What do you think?
Rate this book
Mandy's Gourmet Salads: Recipes for Lettuce and Life
The cookbook of the summer! Make the most of summer living with stunning salads from The Globe and Mail #1 bestselling cookbook.
From the sisters behind Montreal's sensational gourmet salads comes the cookbook of the year. An overwhelmingly gorgeous book, packed with simple and delicious recipes for salads--and much more!
There's nothing a Mandy's salad can't fix. Want an explosion of colour, texture, flavour and fabulousness? Look no further. Inside the pages of this stunning cookbook (and the Mandy's restaurants it's named after) lies everything you need to take your salad game from a meh-maybe, to wooooah, baby!!
Mandy's gourmet salads are a jewel of Montreal's (jam-packed) food scene. What started as a 3ft counter at the back of Mimi & Coco clothing store is now an 8 location success story, with ongoing expansion in every direction. Behind Mandy's are the irresistable Wolfe sisters, Mandy and Rebecca. Mandy is in charge of menu inspiration and creation; Rebecca leads the design of all their restaurant locations. More is more is the mantra for both: more colour, more texture, more vibrancy, more life!
In Mandy's Gourmet Salads, Mandy and Rebecca talk you through how to create their coveted salads at home, including easy prep steps for essential ingredients, how to mix their famous dressings, and how to combine flavours and textures to create a salad masterpiece. Also inside are recipes for Mandy's nutritious, filling and fantastic grain bowls (for those who want a bit more sustenance) as well as chapters dedicated to smoothies and sweets (sharing Mandy's famous chocolate chip cookie recipe for the first time...). Perfectly timed for fresh summer living, Mandy's Gourmet Salads is a feast, for the eyes as well as the tastebuds!
From the sisters behind Montreal's sensational gourmet salads comes the cookbook of the year. An overwhelmingly gorgeous book, packed with simple and delicious recipes for salads--and much more!
There's nothing a Mandy's salad can't fix. Want an explosion of colour, texture, flavour and fabulousness? Look no further. Inside the pages of this stunning cookbook (and the Mandy's restaurants it's named after) lies everything you need to take your salad game from a meh-maybe, to wooooah, baby!!
Mandy's gourmet salads are a jewel of Montreal's (jam-packed) food scene. What started as a 3ft counter at the back of Mimi & Coco clothing store is now an 8 location success story, with ongoing expansion in every direction. Behind Mandy's are the irresistable Wolfe sisters, Mandy and Rebecca. Mandy is in charge of menu inspiration and creation; Rebecca leads the design of all their restaurant locations. More is more is the mantra for both: more colour, more texture, more vibrancy, more life!
In Mandy's Gourmet Salads, Mandy and Rebecca talk you through how to create their coveted salads at home, including easy prep steps for essential ingredients, how to mix their famous dressings, and how to combine flavours and textures to create a salad masterpiece. Also inside are recipes for Mandy's nutritious, filling and fantastic grain bowls (for those who want a bit more sustenance) as well as chapters dedicated to smoothies and sweets (sharing Mandy's famous chocolate chip cookie recipe for the first time...). Perfectly timed for fresh summer living, Mandy's Gourmet Salads is a feast, for the eyes as well as the tastebuds!
256 pages, Hardcover
Published May 19, 2020
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
July 16, 2020
Full Review on The Candid Cover
Mandy’s Gourmet Salads is a recipe book that contains more than just recipes for amazing salads. This stunning cookbook has so many favourites from the authors’ famous Montréal cafés, Mandy’s, and a little backstory on how they came to be. It is a must-have book for anyone who enjoys a hearty salad and fans of their legendary cafés.
One thing that I am missing right now is a trip to Mandy’s in Montréal. There is something to be said for a healthy fast food option, and although making a gourmet salad takes quite a bit of effort sometimes, this book has come at perfect time. The ingredients are easy to source and the instructions are super simple.
The contents are as follows:
Smoothies
Salads
Dressings
Grain Bowls
Sweets
❀ WHIMSICAL AND STRAIGHTFORWARD
I have bookmarked almost everything in this cookbook and have a hardcover copy already on order. The images are very whimsical, which is reflective of the Mandy’s aesthetic, full of colour and fun. Also, the layout is very clear and straightforward, which makes deciding on a recipe to make a little bit easier. I made the Mexi Salad, which has a perfect combo of veggies and crunchy tortillas.
