Looking for great dinner salad recipes
June 23, 2014 10:26 AM   Subscribe

Give me your crunchy, your cool, your refreshing flavors yearning to breathe free. Favorite dinner salad recipes and ideas, please?

It's summer, and all we want to eat are gigantic flavor-packed salads for dinner every night. We have some go-tos but I'm always looking for more ideas—got any favorites?
  • We are adventurous omnivores and capable cooks but would rather not use the oven. Grill and stovetop are fine.
  • We like big, savory flavors and aren't huge fans of super-sweet salads (though a little judicious fruit here and there is fine).
  • Bonus for starchless ideas or those where losing the starch isn't a problem.
  • We love a mix of textures, flavors, and temperatures.
  • Bring on your interesting greens and in-season produce
Things already in the rotation, to give you a sense of the kind of thing we like: Seared skirt steak over arugula and blue cheese and cherry tomatoes with a sharp mustard + Worcestershire vinaigrette, sometimes topped with homemade onion straws if we're feeling crazy; Greek salad with chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, and feta; marinated kale with lemon and parm topped with grilled fish; grilled romaine with Caeser-ish vinaigrette and chicken; Thai style salads with cucumber and fish sauce; cabbage-sesame-peanut-orange with grilled tofu.

Marinade ideas, dressing ideas, bring it! Our waistlines and AC-less bungalow kitchen thank you.
posted by peachfuzz to Food & Drink (41 answers total) 223 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: I developed this marinade yesterday and used it on a pork tenderloin that I then grilled. With some tweaking, I bet it would make an awesome vinaigrette. Use it on chicken with some Asian salad ingredients. Or look up bulgogi recipes (you might find something from the recipes that go with the show "Korean Food Made Simple", which is on Cooking Channel) and top an Asian salad with that. Add kimchi on the side for bonus points :)
posted by kathrynm at 10:38 AM on June 23, 2014


Best answer: Grilled Chicken Spinach Strawberry salad. So GOOD...

copious amounts of fresh baby spinach
strawberries, hulled and diced (can add fresh blueberries as well)
grilled chicken (approx 1 small boneless breast per person), sliced on the bias
1/4 cup of slivered almonds per person
brown sugar
butter

Toast the almonds in a nonstick pan and when their aroma starts to come out add about a T per quarter cup of brown sugar and a pat of butter to create candied almonds. As soon as the sugar has melted and is bubbly and begins to thicken take off the heat and let the almonds cool. Put the spinach, strawberries, grilled chicken and almonds in a bowl and toss with balsamic or raspberry vinegar.
posted by TestamentToGrace at 10:45 AM on June 23, 2014 [2 favorites]


Best answer: My staple dressing lately is Trader Joe's lower-fat guacamole made with Greek yogurt. The other constant is massaged kale-- squeeze lemon over kale before massaging and sprinkle with sea salt. On top of that, grilled vegetables + feta or other sharp cheese. Sometimes I make this a layered salad with some hummus. You could easily add meat or fish to this.

Also, deconstructed sushi. Layers of edamame, chopped cucumber, avocado, seared fish on top. Use sushi rice, or don't. Sprinkle with bonito shavings and seaweed. A squeeze of sriracha optional.
posted by BibiRose at 10:50 AM on June 23, 2014 [21 favorites]


Response by poster: Also, deconstructed sushi. Layers of edamame, chopped cucumber, avocado, seared fish on top

What. WHAT. We are eating this immediately.
posted by peachfuzz at 10:54 AM on June 23, 2014 [14 favorites]


Best answer: Thanks to Blue Apron and Plated, we've been eating a lot of salads with more bitter greens like arugula or watercress lately. I'm not a giant fan of just those greens, but have started mixing them into my standard romaine or spring mix and it really does bring an additional dimension to the salad.

We watch our carbs but I do like a scatter of quinoa on salads. Especially red quinoa, which seems to really like soy or ponzu and it all becomes extra-umami.

Avocado, pretty much always.

I like seared fish on salad, particularly salmon or just a good firm white fish. I do not like my tuna cooked at all, not even seared, but will occasionally pick up some sashimi (or, hell, just a tub of poke salad) to put over my salad.

I have one of these spiral slicers, which I like to use to make zucchini or cucumber "noodles" to go on salad. It also works for carrot/parsnip. I'm considering moving to a crank-style spiral slicer so I can get at more difficult things like radishes, apples, fennel, onions for fried onion straws, beets etc.

