When a few fresh ingredients are prepped ahead of time, it becomes easy to build colorful, satisfying salads throughout the week.
If you'd like help creating balanced salads like this at home, you can download my free Tower-to-Table Recipe Guide, which includes the Daily Salad Formula I use to build fresh, nourishing bowls.
Download the free Tower-to-Table Recipe Guide
Here’s to simple, nourishing meals — one bowl at a time 🌱
Karen
Vertical Hydroponic Garden