Do you ever have the feeling that, at the end of a busy day, you really do not want to cook a thing, or even to step into the kitchen to think about food? I sure do, especially on those days where my entire day is focused on food. Nevertheless, we still need to nourish ourselves with a good meal at the end of each day, so it pays to have a plan ready for a very simple, healthy dinner.
For me, more often than not, the solution to the “what-to-make-when-I-really-don’t-want-to-cook” question is to put together a big salad using pantry staples and whatever else I can find in the refrigerator. I made this super-easy, super-satisfying spring salad earlier this week and, after taste testing it with my willing husband, I knew that I had to share it on my blog. As is often the case with easy dishes like this, it is just a matter of assembling different ingredients rather than following a recipe.
How to Assemble an Easy Spring Salad
First, take inventory of what you have available in your refrigerator, to include leftover grains and vegetables. For me, I knew that I had cooked barley from a soup which I had made earlier in the week, and some roasted baby beets, so I planned the salad around these two key ingredients (and, of course, some mixed greens that I usually have on hand). Next, I added a couple of ready-prepared marinated artichoke hearts, some sliced red onions, and a few shelled edamame beans for protein. The last things I added were a hard boiled egg and some crumbled Feta cheese.
How it All Comes Together
The salad was already looking good, but it really all came together with a simple shallot vinaigrette. I make this vinaigrette at least once a week and store it in a glass jar for use throughout the week. A spring salad like this one is really so easy to put together, especially if you cook some more grains and vegetables earlier in the week which will allow you to toss them into a salad later. This is a very filling and satisfying salad on its own, but you can also add some grilled chicken or a simple piece of fish to make it even more substantial!
- Mixed greens (or, arugula, thinly sliced endive, or baby kale)
- Cooked grains (faro, barley, bulgar, brown rice, even quinoa)
- Roasted vegetables (baby beets, asparagus, radishes, new potatoes)
- Ready-prepared vegetables (baby artichokes in a jar, fire-roasted peppers in a jar)
- Hard boiled eggs
- Soft cheese (Feta, goat cheese, Burrata, Mozzarella)
- Something sharp (red onions, capers, olives)
- Cooked beans (edamame, red beans, pinto beans)
- For the vinaigrette:
- 1 small, finely minced shallot
- ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar,
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- pinch of freshly ground pepper
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil (or more)
- In a small bowl, combine the shallots, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Let stand 15 minutes to allow the shallots to macerate. Whisk in the extra virgin olive oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt if necessary. Add more olive oil if you prefer the vinaigrette to have a little less bite. Store in a glass jar.
- Arrange a bed of the salad greens on a large platter.
- Top with the grains and any cooked vegetables you have on hand.
- Next, add the ready-prepared vegetables (cut into small pieces) and the hard boiled eggs (quartered).
- Top it all off with the red onions, crumbled cheese, and beans.
- Shake well the vinaigrette, pour some over the salad and toss gently to combine.
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