Slaws. Broccoli slaw, cabbage slaw. Creamy dressing, vinegar dressing, peanut dressing, no dressing (we will snack on raw cabbage like potato chips if nobody's around to see us).

Hummus-based salad dressing.

Our "big treat" salad is romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded cheese or goat/blue/gorgonzola crumbles, chopped up fried chicken fingers from the grocery deli, and ranch dressing mixed with a big squirt of vinegar-based hot sauce (I like Crystal, but any of the usual suspects will do). Not the lowest-calorie, but actually one big chicken finger per person goes a pretty long way. You can also do this with non-fried chicken of course.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:55 AM on June 23, 2014 [5 favorites]


Best answer: Going along with your skirt steak salad idea is this. A warm salad dressing made on the spot over arugula and steak.
posted by kuanes at 10:56 AM on June 23, 2014


Best answer: Rachael Ray has a recipe for a grilled chicken, fennel, and olives salad that is surprisingly good- recipe here.
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 10:58 AM on June 23, 2014 [2 favorites]


Best answer: Summer is also the time for chilled tofu salads. I don't have all of those Japanese ingredients by a long shot. I like to do this with tomatoes, fried shallots-- the kind you buy-- rice vinegar and soy sauce.
posted by BibiRose at 10:59 AM on June 23, 2014 [1 favorite]


Best answer: I used to love Waldorf salad but unfortunately, my youngest is highly allergic to all nuts (and anaphylactic to peanuts) so I adapted it:

Apples (Fuji are good) and celery cut into chunks (keep the skin on the apple), toss with a small amount of mayonnaise and freshly-ground black pepper and crumble crispy bacon over the lot. Yum!
posted by HarrysDad at 10:59 AM on June 23, 2014


Best answer: My current favourite is a chicken satay salad. I confess I just bought a big bottle of peanut sauce rather than try to make my own peanut dressing, because Time.

Baby spinach
Chunks of grilled chicken (ideally marinated in a simple garlicy dressing)
Chopped cucumber
Shredded carrot
Sliced avocado
Pour peanut dressing on top
posted by Joh at 11:02 AM on June 23, 2014 [2 favorites]


Best answer: I make a pistachio balsamic crusted snapper on the grill and then cut pieces up for a salad with a sweeter poppy seed dressing.

Step 1 - chop and roast pistachios (i usually buy 1 pound of snapper, so 8 oz of shelled pistachios works. I put the pistachios in a skillet and roast them until they smell good.

Step 2 - chop 4 oz of Balsamic Vinegar Cheese This is the brand I like - we get it from our local grocery store on occasion (Shoprite) but definitely can get it a Whole Foods.

Step 3 - mix chopped pistachios and cheese together, add salt/pepper to taste.

Step 4 - wash 1 pound of snapper

Step 5 - make an egg wash and cover the snapper in it, then dump the nut/cheese mix on the fish and press in. The egg wash will help it stick.

Step 6 - grill at a low heat until thoroughly cooked. I don't flip the fish, so a longer slow grill works better.

Step 7 - cut and serve on mesculin salad mix

Step 8 - i don't make my poppy seed dressing usually and just buy Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing

enjoy! This is my go to guest dinner - it's relatively healthy, can be served as a main dish with sides - and is really easy to make. My sister's 5 year old and 3 year old LOVE it, and they are of the chicken nuggets are a food group persuasion, so it is a decent crowd pleaser.
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 11:03 AM on June 23, 2014 [4 favorites]


Best answer: A few components to consider:
  • I like to grab a rotisserie chicken when they're on sale at my grocery store (or costco), and shred all of the meat. Makes enough for a week of lunch salads and 3-4 dinner salads.
  • Fried falafel patties make a nice protein for a greek ish salad too.
  • A local salad chain (CAVA if you're in the DC metro) has a salad base called "Super Greens". It's broccoli stems, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale and radicchio all shredded into ribbons on a mandolin or slicer disk in a food processor. I've also started finding a similar blend at costco too. It's nice and crunchy contrast to a softer lettuce like spinach, or stands up to heavier/wetter ingredients like yogurt/feta based dressings.
  • Try making your own yogurt cheese dressing! Buy/make yogurt and strain it for 4+ hours in cheesecloth or a cotton tea towel. Blend up fresh herbs, salt, pepper and spices in a food processor or blender then add the yogurt cheese. Cilantro, cumin, coriander, green onion is awesome. Also try cardamom, turmeric, coriander, garlic, chili powder over grilled chicken.
  • Garlicky baby kale ceasar with poached egg and parm crisps. Baguette croutons are really nice here, but parm crisps can replace some of the crunch. They can be done in a very non-stick skillet.

posted by fontophilic at 11:03 AM on June 23, 2014 [2 favorites]


Best answer: 1. Baby spinach, red onion very thinly sliced, tons of white button mushrooms, goat cheese, crumbled bacon, warm balsamic vinegrette made with a bit of the bacon fat.