❀ PERFECT RECIPE BOOK FOR A COLLECTION
If you are craving a Mandy’s salad or enjoy creating your own gourmet salad bowls, Mandy’s Gourmet Salads is a recipe book to add to your collection. The salads are original takes on many classics and is perfect for anyone looking to improve their salad game. Admittedly, the chocolate chip cookie recipe is next on my to-make list.
Mandy’s Gourmet Salads is a recipe book that contains more than just recipes for amazing salads. This stunning cookbook has so many favourites from the authors’ famous Montréal cafés, Mandy’s, and a little backstory on how they came to be. It is a must-have book for anyone who enjoys a hearty salad and fans of their legendary cafés.
One thing that I am missing right now is a trip to Mandy’s in Montréal. There is something to be said for a healthy fast food option, and although making a gourmet salad takes quite a bit of effort sometimes, this book has come at perfect time. The ingredients are easy to source and the instructions are super simple.
The contents are as follows:
Smoothies
Salads
Dressings
Grain Bowls
Sweets
❀ WHIMSICAL AND STRAIGHTFORWARD
I have bookmarked almost everything in this cookbook and have a hardcover copy already on order. The images are very whimsical, which is reflective of the Mandy’s aesthetic, full of colour and fun. Also, the layout is very clear and straightforward, which makes deciding on a recipe to make a little bit easier. I made the Mexi Salad, which has a perfect combo of veggies and crunchy tortillas.
❀ PERFECT RECIPE BOOK FOR A COLLECTION
If you are craving a Mandy’s salad or enjoy creating your own gourmet salad bowls, Mandy’s Gourmet Salads is a recipe book to add to your collection. The salads are original takes on many classics and is perfect for anyone looking to improve their salad game. Admittedly, the chocolate chip cookie recipe is next on my to-make list.
August 7, 2023
reading a cookbook front to back counts as a book to me 😇
March 14, 2022
Best salad cookbook <3
August 24, 2020
Walking by the kitchen one day my husband offhandedly indicates to a cookbook sitting on the counter and says, "That place has good chocolate chip cookies." Being a chocolate fiend and a cookie connoisseur, of course this is the detail that would stick in his mind! He travels for work sometimes, and often gets to enjoy eating at different restaurants when he does -- and bless him, the man never forgets a good cookie! So, before I go any further, I can tell all of you who are wondering: Yes! Yes, the famous cookie recipe has been included in Mandy's Gourmet Salads cookbook (along with recipes for their delicious salads and myriad dressings). For those outside the Montréal area or who are unfamiliar with Mandy's, this is a popular place that specializes in delicious, fresh tossed salads.
In some ways I'm glad that my husband forgot to mention going to Mandy's when he was in Montréal because instead of being jealous, I can simply open the book and make us all something delicious! Not to sound repetitive either, in this pandemic year of laying low at home, I welcome the ability to visit other places through the recipes I make. Mandy's Gourmet Salads by Mandy Wolfe, Rebecca Wolfe, and Meredith Erickson is the culmination of recipes years in the making -- back in 2004 when the Wolfe sisters opened their first café, they offered delicious, well-dressed tossed salads. Their popularity grew and, now Mandy's boasts many locations throughout the Montréal-area, as well as a newly published cookbook beautifully photographed by Alison Slattery with graphic designs from Sarah Lazar (Cow Goes Moo design studio).
The recipes are organized into 5 chapters: Smoothies, Salads, Dressings, Grain Bowls, and Sweets. Their salads include recipes that suit any diet preference, with salad combinations that include meat, poultry or fish as well as vegan and vegetarian options. And, if you're like me, a salad dressing devotee, then you'll appreciate the fact that the authors include almost 40 different recipes for "life-changing and habit-forming" dressings. Here's a tip: you don't need to use them on just salads! My daughter loves to dip carrots and cucumbers into dressing as a snack, and I feel like a sandwich is incomplete without a liberal splash of dressing.
After trying their cookbook, I notice that the salads hit the trifecta of flavour, colour, and texture -- always in perfect ratio. For example, the Waldorf Salad is really great -- full of toasted walnuts, apples, pear, dried cranberries and, of course, Danish blue cheese, the standout ingredient for me is the Crispy Fried Shallots. Crunchy and sweet, I could eat these shallots on almost anything and, I really appreciate how such a seemingly small ingredient packs such big flavour. The salad is dressed in their Classic Balsamic Dressing, and it's a dressing that I've taken as my own and ensure that I keep a batch in the fridge. While you can totally use the recipes to make their signature salads, I find it useful to be able to prep different components -- like the crispy shallots or dressing -- for use in other salads or dishes I might make.
