Category: Salads

Tex Mex Black Bean and Tortilla Salad

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This was a “wonder what’s in the fridge?” kind of supper. I had some lovely avocados and fresh corn tortillas and romaine lettuce and I thought – oh, salad!

It was good. Really good. I would happily make this again, and I’ll have to since we ate every bite before I could take a photo. Oh well, next time… (Made this again this weekend and it was just as delicious! I used corn tortilla chips, broken and warmed with the same spices. Good again, and I remembered to take a photo.)

1 head of romaine lettuce, quartered and cut into 1″ sections
½ cup baby tomatoes (mine were yellow – last from the garden)
2 small avocados, cut into roughly ½” chunks
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup sharp grated cheddar cheese
6 corn tortillas, chopped into 1″ sections, tossed with
– ½ tsp ground cumin
– ½ tsp salt
– 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
– 1/4 tsp garlic powder
– 1/4 tsp Tajin seasoning (Can substitute with chili powder and a little lime zest)
– 3 Tbsp olive oil

Mix dressing in a small bowl:
2 Tbsp plain full-fat yoghurt
4 Tbsp Salsa Verde
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Tajin Seasoning
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
Good pinch of ground Cumin

Cut up tortillas on a cutting board and top with the spices listed right below. Hand toss to coat. Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and add tortillas and any spices left on the board. Sauté on medium heat, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. Can reduce heat if they are starting to burn a little. Once they’re starting to get a little crispy, turn the heat off and let them cool for a minute or so.

Add lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, black beans and grated cheese into a large mixing bowl and add the warm, spicy corn tortillas. Pour dressing over and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

Delish!!

Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, Goat Cheese & Avocado

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Image of a white bowl with salad, croutons and a fork.


This recipe is from Lidey Heuck in the New York Times, but appears to also be from Ottolenghi. I made it with raw shallots the first time, but it’s better with the shallots sautéed in a little olive oil first. It’s a really delicious, satisfying salad that also keeps well. Something about the fresh herbs, the warm croutons and the creamy goat cheese is just so good!

Ingredients

2 cups bread, diced into 1/2″ pieces
6 Tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp grated (or minced) shallots
1 medium butter lettuce, cut into ½-inch pieces (can also use Romaine)
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1 medium (or ½ large) English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded and diced
½ cup pitted Castelvetrano or other green olives, roughly chopped (about 3 ounces)
1 Tbsp Capers
⅓ cup thinly sliced scallions–about 2 (green onions)
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 avocado, halved, pitted and diced
¾ cup diced or crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese (about 4 ounces)
¼ cup chopped fresh herbs, (I used dill and parsley – you can also use mint or basil.)

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place diced bread on a sheet pan, drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss, then bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until well toasted. Set aside to cool.

In a small frying pan, sauté shallots in a little bit of olive oil for a few minutes until softened. Let cool.

Meanwhile, place lettuce, chickpeas, cucumber, olives and scallions in a big bowl.

In the small frying pan, whisk together olive oil with the vinegar, capers, cooled shallots, mustard, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pour over salad and toss well. Add the avocado, feta and herbs and toss gently. Top with the croutons and serve.

Salad with Bacon, Eggs & a Creamy Balsamic Dressing

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Not a beautiful photo – but ignore that and try this recipe, because it is super easy and delicious!

I saw a recipe for a spinach salad with bacon and eggs and decided to give it a try. I didn’t have any spinach, but I did have some Romaine. It has a nice creamy dressing with just a little tartness. Definitely a keeper!

Ingredients

4 cups rough-chopped Romaine or use baby spinach
2 eggs, hard boiled, peeled and quartered lengthwise
2 strips bacon, (regular or turkey) cut into ½” pieces and fried until crispy

Dressing:
1/8 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
½ tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Few grinds of black pepper

Boil eggs, let cool slightly, peel and quarter. Fry bacon, and set on a paper towel to cool.

Mix up dressing in the bottom of a medium bowl. Add lettuce and bacon and stir well. Add eggs and stir gently.

Check seasonings. The bacon is pretty salty so you might not need any more.