2. Mix of watercress and romaine, grilled chicken breast dusted with Cajun spice mix, sliced grilled peaches, snow peas, shallot, white balsamic vinegrette. Toasted macadamia nuts if you have some
posted by Diablevert at 11:13 AM on June 23, 2014 [2 favorites]


Best answer: Massaged kale salad. The basic technique is to (wash and de-vein the kale first, then) scrunch the kale vigorously with salt and lemon juice to break down the cell walls, until it's dark green and soft - in effect cooking it, but without heat and in a way that adds flavor. Then use that as the base for other salad goodies like thinly sliced red cabbage, avocado, carrots, dates, pears, mango, sunflower seeds, whatever you like. There are a million variations online, or you can improvise with whatever you have on hand.
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:15 AM on June 23, 2014 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Jicama
posted by brujita at 11:16 AM on June 23, 2014


Best answer: I am a fan of this tofu/peanut/bean sprout salad. Although I love me some leafy greens, this makes a nice change from greens-based salads.
posted by rekrap at 11:17 AM on June 23, 2014


Best answer: We like to toss defrosted, pre-cooked frozen shrimp with chunks of coloured sweet peppers and minced fresh garlic and a little bit of oil.
posted by Jane the Brown at 11:24 AM on June 23, 2014 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Spinach, mandarin oranges, sliced almonds, and lemon-mustard-honey vinaigrette. Add sliced hard boiled egg and/or crumbled bacon as desired.
Greek composed salad - sliced cucumber, red onion, tomato, feta cheese, some Kalamata olives, drizzle with fruity olive oil, maybe some red wine vinegar and serve with crusty bread.
I love cole slaw, especially since you can buy bagged shredded slaw ready to go. Top with Trader Joe's goddess dressing or a sesame dressing. My favorite lazy salad.
posted by theora55 at 11:29 AM on June 23, 2014 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Dice up some multi-color bell peppers, tomato, and red onion. Add a olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing and chunks of feta.

Cook and cool udon noodles and some big shrimp. Add diced cucumber, green onions, a leafy green like bok choy, and a chili pepper. Toss with olive oil, fish sauce, soy sauce, and ginger juice.

Slice up a sweet apple (such as a Pink Lady) and open a can of mandarin oranges. Break off chicory leaves. Combine them all with a dressing of mayo, yogurt, and white pepper.
posted by neushoorn at 11:44 AM on June 23, 2014 [1 favorite]


Best answer: I like lacinato kale, chiffonaded, and salmon, dressed with soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. That's it, except usually I have it over soba noodles. I get pre-roasted salmon fillets, but you could do the salmon part in whatever way is most pleasing (pan-sear it?).
posted by clavicle at 11:45 AM on June 23, 2014


Best answer: Oh -- and this is a restaurant thing I haven't attempted to reproduce, but it's an amazing combination of flavors and textures. Arugula, shallots, basil, orange supremes, avocado, raspberries, feta cheese, toasted almonds, curry vinaigrette. (I think the vinaigrette is simple -- like, olive oil, white wine vinegar, and a decent curry powder out of a jar.)
posted by clavicle at 11:55 AM on June 23, 2014 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Arugula or spinach
Lots of thick pickled beets
Goat cheese
Balsamic reduction
Some sort of nut or seed (many like walnuts, I like pepitas)

So. Good.
posted by Cygnet at 11:56 AM on June 23, 2014 [1 favorite]


Best answer: I have been telling everyone who will listen to me about this Spicy Corn-Tomato-Avocado salad lately. With some nice ripe avocados (and a diced jalapeno if you really like spice), this is my favourite dish right now. So tasty.

It could be mixed up to have some warm elements too, if you wanted to roast the tomatoes and/or corn. Mmmm...
posted by urbanlenny at 12:38 PM on June 23, 2014 [4 favorites]


Best answer: I make a really yummy salad out of leftovers, but you can make stuff fresh too.

