The salad of the summer is here! Whether you need a healthy lunch or are looking for a salad to bring to a party that—this is critical—people actually want to eat, this Strawberry Spinach Salad is the recipe for you.
Consider this recipe more of an adjustable, go-with-the-flow starter than a strict script.
We’ve included the ingredients and amounts to make a stellar Strawberry Spinach Salad for a crowd, but you can switch them up to suit your preference or keep things fresh and new when you come back to make it again. Here are a few ideas:
INGREDIENTS (SALAD:
100g pecans (can substitute with other nuts such as almonds or walnuts. alternatively sunflower seeds could be used)
half small red onion (very thinly sliced)
250 g baby spinach (a 50/50 arugula spinach blend is great too)
400g strawberries (sliced)
100g crumbled feta
INGREDIENTS (DRESSING):
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1.5 Tbsp poppy seeds
1.5 Tbsp honey
0.5 tsp dijon mustard
0.5 tsp salt
black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
1. Toast the pecans: Preheat the oven to 177 degrees C. Spread the pecans in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the pecans smell fragrant and the center of a pecan is tan when the pecan is broken in half. (Do not walk away from the oven in the last few minutes of cooking. This is when nuts love to burn.) Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop
2. Place the sliced onions in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad (this keeps their flavor but removes the harsh onion bite).
3. Prepare the dressing: In small mixing bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients—vinegar, oil, poppy seeds, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper—until well combined. (Alternatively, you can shake the ingredients together in a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid)
4. Assemble the salad: Place the spinach in a great big serving bowl. Add the strawberries. Drain the red onion and add it as well. Drizzle about half of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat the leaves. Assess the amount of dressing. You want the spinach leaves to be nicely moistened but not swimming in dressing. Add a little more if needed to suit your preferences. Add the feta and pecans. Toss lightly to combine. Serve immediately, with extra dressing on the side as desired.
SOURCE: https://www.wellplated.com/spinach-strawberry-salad/
This delicious side dish is simple but smart and will bring a touch of freshness to any main meal!
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 courgettes, cut into disks on the diagonal, then sliced into sticks
1 red chili deseeded and finely chopped
100g bag baby spinach
zest of 1 lemon
DIRECTIONS:
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan.
Fry the courgettes over a high heat until just tender, about 4 mins, adding the chilli for the final min.
Take off the heat and toss though the spinach until just wilted. Add the lemon zest and season to taste.
Put in a serving dish and pour over a little more olive oil just before serving.
SOURCE: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/12988/zingy-courgette-and-spinach-salad
If you looking to add mouth-bursting flavor and ton of nutrients of mustard or basil to a salad with less than a handful of greens, then be sure to buy some microgreens from us!
Microgreens supply higher amount of vitamins and carotenoids than their fully grown counterparts. Packed with punch of taste and nutrition, microgreens are here to stay my friends!
You can also substitute the squash for sweet potatoes, and add nuts to the salad for some crunch.
SERVES: 2
INGREDIENTS:
Sesame Garlic Dressing
1 Tbsp tahini paste (sesame paste)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp oregano (use 1-2 sprigs of leaves or 1/2 Tbsp dried)
2 Tbsp cilantro (leaves only)
1/2 jalapeno
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
salt & pepper (to taste)
Roasted Squash Salad
1 lbs squash (diced into bite sized pieces)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked red pepper (or smoked paprika)
salt
50g mustard microgreens (alt. kale microgreens)
Quinoa
45 g quinoa
160 ml water
1/4 tsp salt
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 220 C. Slice squash to bite sized pieces. Theres no need to peel the skin, as squash's skin get very soft from roasting. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle the olive oil. Toss well, and spread out the squash in a single layer. Season with salt and the paprika. Roast squash, tossing halfway through, until golden and tender, for about 25 minutes.
2. To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a food processor jar. Pulse to make a dressing. You can also puree it very fine, if you wish.
3. Transfer dressing to a jar or bowl and set aside.
4. To cook quinoa, rinse first and then add to a medium saucepan with salt and water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the liquid has been absorbed and quinoa is tender and sprouted - about 15 minutes. Transfer to bowl and fluff with a fork. Set aside.
5. Step 2-4 can be finished while squash is roasting. Once squash is tender, transfer to salad bowl. Add quinoa, half of dressing, and toss to combine gently. Mix in microgreens just before serving. Drizzle rest of dressing on top. Serve immediately or at room temperature!
SOURCE: https://www.chefdehome.com/recipes/501/roasted-acorn-squash-microgreens-and-quinoa-salad
For a kale salad to be successful, use very tender kale from Green Goblin and cut it into very thin filaments or chop it very finely (or both). This turned out just divine!
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups very finely chopped or slivered curly kale or tender flat kale (about 170 grms on the stem, stemmed and washed in two rinses of water)
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped toasted almonds
1 apple, sweet, like a Fuji, or a sweettart one, like a Gala, cored and cut in 1/4inch dice
30 g sharp Cheddar cheese, cut in 1/4 inch dice
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste
1 very small garlic clove, puréed
5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine the kale, almonds, apple and Cheddar in a large bowl.
2. Whisk together the lemon juice, salt, garlic and olive oil. Add to
the salad, and toss well. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top,
and serve.
Tip:
Advance preparation: This salad benefits from tossing with
the dressing about 15 minutes before you serve it. The kale will
soften in the dressing.
If you're using a knife to prep here, do your best to slice things very, very thinly - not quite see through thin, but close
INGREDIENTS:
1 medium-large zucchini, sliced into paper thin coins
2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and shaved paper-thin
15 g loosely chopped fresh dill
80 ml fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
80 ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
fine grain sea salt
4 or 5 generous handfuls arugula
Honey, if needed
60 g pine nuts, toasted (I used almonds)
60 g feta cheese, crumbled
DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine the zucchini, fennel and dill in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside and marinate for 20 minutes, or up to an hour.
2. When you are ready to serve the salad, put the arugula in a large bowl. Scoop all of the zucchini and fennel onto the arugula, and pour most of the lemon juice dressing on top of that.
3. Toss gently but thoroughly. Taste and adjust with more of the dressing, olive oil, lemon juice, or salt if needed. If the lemons were particularly tart, you may need to counter the pucker-factor by adding a tiny drizzle of honey into the salad at this point. Let your taste buds guide you. Serve topped with pine nuts and feta.
Serves 4 to 6.
Prep time: 10 min
Source:
101 Cookbooks: Heidi Swanson
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/shaved-fennel-salad-recipe.html