My Top Five: Lunch Salads in Philadelphia
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Editor’s note: Welcome to our new series My Top Five where we get local foodies and fitness pros around Philly to dish on everything from their top five salads to their top five running trails around town. Read up, then jot some of their favorites down on your Philly bucket list so you don’t forget about ’em!
There really is nothing more perfect for lunch than a salad. They’re light, healthy, portable, customizable, and you can find one on just about any menu. Us Philadelphians are lucky though, because Philly is home to some spots to not just grab a decent lunch salad, but an amazing lunch salad.
To wit: We got Emily Watson, the mind behind local healthy-eating blog Nourishing Matters, to dish on her top five favorite lunch salads around town and they all sound truly delicious. So next time you have a free half-hour at work, grab a co-worker and test out one of these healthy picks.
1. The “Select Three Sides” option
High Street on Market, 308 Market Street, Old City.
Watson recommends trying out the Sicilian Cauliflower with Pistachios, the White Bean and Broccoli Rabe with Pecorino, and the Garlic Brussels Sprouts with Chili Flakes. As she says, this “hefty bowl of vegetables” along with some of their fresh, housemade bread, is a healthy and satisfying lunch. Sure sounds like it to me!
2. The Spicy Sabzi
Sweetgreen, multiple locations.
This pre-designed salad option is full of spinach, kale, broccoli, beets, Sriracha (if you choose), and seasoned veggies, topped with carrot chili vinaigrette. For a pro-tip, Watson suggests bulking it up by adding avocado, extra quinoa, and sunflower seeds. Yummm city.
3. Make-Your-Own Bowl
Agno Grill, 2104 Chestnut Street, Rittenhouse.
If you’re the creative type, try designing your own salad at Agno Grill. Watson usually combines spinach, black rice, roasted carrots, roasted cauliflower, and sautéed greens, topped with either chicken or falafel. Stuck on the dressing? Watson swears by their lemon tahini dressing. “I could put that stuff on everything,” she says.
4. Rice Vermicelli Noodle Bowl
Le Viet, 1019 South 11th Street, Bella Vista.
According to Watson, this noodle bowl does in fact count as a salad, due to the veggie to noodle ratio. Hey, we’ll take your word on it! She claims that Le Viet’s noodle bowls are the freshest she’s tasted in Philly.
5. Provence Salad
Cafe Lutecia, 2301 Lombard Street, Fitler Square.
Looking for a salad with a European vibe? Look no further! This salad combines tuna, hearts of palm, egg, tomatoes, corn, and olives — a common European combination. Watson says this salad is simple and flavorful but full of new and surprising textures.
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