Salad Greens, I like a mix of romaine and spinach, but whatever there is that you like.
Tomatoes
Olives
Blue or Feta Cheese
Asperagus
any other veggie that sounds yummy to you.
Oil/Vinegar/Lemon/Mustard vinaigarette.

Penne or Rotini pasta
Pesto sauce

Rotisserie chicken from the store.

Make the salad and dress. I mix the oil, vinegar, dijon mustard and some lemon juice in a bowl, and toss. A little salt and pepper doesn't hurt anything.

Toss freshly cooked pasta in pesto and throw on top of the salad.

Shred chicken and add on top.

Yummy, easy and complex.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:44 PM on June 23, 2014


Best answer: I've had something similar to this Vietnamese beef salad at a restaurant. Haven't tried it out myself yet but the restaurant version was delish
posted by mumimor at 12:51 PM on June 23, 2014


Best answer: Goi ga bap cai? It's a Vietnamese salad with chicken, cabbage, carrots and other stuff.
posted by Janta at 12:57 PM on June 23, 2014


Best answer: Tostada salad is my fav.

Romaine lettuce, chopped
Pico de gallo
A little sour cream
Avocado, diced
Black and pinto beans
Tortilla strips
Shredded cheese
+ chicken if so desired

I like to do it so that the beans are at the bottom, then comes the lettuce, salsa, sour cream, avocado, cheese and tortilla strips. It's really good when the beans are hot, too, and if they were sautéed with onions.
posted by Hermione Granger at 12:59 PM on June 23, 2014


Best answer: I made this just the other day and it was delicious! Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing.

I made it almost exactly as written. I didn't have edamame, and I hate raw scallions, so I left both of those out. I also halved the honey and sugar in the dressing and it was just the right hint of sweet and savory.

I added totally plain grilled chicken breast. I'll be making this again very soon! I think I'll leave the cucumber out next time, because even seeded, it made the salad very watery.
posted by peep at 1:47 PM on June 23, 2014 [1 favorite]


Best answer: 1-2 diced avocado(s)
A pint of diced strawberries
Half a red onion
Hot peppers to taste (I use 2-3 fresno peppers)
Fresh cilantro
The juice from a lime
A couple of teaspoons of sugar
A sprinkle of salt

Combine everything in a bowl and then let it sit in the fridge for 15 minutes. I use two avocados if this will be a dinner salad, or just one and serve as a side to some grilled fish or shrimp.
posted by jess at 2:13 PM on June 23, 2014


Best answer: My favorite is what I've entitled an "Asian chopped salad." It's an amalgamation of things that are amazingly delicious on their own, but divine when combined and topped with a lovely soy-sauce "vinaigrette."

The base is primarily bean sprouts, tossed with an equal amount of arugula. The bean sprouts have a fantastic crunchy feel that makes eating the salad really fun. I then shave some unripe mango into it (it gives a nice tangy, slightly sour kick). Then in goes a little bit of coconut flakes, followed by toasted peanuts (I halve and then smash them once or twice with a mortar + pestle, then toast them in the oven on a foil sheet for a few minutes). I'll top it with some freshly fried tofu.

What pulls it all together and takes it to the next level, though, is the dressing: shake together 2 parts olive oil to 1 part soy sauce with a splash of lime juice, rice wine, and a tiny sprinkle of sugar. What you get is an amaaazing little combination of savory, sweet, and sour, that is delicious when tossed into the salad.
posted by krakus at 2:37 PM on June 23, 2014 [3 favorites]


Response by poster: Aughghghgh you guys, this thread is so amazing! Like, I am now sad that you can only have one dinner a night because MORE SALAD PLEASE.
posted by peachfuzz at 3:35 PM on June 23, 2014 [3 favorites]


Best answer: I make this all the time and it rules.

1. take one or two cans of chick peas (may as well use two, this stuff rules left over), and rinse and drain them. i like to then leave them sitting in the colander while I cut up the vegetables so they dry out a little bit because they're easier to toast that way.

2. cut up some cherry tomatoes and a red onion and put it in a bowl with some olive oil and lemon juice and salt and pepper and a little of that chili-garlic sauce that comes in the jar -- you know, it's like next to the siracha in the store.

3. cook the chick peas in a frying pan with some olive oil until they are a little bit brown

4. put the chick peas in the bowl with the tomatoes and onion. if you want, put it in the fridge for a little while but not totally neccessary

5. put some feta and chopped fresh mint and basil in with the other stuff when you are ready to eat. you might need to add some more olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper or whatever at this stage but you're good to go!