Another salad we really enjoyed is the R&D Extraordinaire Salad topped with Homemade Pita Chips, and their delightful Classic Balsamic Dressing. The idea for this salad came from Raegan Steinberg and Danielle Samuelson, who worked at Mandy's. Steinberg and Samuelson would make a salad containing greens, avocado, cucumber, carrot, strawberries, parmesan, pita chips topped with balsamic dressing with such devotion that it was officially included on the menu! My family and I enjoy the different flavours and textures -- creamy avocado, sweet berries, crunchy veg, and a mouth-watering dressing.
Mandy’s Gourmet Salads offers a wide selection of salads perfect for lunch, dinner or any Meatless Monday. Salad ingredients or combinations can be easily customized to suit any taste or preference, making this a versatile cookbook to have on your shelf.
Please note that this is an excerpt of a longer review posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.wordpress.com
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Appetite by Random House for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
In some ways I'm glad that my husband forgot to mention going to Mandy's when he was in Montréal because instead of being jealous, I can simply open the book and make us all something delicious! Not to sound repetitive either, in this pandemic year of laying low at home, I welcome the ability to visit other places through the recipes I make. Mandy's Gourmet Salads by Mandy Wolfe, Rebecca Wolfe, and Meredith Erickson is the culmination of recipes years in the making -- back in 2004 when the Wolfe sisters opened their first café, they offered delicious, well-dressed tossed salads. Their popularity grew and, now Mandy's boasts many locations throughout the Montréal-area, as well as a newly published cookbook beautifully photographed by Alison Slattery with graphic designs from Sarah Lazar (Cow Goes Moo design studio).
The recipes are organized into 5 chapters: Smoothies, Salads, Dressings, Grain Bowls, and Sweets. Their salads include recipes that suit any diet preference, with salad combinations that include meat, poultry or fish as well as vegan and vegetarian options. And, if you're like me, a salad dressing devotee, then you'll appreciate the fact that the authors include almost 40 different recipes for "life-changing and habit-forming" dressings. Here's a tip: you don't need to use them on just salads! My daughter loves to dip carrots and cucumbers into dressing as a snack, and I feel like a sandwich is incomplete without a liberal splash of dressing.
After trying their cookbook, I notice that the salads hit the trifecta of flavour, colour, and texture -- always in perfect ratio. For example, the Waldorf Salad is really great -- full of toasted walnuts, apples, pear, dried cranberries and, of course, Danish blue cheese, the standout ingredient for me is the Crispy Fried Shallots. Crunchy and sweet, I could eat these shallots on almost anything and, I really appreciate how such a seemingly small ingredient packs such big flavour. The salad is dressed in their Classic Balsamic Dressing, and it's a dressing that I've taken as my own and ensure that I keep a batch in the fridge. While you can totally use the recipes to make their signature salads, I find it useful to be able to prep different components -- like the crispy shallots or dressing -- for use in other salads or dishes I might make.
Another salad we really enjoyed is the R&D Extraordinaire Salad topped with Homemade Pita Chips, and their delightful Classic Balsamic Dressing. The idea for this salad came from Raegan Steinberg and Danielle Samuelson, who worked at Mandy's. Steinberg and Samuelson would make a salad containing greens, avocado, cucumber, carrot, strawberries, parmesan, pita chips topped with balsamic dressing with such devotion that it was officially included on the menu! My family and I enjoy the different flavours and textures -- creamy avocado, sweet berries, crunchy veg, and a mouth-watering dressing.
Mandy’s Gourmet Salads offers a wide selection of salads perfect for lunch, dinner or any Meatless Monday. Salad ingredients or combinations can be easily customized to suit any taste or preference, making this a versatile cookbook to have on your shelf.
Please note that this is an excerpt of a longer review posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.wordpress.com
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Appetite by Random House for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
August 24, 2021
This is my holy grail cookbook largely because I am a hearty salad and bowl person! The sweets and smoothies are fantastic and I love that this goes beyond in giving you amazing ingredients recipes that add to the salads and that I continue to use outside of just salads (Ie Mock Chicken).
If you haven’t tried the Santorini Salad you’re not living!
If you haven’t tried the Santorini Salad you’re not living!
June 18, 2020
The recipes in this cookbook sound (and look!) so delicious that I pretty much immediately preordered myself a copy because I want these recipes around long after my ARC download expires. Very visual (which is so important in a cookbook!) with fun side stories about the owners of Mandy's and about the creation of their salads, this is a great resource for a whole array of different salads (as well as grain bowls, smoothies, and sweets) packed full of delicious ingredients. I'm excited to try them all!
