A salad that enu would die for

April 18, 2008 7:23 PM

I have to make a salad for a Passover seder with a lot of people. Can anyone think of a good recipe for a salad that is kosher, filling (I'm thinking maybe nuts or beans), easy to make in large quantities, and delicious? Thanks for your help!
posted by Dasein to food & drink (18 comments total)

I plan to serve the following at my sedar to accompany the sweet fish dish:

Fennel Apple Salad

fennel bulb with tough core removed;
apple (choose the crisp one that has character)
meyer lemon (if not available a combo of tangerine and lemon juice);
juniper berries
olive oil (can be robust)
salt

1) slice the fennel bulb and apple as thinly as possible, if you have a Japanese or French mandoline the job becomes very easy;
2) make the dressing by smashing three or more juniper berries with the juice of the meyer lemon;
3) add oil to the lemon mixture to your preference
4) add dressing to the fennel and apple mix; salt to taste;
5) toss the salad and let it sit for 15 minutes or so;
5) serve chilled

The salad is crisp and refreshing; can be prepped easily and scales to larger crowd.
posted by jadepearl at 7:38 PM on April 18, 2008

Three-bean salad!
posted by scody at 7:39 PM on April 18, 2008

Depends on how kosher you are trying to be.
Technically (and Ashkenazically) speaking, beans aren't kosher for passover.

If they're Sephardic or non-strict Jews, though, go right ahead!
posted by jozxyqk at 7:43 PM on April 18, 2008

Oh, geez, thanks jozxyqk. Not being Jewish myself, I didn't know that. I definitely don't want to offend anyone, so while I have to prepare it in a non-kosher kitchen, and I think most people will be pretty laid back, let's assume that fairly strict kosher rules apply. Thanks again. *Hits gentile head*
posted by Dasein at 7:54 PM on April 18, 2008

Do you have a food processor?
posted by dobbs at 7:57 PM on April 18, 2008

I have access to a mini Cuisinart , so I could do small quantities at a time if I had to.
posted by Dasein at 8:06 PM on April 18, 2008

Not sure if these are technically salads, but that's how I eat them.

THAI-STYLE CUCUMBERS

3 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp sea salt
3 tbs basil chiffonade
1/2 tbs minced ginger
juice of 2 limes (about 4 tbs)
2 to 3 red chilies, seeded and finely chopped

Toss cuces with salt. Let sit 10 mins or so. Strain off excess water and toss everything else together.

NOTE: this gets spicier the longer it sits. If you can serve immediately, great. 3 days later.... well, I'd use less of the red chilies.


WALNUT CRANBERRY SQUASH "RICE"

1 small butternut squash (about a pound), peeled, seeded, and cut into 2 inch cubes
1/2 small yellow onion ('bout 1/2 cup), chopped
1 tbs cumin seeds
1 tbs coriander seeds
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries (try for organic, unsweetened)
1 cup walnuts, crushed (just put 'em in a bag and smash it repeatedly with your fist) ;)
1 tsp sea salt

Put SMALL batches of the squash in a the food processor and process into small batches, stopping to scrape the sides so they end up the same size. You're basically looking to make them the size of rice--trust me, that's what they look like though it's hard to imagine.

Pour processed squash into a large mixing bowl. Add all the other ingredients and mix well.

Keeps for 2 days in the fridge.

BOTH recipes are for 4 servings, though the cuke one does more imo, as I generally buy large cukes.

Both recipes from the book Ani's Raw Food Kitchen.

These are among my fave dishes.
posted by dobbs at 8:12 PM on April 18, 2008 [4 favorites has favorites]

My mother just read over my shoulder and suggested a recipe she has called Broccoli from Heaven. It's basically finely chopped broccoli, cashews, shredded carrots and golden raisins in kind of a sweetish mayonnaise dressing. I can attest to its deliciousness. I can MeMail the recipe if you want; too lazy to look for it right now :).
posted by MadamM at 8:27 PM on April 18, 2008

This may stretch the definition of "salad" slightly, but I do love this mock liver:

2 Tbl Margarine
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
3 hard boiled eggs
1/4 lb. walnuts
Salt and pepper to taste
Lettuce for garnish

Sautee the mushrooms and onion together until the onions start to carmelize.

Grind the musrooms and onions together with the walnuts and eggs.

Season to taste, chill, and serve on the lettice leaves.
posted by j-dawg at 9:02 PM on April 18, 2008

quinoa is a nifty new discovery for observant jews, as rabbis have deemed it a seed, not a grain, and therefore kosher for passover.

however, it tastes like wheatberries and feels like couscous. so cook up some quinoa in stock, and toss with diced tomatoes, cucumbers, scallions or diced red onions, a yellow or orange bell pepper (i love colorful food), chopped kalamata olives, currants or golden raisins, and crumbled feta. toss with a little olive oid and red wine vinegar, plus salt and pepper to taste. top with shredded parsley and mint. mmm.
posted by thinkingwoman at 9:31 PM on April 18, 2008

If they're Sephardic or non-strict Jews, though, go right ahead!

Heh, goes to show you how non-strict my sister and her husband are... I've been bringing three-bean salad to their seder for years!
posted by scody at 9:35 PM on April 18, 2008

MadamM's broccoli salad suggestion reminded me of one I just tried. Yummy. The broccoli becomes soft and more flavorful the longer you marinate it. Here's the recipe.
posted by PY at 9:50 PM on April 18, 2008

Are Waldorf salads kosher? This site seems to say they are. Nuts, apples and raisins would be filling. (I like a dressing made from yogurt rather than mayonnaise, though.) I'm sorry I don't know more about kosher requirements.
posted by misha at 10:03 PM on April 18, 2008

yogurt dressing for Waldorf salad found here, duh. I forgot to put link in.
posted by misha at 10:06 PM on April 18, 2008

If they are serving meat with dinner (fish doesn't count) then I would avoid using any dairy in your salad, so no yogurt or ranch dressing. (one of the basic rules of kashrut is to avoid mixing meat and dairy at the same meal) Also use a dairy-free margarine (Nucor is the easiest to find - it will have "P" for parve (not meat or dairy) next to the kosher symbol.
posted by metahawk at 10:22 PM on April 18, 2008

If you want something really filling you could try a Quinoa salad, it's the only grain (afaik) that's kosher for passover for ashkenazi Jews, and I imagine you could make a delicious cold salad with it.
posted by Salamandrous at 7:56 AM on April 19, 2008

Thanks everyone for your help. I think I'm going to try a quinoa salad.
posted by Dasein at 9:28 AM on April 19, 2008

I like this quinoa salad, which looks like what thinkingwoman described, but with avocado instead of feta.
posted by davar at 9:55 AM on April 19, 2008