6. eat it and dance around. leave out the feta and it's vegan! and it TOTALLY RULES LEFT OVER FOR LUNCH THE NEXT DAY
posted by capnsue at 4:19 PM on June 23, 2014 [2 favorites]


Best answer: My current salad kick is what I call "Greens, Beans, and Grains" (or whatever order you prefer). You take a green, take a bean, add a grain and accessorize with whatever delicious things you want.

My favorite combination right now is baby spinach, chickpeas, and barley, with tomatoes, cukes, avocado, bell peppers and maybe some of Trader Joe's savory baked tofu or canned tuna in olive oil. The key here, though, is the dressing: Annie's Shiitake Sesame Vinaigrette. I can't overstate how much I love that stuff. It really goes with everying.

Some other awesome greens, beans, and grains combinations are:

(a) kale, chickpeas, and farro with roasted veggies like cauliflower, sweet potato, and broccoli with a nice mustard vinaigrette or balsamic vinaigrette

(b) butter lettuce, black beans, and corn with whatever taco-y fillings you like and a dressing made of greek yogurt or sour cream and lime juice

(c) mache, edamame, and quinoa with radishes, beets, avocado, and cucumbers with a tahini and lemon juice dressing
posted by stripesandplaid at 5:02 PM on June 23, 2014 [1 favorite]


Best answer: - Get a whole rotisserie chicken from store; I usually buy from Costco but many supermarket chains now offer these.

Shred and add as much as you like to big salad bowl.

- big bag of spinach: add spinach!

- some kind of nut: walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds

- a sweet note: either raisins or craisins (to taste)

- shredded carrot - I like lots, YMMV

Top with a balsamic dressing: about 50:50 olive oil to balsamic ratio, with a dash of mustard as a binder (I like Dijon). Add crushed garlic if you're into that.

Dress, toss, eat.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 5:32 PM on June 23, 2014


Best answer: This salad involves a lot of chopping, which makes it a great get-together salad. ("What can I do?" "You can chiffonade the mint!") The real trick clincher is the mint — you make make it without, but I wouldn't bother:

1 box arugula (or whatever you like greenswise — baby spinach, mixed greens, lettuce, etc)
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley (or curly, doesn't really matter)
1 box mint (better if you grow your own, obviously, but some of us are stuck with grocery store packages)
2 cucumbers, or more if they're puny, chopped into fork-sturdy chunks
1 box of cherry tomatoes, or whatever your tomato preference is
1 avocado, chopped
half a red onion, thinly chopped (I like half-circle slivers; just a preference)
1 can corn, or if it's summer, corn off the cob (for a bonus, grill the corn on the grill, and the take it off the cob and put it in the salad; nom nom nom)
1 can black beans
A whole lotta feta cheese, or however much you like

For the dressing:
salt
pepper
apple cider vinegar and sherry vinegar if you have it
olive oil
juice of one whole lemon
(I just eyeball this, adding more vinegar and juice if it doesn't seem like enough. I like to add in some of any of the vinegars I have — white balsamic for sure, even rice if it's around)

Variations: Add more kinds of beans (pinto, black eyed peas); add grilled chicken or salmon; add hard boiled egg; fry an egg and put it on top; add croutons. I've also thrown in left over brown rice, quinoa, or couscous. And best part is that it tastes even better as left overs.
posted by Charity Garfein at 6:09 PM on June 23, 2014 [1 favorite]


Best answer: This Chow hound chicken taco salad is really good. I often make it with rotisserie chicken. Or ground turkey. And I almost always leave out the chips. And I often don't bother with the jalapeno sour cream.
posted by OrangeDisk at 6:27 PM on June 23, 2014


Best answer: A perennial favorite of ours that I make at least once a week in the summer is a sort of Provencal-ish tuna and white bean salad. I often make it with pasta, but it's great without it. No real recipe, but make sure you use Italian style tuna in olive oil, and use the drained olive oil in the vinaigrette.