ARC Provided by NetGalley
ARC Provided by NetGalley
September 9, 2022
We have tried MANY of the recipes and they’re all delicious! The dressings are a bit of effort but they really make the salads special. Particular shout out to the Hoisen Duck and the Mediterranean Salmon.
March 16, 2025
Absolutely a beautiful cookbook. I’ve made several recipes and they are all wonderful; Belle Salad is gorgeous, the lemon shortbread are stunning, the sesame dressing is literally drinkable. This is a cookbook that I come back to again and again and I am always pleased.
July 24, 2020
missing mandys fr but at least now i can make the kaiser at home
March 28, 2024
Love this cookbook! Read it cover to cover; the side stories are enjoyable and add depth to the recipes. My family and I have been mowing through countless salads, bowls and smoothies since I got my hands on this book. It will be the summer Mandy's salads!
September 20, 2020
NO MORE is what I told myself last time I came home from the store with four cookbooks...I have hundreds of books and the reality is I’m always looking online, it was time to stop the collection. But then I bought this one and LOVED it...so much so that I went back to buy every copy that was left in the store (to give to friends), so much so that I kept checking online to see if I could buy more...and finally called them to ask when there would be another print run. This is one of those must haves.
December 29, 2020
I can’t wait to make all the salads in this book! So far I have tried two of the recipes and they are so freaking good!!! The dressings are tasty and the recipes are laid out in simple order. I love that there isn’t a TON of hard to find ingredients!
August 8, 2020
What a gorgeous book! Mandy's Salads are always on the menu whenever I return to my hometown of Montreal. I find myself craving these salads and wishing there was a franchise in my province. Here's a worthy option - a beautifully designed book filled with stories of family, dreams and delectable recipes! Every detail is gorgeous - the photos, layout, full-colour images, fonts...clear, easy-to-follow recipes, ingredient lists and all their yummy signature treats too! Definitely on the top of my list of Best Cookbooks Ever. This book is ideal as a gift option as well as a welcome addition to your personal collection of inspiration. My only complaint is the light pink cover isn't the most practical for a cookbook as it will carry every fingerprint or drop of dressing, though it highlights Mandy's branding and looks great. Otherwise this is 'must own' addition to anyone who loves cookbooks!
May 20, 2020
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for this copy of Mandy's Gourmet Salads for review.
Mandy's Gourment Salads is perfect for anyone, including me, who is in a major salad rut these days. I find myself reaching for the same ingredients day after day to make a healthy and filling salad for lunch. The salad recipes in this book are varied and unique and have inspired a lot of ideas for new dressings or combinations that I might try for my family. Easily adapted and the dressing recipes can be mixed and matched which really helps work around personal preferences and family dietary concerns.
Mandy's Gourment Salads is perfect for anyone, including me, who is in a major salad rut these days. I find myself reaching for the same ingredients day after day to make a healthy and filling salad for lunch. The salad recipes in this book are varied and unique and have inspired a lot of ideas for new dressings or combinations that I might try for my family. Easily adapted and the dressing recipes can be mixed and matched which really helps work around personal preferences and family dietary concerns.
Read
August 4, 2023I was
really
really
really
craving a salad that day in the library.
(we ended up eating at tim's, x2 farmers wrap and a chicken ranch wrap, ngl, that was a really good chicken ranch wrap)
Honestly, salads are delicious–I just can never justify paying for a salad. But tbh, the times I do order salads, it's usually such a good pick. I don't feel bloated at all and it's so fun/refreshing with all the textures.
One day I will make my own GOURMET SALADS!
my very own EMULSIFIED DRESSINGS
and
my very own HOMEMADE CROUTONS
and
my very own SELECTION OF TOASTED NUTS ESPECIALLY PINE NUTS!
WOW I've never been that excited about salad!
really
really
really
craving a salad that day in the library.
(we ended up eating at tim's, x2 farmers wrap and a chicken ranch wrap, ngl, that was a really good chicken ranch wrap)
Honestly, salads are delicious–I just can never justify paying for a salad. But tbh, the times I do order salads, it's usually such a good pick. I don't feel bloated at all and it's so fun/refreshing with all the textures.
One day I will make my own GOURMET SALADS!
my very own EMULSIFIED DRESSINGS
and
my very own HOMEMADE CROUTONS
and
my very own SELECTION OF TOASTED NUTS ESPECIALLY PINE NUTS!