It’s so good – I literally ended up eating the entire bowl!

Vietnamese Tomato Salad

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  • Version #2 with grape tomatoes, cucumbers and cashews.


Saw Emily Paster’s recipe in Midwest Living Magazine and realized I had everything I needed to make it. It’s so good and ready in just a few minutes. The dressing would be great on other fresh veggies, too. It’s really the perfect summer salad and we ate every last drop!

Ingredients
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp honey (or agave nectar or sugar)
1 Thai (or Serrano) chile, seeded and minced
2 Tbsp light olive oil ( or a neutral oil like canola oil)
5 medium plum (or heirloom) tomatoes, sliced
1/4 of a red onion, sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs – I used regular basil and spearmint, but you can also use Thai Basil and peppermint
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped – I used half peanuts and half cashews
1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Directions

For dressing: whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, honey and the chile, then continue whisking whil you slowly drizzle in the oil.

Arrange tomato slices on a large platter. Top with onion, herbs and nuts.

Spoon dressing over salad, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve immediately.

Version #2; Used grape tomatoes, with some quartered, sliced cucumbers (about a cup) and used cashews instead of peanuts. It was good, too.

Tomato & Mini “Baby” Cucumber Salad

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Want a salad that keeps well, tastes delicious and is super easy? This is the one. I used Brianna’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette, which I’d kind of forgotten about. It’s light, a little sweet and is perfect with this salad. (I saw a few copycat recipes online, so if I do find a good one, I’ll add it.)

I use mini “baby” cucumbers and score them with a fork. Just drag the tines of a fork from end to end all the way around the cucumber. It leaves a pretty pattern and helps them soak up a little of the dressing. (Thanks, Jamie Oliver!)

Ingredients

1 10 oz package cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 lb mini seedless cucumbers, scored and sliced into 1/2″ thick slices
8 oz. fresh mozzarella pearls
1/4 cup Brianna’s blush vinaigrette (can use more if desired)
1 Tbsp fresh basil, sliced thinly

Mix everything in a large bowl. Keeps well in the fridge for a few days and tastes wonderful.

Bean & Edamame Salad

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My friend Vicky brought this salad to work the other day and said she always makes some to keep in the fridge. I had to try it because I love how colorful it is and that it has so much protein. You can always soak the beans yourself, but canned beans makes this incredibly fast. Vicky uses a little good red wine vinegar, but we ended up using a vinaigrette instead. It was so good.

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can Garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 package frozen Edamame, thawed
1 orange or red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 Tbsp wine vinaigrette (I used Brianna’s Blush Wine Vinaigette)

Add onions to vinaigrette in a small bowl, stir well and let it pickle for about 10 minutes.

Add everything together in a large bowl, and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Delicious right away and keeps well in the fridge for a few days.

Corn & Tomato Salad

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Gorgeous Cherry Tomatoes by Gavin Tyte on Unsplash.

I love when little tomatoes are so sweet they’re like candy! Last night I made a super easy, really delicious salad form Southern Living – perfect for a warm, summer evening. I had good cherry tomatoes and frozen corn, so that’s what I used. I also added a little more seasoning and an avocado, Yum!

Ingredients

Dressing:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried onion flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
½ – 1 tsp Sriracha or other hot sauce

1 bag frozen corn, thawed (I used Trader Joe’s Roasted Corn)*
1 10 oz. container cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, cubed
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley or cilantro, chopped
3/4 cup grated mild cheese (I had a mozarella/parmesan blend)

Mix dressing ingredients in a big bowl until smooth. Add veggies and cheese and toss.

*Southern Living makes it with corn from 4 ears of yellow corn, so you could use that if you have it on hand, too. I’d cook the ears in boiling water for a minute or so and let them cool before cutting the kernels off the cob.

Garbanzo & Feta Salad

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I’ve made this amazing “Chickpea Salad” from The Pioneer Woman twice in two weeks. Does that tell you something? I did make a few changes to her recipe, but nothing too drastic. It’s a great side dish, or even main dish, since there’s protein in the garbanzos and feta. So delish!

