A basic green garden salad with our basic ‘house’ vinaigrette ….
In our house, this is called a ‘fridge’ salad
…whatever is in the fridge is fair game for being included in the salad of the day.
For convenience, make a double or triple amount of the vinaigrette so that there are leftovers for a few more days.
House Salad
Number of Servings: 4
Salad Ingredients:
3-4 cups of garden greens, such as lettuce (Boston, bibb, leaf), spinach or arugula – or better yet, a creative mixture of many of these greens
Add in any amount of a variety of the following:
- Celery slices
- Radish slices
- Peppers – red, green, yellow, orange
- Cherry tomatoes
- Small broccoli florets
- Cucumber pieces
- Green or red onion slices
- Shredded carrots
- Snow peas
Highlight with some of these:
- Chunks or slices of apples, pears, or avocado
- Dried fruits, such as apricots, raisins, dates, or cranberries
- Pumpkin or sunflower seeds
- Toasted chopped nuts, like walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts
- Feta cheese
- Fresh herbs like basil or mint
House Vinaigrette:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon (15 mL) Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons (30 mL) white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon (5 mL) honey
¼ teaspoon (1.5 mL) pure vanilla extract
¼ – 1/3 cup (60-85 mL) extra virgin olive oil and/or avocado oil
Sea salt; freshly ground black pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper or sraracha sauce
Method:
- In a large salad bowl, combine your choice of salad ingredients.
- In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, mustard, honey, vanilla, and vinegar. Slowly drizzle in oil and whisk until mixture has thickened. Season to taste.
- Pour just enough dressing over salad ingredients to lightly coat; save the rest to serve on the side, or for another day.
Questions or comments are always welcome alex@chilipeppersandpears.com