- Italian-style tuna packed in olive oil
- Cannellini (or chick peas)
- Chopped parsley
- Veggies (I usually use celery, haricots verts, and olives; we're kind of picky and don't like tomatoes or bell peppers but those would be great if you like them; I also like water chestnuts)
- Basic vinaigrette that includes dijon mustard and lots of garlic as well as the drained tuna oil
- Pasta (optional; our favorites are orecchiete or gemelli)

I serve it on a bed of greens rather than mixing lettuces in with it.
posted by primate moon at 6:44 PM on June 23, 2014


Best answer: My favorite fancy-seeming, not-at-all-healthy salad: Marinate one large portobello mushroom per person in olive oil + balsamic + thyme + garlic. Assemble a salad of spinach, chopped bacon (or bacon bits), fried shallots or green onion, and chopped cherry tomatoes. Slap the mushrooms on the grill, or cook them (whole) in a skillet until they've gone soft and browned. Top the mushrooms with a slice of brie, and plop them atop your salad. Make a dressing of the mushroom marinade (warmed, if you want) plus some lemon juice. It's so, so good.

Current favorite healthier salad: greens, white beans, kalamata olives, capers, roasted sweet peppers, chopped artichoke hearts, chopped tomatoes, steamed green beans, and either parmesan or feta. Lemon vinaigrette.

Also, kinda panzanella: Cube a large quantity of bread, and toss it with olive oil and garlic. Grill, sautee, or bake the bread until it's all gone crispy. Chop a roughly equivalent amount of tomatoes. Also chop a cucumber, a roasted pepper or two, and some red onion, which you should probably soak in a mild vinegar while the bread cooks. (Also maybe some olives, if you're olive-obsessed like I am.) Mix the veg together, then squirt them with a little lemon juice, and add a bunch of chopped basil. This can sit until whenever. About 30 minutes before you want to eat, toss the veggies with the crispy bread, bits of fresh mozzarella, and, if you want, some roasted chicken. I will eat this from the moment good tomatoes show up, and basically spend all winter being sad that I can't eat it some more.
posted by MeghanC at 7:48 PM on June 23, 2014 [2 favorites]


Best answer: French-ish Salad (bears no resemblance to anything I ever saw in France, but modified from a Moosewood "French-Style Sandwich" recipe):
Thinly slice a small to medium onion, and saute in butter in a big pan until it's beginning to soften. While it cooks, slice up some garlic and approximately equal amounts of mushrooms and tart-sweet apples (I love pink lady, but the original recipe called for granny smith). Throw those in with the onions, and cook until the mushrooms and apples start getting a bit golden. This will go on/in your salad.
For dressing, sprinkle a fairly ridiculous amount of fresh or dried dill into 2-3 tablespoons of mayo and stir it up. Splash in some milk to thin it out to a thinish dressing consistency, and add salt and pepper to taste.
The remainder of the salad is arugula (cut with spinach depending on your budget and/or how much you like that peppery bite), grilled chicken if you want it, and shredded cheese sprinkled on top (gruyere if you're fancy, otherwise swiss). So yummy.
posted by vytae at 7:47 AM on June 24, 2014 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Here's my secret for making great dinner salads:

A big-ass mixing bowl.

It's hard to get a sense of scale from that photo, but this is a huge bowl. People will laugh when they first see it, but *you* will have the last laugh after they have tasted the deliciousness that emerges from having perfectly coated greens and any accouterments you may wish to add.

This is my go-to salad for this thing:
  • Toss in whatever greens you have handy, baby spinach and/or baby kale work particularly well.
  • A cup or so of (cooked) quinoa
  • Toasted slivered almonds
  • 3/4 cup crumbled cheddar cheese
If you want to add protein, grilled chicken works well here.

The dressing I'm partial to recently is a Jalapeno Cilantro-Lime vinaigrette.
  • 1 chopped jalapeno (no seeds, etc.)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tsp of fresh minced ginger
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 1/3 cup honey (If you are sensitive to "sweet" dressings you can pull this back a lot)
  • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • salt & pepper to taste
Emulsify the shiznit out of this if you have an immersion blender, or just whisk.

Now, pour this elixir into your big-ass mixing bowl and then toss the contents with abandon, because now you can. Then eat and enjoy the delicious nutrients as they make you strong.
posted by jeremias at 12:23 PM on June 24, 2014 [1 favorite]


Best answer: I forgot two very important things: Onion Crunch and Pickle Crunch (ooh and coming soon Mustard Crunch), which are crunchy bits of onion and pickle flavor. (The pickle crunch goes a long way, just a sprinkle will do ya)

I just had a romaine salad with gorgonzola, onion and pickle crunch, and chopped up leftover kofta (Sadaf Kabob) with hummus dressing.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:58 PM on June 24, 2014


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