I know the idea of a breakfast salad sounds crazy but I promise this will be your new favorite meal to start to the day!
Bagels are probably my favorite breakfast item. I’m either Team Poppyseed or Team Cinnamon Raisin, depending on my mood. But I’m always Team Toasted! I go through waves in my breakfasts of choice (smoothies, bagels, overnight oats, etc.) and lately I’ve been in the mood for my Everything But The Bagel breakfast salad.
With my new job, I’ve found that if I don’t get my workout in in the morning, it ends up remaining unchecked on my daily planner. I’ve also noticed that early workouts make me want to have a more protein-focused meal. This breakfast salad, inspired by the classic everything bagel piled high with lox, capers, red onion, and tomatoes, is perfect for those mornings. It tastes delicious, fills me up without making me feel stuffed, and makes me feel energized for the day ahead of me.
The best part is it takes only a handful of ingredients and can be made in under 5 minutes. I’ll mix and match what I use based off what’s in my fridge. But I follow this simple pattern:
Everything But The Bagel Breakfast Salad
Bed of greens: I normally prefer to use arugula for this meal because its peppery flavor adds a little something extra. But I’ve got a tub of spinach spring mix so that’s what I used! (A brief aside: In the past, I would have viewed this teensy detail as a reason to just scrub this post because it wasn’t exactly how I wanted. But I’ve recognized that for me chasing perfection and waiting for every detail to be just right sets me up for disappointment and discontent and it’s something I’ve been working on in multiple areas of my life. Bet you didn’t think a breakfast recipe post would get so philosophical, did you?! ????)
Smoked salmon: The only way to sum up my feelings on smoked salmon – “I love you a lox.” Trader Joe’s smoked salmon in the blue trim packaging is my go-to, it’s around $7 and I typically use about 1/3 of the package for this meal. They just added a Dill-icious Smoked Salmon to their shelves, did you catch it in my Trader Joe’s February 2023 Haul? I can’t wait to try it!
Avocado: Avocado is a must for this. I don’t use cream cheese in this recipe so the avocado brings that creamy texture as a good substitute – not to mention a good healthy fat! Trader Joe’s sells “Teeny Tiny Avocados” and those are perfect for me. I find I waste less avocados when I get their small ones.
Cucumber: On an everything bagel sandwich, I love slices of cucumber for their cool taste and crunch. They work the same magic in this salad! I use the smaller English cucumbers to reduce waste.
Other Suggested Toppings: Everyone has their bagel topping preferences so here is where you can make it your own! Depending on what’s in my fridge, I’ll sometimes add chopped grape tomatoes, capers, or thinly sliced shallots.
Everything But The Bagel Seasoning: The star of the show! Sprinkle this seasoning on top to your heart’s content (I always have a heavy hand with this seasoning).
