A good salad is not boring. A simple Caesar or an elaborate creation can tempt the palate with the right mix of flavors and textures. You can get salty, sweet, savory, tender and crunchy all in one bite. A salad is a light, refreshing choice especially during these hot summer days and humid nights. Here are 5 places with amazing salads that are worth adding to your takeout/delivery rotation so you can feel good about supporting local restaurants and eating healthy. 

Plant Miami

Plant Miami, a food haven located in The Sacred Space Miami, is committed to conscious cuisine made to nourish your body and soul. The plant-based menu honors their farm-to-chef concept and creates dishes that are 100 percent vegan, kosher, gluten-free and organic. The Kale and Avocado Salad has grapefruit and sunflower seeds with an herb-and-spice togarashi dressing and is garnished with locally harvested microgreens and edible flowers. Each salad on the menu contains a superfood ingredient packed with immune-boosting antioxidants, taking “You are what you eat” to a new level.

Pickup and delivery only; 105 NE 24^th Street, Miami (Wynwood); (305) 814-5365; sacredspacemiami.com

Seaspice

Seaspice prides itself on the freshest selection of sea-to-table fare and they have a to-die-for raw bar to prove it. The chilled Maine Lobster Salad is a signature dish that exemplifies their mastery of elevated cuisine. Fresh Maine lobster is tossed in a creamy ahi amarillo sauce, served with a crisp citrus butter lettuce, balanced with Hass avocado and finished with Osetra caviar. The menu also features elegant appetizers, wood-fired casseroles and entrées of both the sea and land variety served al fresco with swoon-worthy views of the Miami River. 

Dine-in, takeout, and delivery available; 422 Northwest North River Drive, Miami; (305) 440-4200, seaspice.com

Pura Vida

Pura Vida’s goal is to offer fresh, simple, sustainable, and locally sourced food in a space that feels like home. The Poke Salad is a summer favorite – a blend of sweet and spicy flavors that is as nutritious as it is delicious. Wild-caught ahi tuna high in Omega 3s is mixed with crunchy green cabbage and crisp kale that are sources of Vitamins C, K and other antioxidants. Quinoa, cucumber, scallion, micro cilantro, sunflower and sesame seeds round out the dish and it is dressed with homemade poke sauce. It’s pure life in every bite.

Outdoor dining, takeout and delivery at all locations; South Beach: 110 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach; Edgewater: 1756 N. Bayshore Drive, Miami; Design District: 3818 NE 1^st Avenue; (305) 535-4142; puravidamiami.com

Malibu Farm

The sound of the ocean and panoramic views await at Malibu Farm Miami Beach. Located inside Eden Roc Miami Beach, this California-chic restaurant overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and epitomizes the laid-back luxury of a beach getaway. The Chicken Tortilla salad is a flavorful nod to the spirit of Mexican heritage that permeates California culture while sourcing some of its ingredients – the romaine, frisée, cherry tomatoes and green beans – from local Florida vendors. Topped off with corn, black bean, jalapeño jack cheese, salsa dressing and tortilla strips, it’s a little taste of Cali right here in SoFlo. 

Dine-in and takeout available; delivery starting in August; 4525 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach; (305) 674-5579; edenrochotelmiami.com

Whisk

Whisk has plentiful menus and daily lunch and dinner specials with comfort foods to satisfy. The popular Marinated Shrimp & Avocado Salad has plump shrimp marinated in homemade cilantro vinaigrette dressing and grilled to perfection. The skewer is served atop mixed greens with just-right avocado, red and green peppers, fresh cilantro, shallots, toasted cashews, and finished with a cilantro-ginger vinaigrette. It’s not the only salad to choose from – Skirt Steak Salad, Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Organic Spinach Salad, and Roasted Turkey & Dried Cranberry Salad are other delectable options with dressings made fresh every morning.

Outdoor seating, takeout and delivery available; 7382 SW 56^th Avenue, South Miami; (786) 268-8350; whiskgourmet.com

By Estefania Garcia, Contributing Writer