WOW I've never been that excited about salad!
October 2, 2025
2.5/5 stars. I tried the Tokyo Salad , and while I enjoyed the veggie combination (I don’t generally add broccoli to Asian inspired salads), I did not like the dressing nor the marinated tofu. I ended throwing out both and created my own concoction for an Asian inspired dressing. I eat a homemade salad with homemade dressing almost every day for lunch, so I have a lot of experience with them. I will adjust my rating/review as I try other salad recipes from Mandy’s cookbook, but so far Greta Podleski’s Every Salad Ever has my vote for being a far superior salad cookbook, and it’s also by a Canadian author.
April 26, 2020
Ok I haven’t made any of these so I can’t give it the full five stars.. but I loved reading it.
The family vibe, the presentation/design.. and the salads all did look DELICIOUS. SALADS looking yummy page after page after page. I would try them all. I would like to try them all.
Definitely will get this for my sister who loves stuff like this when it comes out.
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Now I need to make some food...
The family vibe, the presentation/design.. and the salads all did look DELICIOUS. SALADS looking yummy page after page after page. I would try them all. I would like to try them all.
Definitely will get this for my sister who loves stuff like this when it comes out.
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Now I need to make some food...
September 19, 2021
J’ai emprunté ce livre à la bibliothèque en me disant que de feuilleter les recettes de ce charmant restaurant de salades montréalais me dissuaderait de l’acheter. Erreur, grande erreur! Presque tous les plats semblent intéressants. La variation de textures, d’ingrédients, de saveurs, tout cela m’appelle. Tant de mélanges à essayer, ce sera vraiment difficile de ne pas l’acquérir! Pourvu que l’Amoureux le trouve aussi attrayant que moi… ou pas!
July 16, 2022
Amazing !!! I got it on Amazon prime day and I think this is my best find yet !!!! I loved all the recipes …. Is salads game changer they really provide a different twist!!! Also it has smoothies ( which I’m a sucker for a really delicious smoothie) and sweets it’s a must to have in a cooking book collection !! And also it gives you that healthy delicious balance that we all need in our life !!!
I can’t wait to get the second book in September
I can’t wait to get the second book in September
February 24, 2021
Probably one of the best cookbooks I've ever bought and I've bought hundreds of cookbooks over the years. The recipes are spot on, reliable and delicious. While I wouldn't eat everything in the book, I've found my favorites + it has amazing dressing recipes and add on recipes to salads. Highly recommended!
May 21, 2024
Wow! Can’t believe the great ratings & reviews. Went through the whole thing and still can’t believe that someone would make a whole book about salads!
Yes, I got some ideas from it; but mixing and matching ingredients and a few different dressings hardly qualifies for a whole book … in my humble opinion.
Yes, I got some ideas from it; but mixing and matching ingredients and a few different dressings hardly qualifies for a whole book … in my humble opinion.
January 21, 2025
Looks incredible. So many salad and dressing combinations that I want to try. I even went out and thrifted some stainless steel bowls. A few of the salads seem way too time consuming, but I love that they are included. I don’t like bananas, so I’m not sure about the smoothie section. Desserts look amazing too.
March 20, 2024
Everything about this book is excellent! Recipes are easy to follow and ALL great (smoothies, salads, dressings, proteins, grains, and treats). Beautiful pictures and the story behind the success of these hard-working ladies is inspirational.
August 3, 2024
I need to get this in physical rather than virtual form. I wish that there was cross referencing on the dressings. It would be nice to have a list of what they could be used for (which salads each is in) since they are very perishable. Then you could easily meal plan.
February 25, 2025
So excited to make every single recipe in this book. Finally a cookbook where I want to eat it all and make it all. Simple recipes • easy to understand + very healthy recipes but doesn’t seem healthy.
February 7, 2026
The salad photos are absolutely stunning. I can’t wait to try the Vegan Caesar and the Tokyo salads. The smoothie section at the beginning was a nice surprise—especially the Shakti smoothie with mint.
December 27, 2020
The recipes themselves are great and taste exactly like the ones they make in restaurant.
January 19, 2021
Delicious salads with some new ideas.
January 31, 2021
This is by far the best salad recipe book I’ve ever picked up. I’m not a salad fan...I’m bored with salad diet after day 1. Not with these salads...they are delicious and imaginative.
February 17, 2021
Made me want to eat salads, which is very odd for me!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews