a very simple salad

a quick and flavorful snack that takes no time at all

Let me jump right in and get to the good stuff. This week’s theme is easy. An easy dish, with easy modifications that makes it easy to eat healthy and clean out your fridge. The goal I’m personally focusing on this week is to keep things simple, simple, simple. I’m currently traveling (which is obviously loads of fun) but can also make me lose my mind over simple stresses like overpacking the world’s best suitcase or making sure I have my latest podcast episodes downloaded. This is a quick, tasty snack or side that I rely on time and time again. It’s fresh, bright, and herbaceous, and perfect to carry around your apartment in a pretty little bowl while you check off that to-do list.

Have you ever had a lackluster plate of iceberg lettuce and a splash of ranch dressing? I’m sure most of us have, and let me just say: how boring. Below is my simple formula for a delicious and easy salad. Keep in mind that this is just a framework to help utilize things I might already have on-hand. Salads (mostly) shouldn’t be something you need to grocery shop for specifically.¹ I focus less on fitting in a certain amount of veggie servings and focus more on making sure my ingredients hit all varieties of my tastebuds. Not all of the salads I make contain every bullet point below, but the more variety, the more interested I am in clearing my plate!

• Something green: this should be self-explanatory for salad, but I like a mix of greens (kale, arugula, baby spinach, spring mix, etc)

• Something crunchy: think croutons, toasted quinoa, chopped veggies, crushed tortilla chips, roasted nuts, etc.

• Something tangy: vinegars and acids will help bring brightness to the bowl, and so will olives or pickled red onions

• Something sweet: dried fruits or a squeeze of honey helps to balance the tangy acid you just added to the bowl

• Something salty: toss in some shaved Parmesan or other hard cheese, chopped anchovies, nuts, and don’t forget the flaky salt itself

• Something creamy: different textures keep the vibe interesting against the crunchy items: avocado, creamy dressing, soft cheese crumbles, etc.

• A bit of protein if I can: lots of options here for you: leftover chicken, canned tuna, roasted chickpeas, quinoa, etc.

• A delicious dressing: sometimes it’s as simple as olive oil and a squeeze of lemon, but here’s a quick 4-ingredient dressing you can drizzle over anything (just whisk it all together and adjust ratios to your liking):

  • 2 tbsp tahini

  • 1 tbsp honey

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

  • Salt to taste

Alrighty, now that you have the basic skeleton of an incredible salad, it’s time to grab your serving bowl and let’s get to clearing out that fridge! The below “recipe” is just an example of the formula above; feel free to add anything from your kitchen that sounds enticing, or omit the stuff I mention that you don’t like! Food should be fun and personal, and sometimes the most fun food is the simplest.

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium bowl of greens, like baby spinach and/or arugula

• 1 lemon, zested + cut in half

• 1 large bunch of fresh herbs, finely chopped²

• Olive Oil

• 1 shallot, finely sliced

• Splash or two of a sweet, tangy vinegar³

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Flaky sea salt

• Optional: soft-boiled or poached egg⁴

• Optional: chopped veggies or fruits⁵

• Optional: Parmegiano Reggiano, finely grated

• Optional: chopped roasted salted almonds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash + dry your greens. Place inside medium salad bowl for dressing and season with a pinch of salt + a few cracks of pepper.

2. Finely slice 1 medium shallot and add to the bowl of greens with the lemon zest and chopped basil. Squeeze the juice of one lemon half over the greens. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil (don’t overdo the oil!) and then the Cranberry Pear white balsamic vinegar.

3. Season to taste with flaky sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.

To Serve: toss salad and add your choice of optional toppings: like finely-grating Parmigiano Reggiano or adding a soft-boiled egg to an individual plating of salad.

1. There are a few salads you might need to make a run to market for: a Nicoise salad uses very specific ingredients, or a Caesar salad focuses on a specific flavor profile.

2. Basil is my favorite in this formula, but dill, cilantro, parsley, thyme, mint, or a mix of a few would also be absolutely delightful!

3. I aim to use Cranberry Pear White Balsamic Vinegar in this type of formula for a sweeter salad, but balsamic is a safe bet, too.

4. A soft yolk can add richness and body to the dressing, or really makes a dressing of its own!

5. I prefer a hint of sweetness here to counteract the vinegar linked above, and I typically rely on some leftover blueberries from my fridge. Dried fruits can be a winner here, too!