Category Archives: Vinaigrette/Dressing

Arugula, Beet, Goat Cheese, and Avocado Salad

November 20, 2020

Another beet salad… this time with arugula, goat cheese, and avocado. Because they all go so well together and everyone in my family will happily eat their beets like this! This salad also includes sweetened dried cranberries or cherries and toasted walnuts (both optional- I was out of walnuts but would add them next time for more crunch). A tangy shallot-honey-balsamic vinaigrette finishes it off.

You can roast your own beets (instructions provided below) or buy them pre-packaged for convenience (and less mess). I didn’t included measurements for the salad ingredients because they’re customizable to taste. Use more or less of something if you love it or don’t. I added much more avocado than the orignal recipe calls for and used less than half of the vinaigrette on a salad for our family of 4.

Arugula, Beet, Goat Cheese, and Avocado Salad

INGREDIENTS

beets, cooked according directions below and diced (I used packaged pre-cooked* beets from Trader Joes)
baby arugula
walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped (optional)
sweetened dried cranberries or dried cherries (optional)
avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. shallots, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. honey
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Line a baking sheet with foil. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Whisk the vinegar, shallots, and honey in a medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with salt and pepper. Toss the beets in a small bowl with enough dressing to coat. Place the beets on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the beets are slightly caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Set aside and cool. (*If using pre-cooked beets, you can just toss the diced beets in a bit of vinaigrette before dressing the salad and adding them to the salad.)
  3. Toss the arugula, walnuts, and cranberries in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mound the salad atop 4 plates. Arrange the beets around the salad. Sprinkle with the avocado and goat cheese, and serve.

(Adapted from Food Network)

Mixed Green Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

September 10, 2020

I’m always making mixed green salads to go alongside pizza or pasta or soups and sandwiches, etc. This is my go-to combination of vegetables and lettuce- I don’t always include everything but a bit of what I have on hand. And then I serve it with our favorite store-bought salad dressing or make my own vinaigrette. This has become my favorite balsamic vinaigrette recipe lately. It’s simple to make- just whisk everything together in a bowl. And it’s got just the right balance of oil and vinegar, tangy and sweet. Use high quality balsamic and olive oil for the best flavor.

Mixed Green Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS

mixed green lettuces
grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
cucumber, sliced
carrot, peeled and grated
red onion, thinly sliced
red bell pepper, diced
radish, thinly sliced

Balsamic Vinaigrette:
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, balsamic, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic. Add the oil and whisk thoroughly to combine. Continue whisking until the dressing is fully emulsified. Store in a jar with a lid and refrigerate. Shake well before serving.
  2. Place mixed greens in a serving bowl and add vegetables. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette, toss, and serve.

(Adapted from Barefeet in the Kitchen)

Field Fresh Chopped Salad with Sweet Basil Dressing

September 1, 2020

This salad is a copycat of one of my favorite prepared salads found at Trader Joes. The base is a mixture of romaine and cabbage and Israeli (also known as pearl) couscous. Then there’s sweet corn, diced red pepper, pecans, currants, Asiago cheese, and green onion. You can top it with chicken breast for extra protein. The best part though is the fresh basil dressing. It’s sweet and creamy and what makes this salad amazing. It’s definitely more work to make at home, but even better than the original!

Field Fresh Chopped Salad with Sweet Basil Dressing

INGREDIENTS

Field Fresh Chopped Salad:
romaine lettuce, chopped
red cabbage, shredded
Israeli (also known as pearl) couscous, prepared according to package directions (I buy mine at Trader Joes)
fresh corn, cooked and cut off the cob*
red bell pepper, diced
pecans, toasted and chopped
dried currants
Asiago cheese, grated
green onion, thinly sliced
cooked chicken breast, chopped (optional)

Sweet Basil Dressing:
1/2 cup mayo (or part Greek yogurt- I used 1/3rd Greek yogurt, 2/3rds mayo)
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil
2 tsp. honey
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped shallot
1 tsp. minced garlic
salt and pepper, to taste
water to thin if necessary (you probably won’t need it if using part yogurt)

DIRECTIONS

  1. To make the dressing: place all the ingredients into a blender or food processor, blend until creamy. Add water if too thick or mayo if too runny. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  2. In a large bowl, toss all the salad ingredients together with basil dressing. Enjoy!

*Corn can be grilled on the cob and cut off or cut off and then toasted in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes with some olive oil or butter and salt and pepper.

Dressing makes enough to serve ~4, can be doubled/tripled for a large party salad.

(Adapted from Mel’s Creative Corner)

Cranberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Chicken and Orange Poppy Seed Dressing

August 25, 2020

I’ve made this salad more than any other on my site. It’s silly it has taken me this long to take a picture of it and share the recipe here! It’s one of my favorite salads to make for a lunch with friends. (But my kids and husband enjoy it too.) The grilled chicken, almonds, and avocado make it hearty. The creamy goat cheese and sweet-tart cranberries make it more interesting. But the dressing is the star. It’s soooo delicious! One of- maybe THE- best salad dressing I’ve ever made/eaten.

Cranberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Chicken and Orange Poppy Seed Dressing

INGREDIENTS

Orange Poppy Seeding Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup canola oil (I’ve also used grape-seed oil)
2 tsp. orange zest
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Salad:
grilled chicken, sliced
baby spinach (I used a mixture of spinach, mixed greens, and romaine)
avocado, pitted and diced
crumbled goat cheese (or feta)
sliced almonds , toasted
sweetened dried cranberries

DIRECTIONS

  1. Add olive oil, canola oil, orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice, honey, dijon mustard and salt to a blender. Pulse until well emulsified. (Or you can whisk to combine all the ingredients in a bowl.) Pour into a jar and stir in poppy seeds. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. Add all salad ingredients to a large bowl. Pour dressing over top and toss to evenly coat. Serve immediately.

Dressing serves 4.

Adapted from Cooking Classy

Homemade Ranch Dressing/Dip

July 23, 2020

I’m not big on bottled salad dressings (though we make an exception for Garlic Expressions, it’s so so good!) and prefer to make my own because they don’t take much effort and aren’t full of questionable things. I was so excited when I tried this recipe… it’s the first time I’ve had a ranch dressing/dip that is mostly “clean” ingredient-wise and rivals the original in flavor and addictiveness! I lighten it up by using half Greek yogurt and half mayo. And since we mostly eat it with raw veggies, I only add a tablespoon or so of buttermilk (milk works too) and keep it thick. (Simply add more liquid to make a pourable dressing.) This ranch dressing recipe will be continually on repeat over here!

Homemade Ranch Dressing/Dip

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use half mayonnaise and half plain Greek yogurt)
1/2 cup sour cream
buttermilk or milk, to desired consistency (less for dip, more for dressing- buttermilk makes it more tangy than milk)
3/4 – 1 tsp. dried dill weed
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried chives
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt, adjust to taste
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
~1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice, adjust to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Whisk together the mayo/yogurt, and sour cream. Add buttermilk or milk to thin to the desired consistency and whisk until smooth. Add the spices and whisk until combined. Add the lemon and whisk again. Adjust lemon and salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a jar/container and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This dressing/dip will keep nicely in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Adapted from Barefeet in the Kitchen