I made it yesterday, holding back on the avocadoes and dressing until just before tossing it and serving it today at a picnic. So you can easily make it ahead of time.

INGREDIENTS:

2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
6 oz. feta, cubed (omit for a vegan version)
4-5 baby cucumbers, (or 1 English cucumber), cut into half moons (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 pt. cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red or orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced (optional – Kumy doesn’t like raw onions, so I didn’t add this.)
2 avocados, cubed
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

FOR THE DRESSING:
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp dried Basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

Mix all veggies, beans and feta in a large bowl. If making ahead, don’t add avocadoes.

Mix dressing ingredients in a mason jar, close lid and shake like crazy.

Drizzle dressing over and toss well.

Note for photo: my avocadoes were quite ripe, and were very creamy.

Mandarin, Feta, Pomegranate and Candied Pecan Salad

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This recipe is based on Holiday Salad from MelsKitchenCafe.com. It is such a colorful, beautiful salad that doing it on a platter (the way my dear friend Donna does it) is worth it. I made this for Thanksgiving and it was so good! In the mad rush of getting ready for Thanksgiving, I totally forgot to photograph it, but will so do soon.

6 ounces (3-4 cups) mixed salad greens
6 ounces (3-4 cups) chopped romaine
2 11oz cans mandarin oranges, drained and oranges patted dry
½ cup crumbled Feta cheese
1 cup pomegranate arils or ½ cup Craisins
½ cup candied maple pecans or walnuts (see note)

Dressing:
¼ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Dressing: Add ingredients for dressing in a jar with a lid and shake very well until the dressing is nice and creamy.

Toss salad greens in a large bowl. Add most of the mandarin oranges and toss with ½ the dressing.

Lay greens on a large platter, and place the rest of the mandarins, feta cheese, pomegranate arils and pecans on top.

Serve extra dressing in a small pitcher.

To make candied maple pecans: in a small nonstick skillet, add about 1 Tbsp of maple syrup, 1 Tbsp water, a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Heat in skillet until it’s nice and bubbly. Toss in pecan halves and swirl until they’re lightly coated. Pour out onto a silpat mat or parchment paper. Let cool and break up. The pecans should be lightly sweetened, not gobbed up with sugar.

Napa Cabbage & Noodle Salad

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This is a tangy and delicious cabbage and noodle main dish salad, based on Hannah Che’s recipe from The Vegan Chinese Kitchen Cookbook. It’s perfect for a late summer evening supper, because it’s easy, super fast and has a dressing that is unbelievably good – plus it’s gluten-free and vegan. If you can’t get Napa cabbage, Romaine lettuce works, too.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 head Napa cabbage, cut in half lengthwise
1 small cucumber, seeds removed and julienned, or cut into little bite sizes
1 tsp kosher salt

2 cups fresh rice vermicelli noodles (Pho noodles) 1 1/2 cup dried noodles.

1 medium carrot, julienned
1 scallion, cut into 1/8″ rounds (both white and green part)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 chopped cashews or peanuts
1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded, halved and cut into thin slices

Dressing:

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp rice vinegar (cider vinegar would also be fine, I think)
1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce (or Hoisin Sauce for a vegan version)
2 1/2 Tbsp sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 large garlic cloves, crushed

DIRECTIONS

Cut cabbage lengthwise a few times, then cut very thin slices. Add cabbage and cucumber into a colander and toss with the salt. Leave to drain.

Start water boiling in a small saucepan, add noodles and cook 5-10 seconds. Drain and rinse with cool water. Cut noodles into smaller sections with a scissors. If you are using other noodles, cook as directed on the package, then drain and rinse with cool water. You want to end up with about 1 1/2 cups cooked noodles.

Mix dressing ingredients well in a small bowl. Taste and add more soy sauce if you think it needs it. Add dressing to noodles and toss to combine.

Gently press cabbage and cucumber to remove some of the water. You can also squeeze it gently in your hand. Place in a large bowl, and add noodles, carrots, scallions and cilantro. Toss in a large bowl and top with nuts.

Serve immediately. Yum.