need good salad recipe

L

lovetostep

Active Member
Hi everyone! Does anyone have a good recipe for a salad to be served to a number of people (my son's birthday party) and that will not get too soggy too fast? I have something in my head (I must have eaten it somewhere) like a green salad with walnuts, maybe feta cheese, a viniagrette dressing, but I do not have a recipe for something like this. Something simple! I usually do Caesar salad but I am getting tired of that. Thanks for your help!
 
I don't have a recipe, but what about a baby spinach salad? Just take bags of baby spinach, sliced red onions, caramelized walnuts, either some feta or crumbled goat cheese and toss with a sweet balsamic dressing? Oh yummy!:p You might even add little pieces of oranges too if you like the citrus flavor.
 
Yes! Something like this sounds great. I just don't trust my ability to throw something together without having a recipe in front of me, but how hard can it be? Does anyone know of a good sweet balsamic viniagrette in a bottle? Thanks!
 
I like the salad that is the romaine lettuce, caramalized almond slivers and mandarin oranges. The dressing is made from green onions, a little oil and vinegar and parsley, salt and pepper mixed up in the blender. You can probably find the recipe for it in any Betty Crocker or Better Homes and Garden Book, or poke around the internet for it. I can't remember exactly what its called. Also good is baby spinach or baby greens, slice strawberries, onions, and basalmic vinagrette. Maybe toss on a few walnuts too.

Nan
 
I usually put whatever I can find in a salad:) Yesterdays salad had spinach,red peppers,orange peppers,oranges,rasins,red onion and almonds:9 And when I use a sweet dressing I love banana in a salad!

Lori:)
 
IMO - Skip the bottled dressing and make your own vinaigrette. The one in the recipe below takes about 2 minutes to make and totally beats the bottled stuff for taste.

I made this salad for a small dinner party over the holidays and it was a big hit. You can cook the beets way ahead of time. It came from one of Giada De Laurentis' cookbooks. Here's the FoodTV link as well: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_30000,00.html

-----------------------------------
Beet and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons shallots, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 medium beets, cooked and quartered
6 cups fresh arugula
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
3 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled

Line a baking sheet with foil. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

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.

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.
--------------------------------------------

Chopped salads are also nice in that they use firmer vegetables that can keep for a few hours and usually taste better when they're allowed to marinate for a while.

Here's one from Wolfgang Puck that I've also made before (though I did leave out the artichokes since I couldn't get them easily at the time):
Chino Chopped Vegetable Salad
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_18245,00.html
 
Here is my favorite salad that I've been taking to work at least 2 days per week


Baby spinach leaves
chopped walnuts
grilled or baked chicken sliced
mandarin oranges
feta cheese

I use the Newman's own rasberry walnut vinagrette or the rasberry walnut lite salad spray that is out now. Delicious!!! I put it together the night before and just add the dressing when I'm ready to eat it.
 
I love beets in my salad also :9 I like to add chicken, beans, broccoli (raw), toasted almonds, parm. cheese, apples, really anything in the fridge. I've added frozen peas and corn too. Another tasty add in I use sometimes is crushed up corn tortilla chips, for that crunch and zip of salt!

I think almost anything is good in a salad!

Mary
 
Hi-

What about doing a vinaigrette coleslaw?? Cabbage doesn't get soggy like lettuce so it would be better for longer.

I like doing apple, toasted walnuts, craisins, and a little bleu or gorgonzola mixed w/ a bag of coleslaw mix and tossing w/ a light raspberry walnut dressing ( Ken's makes a decent one.)

Take care, Lynn M.
 
>IMO - Skip the bottled dressing and make your own
>vinaigrette. The one in the recipe below takes about 2 minutes
>to make and totally beats the bottled stuff for taste.
>
>I made this salad for a small dinner party over the holidays
>and it was a big hit. You can cook the beets way ahead of
>time. It came from one of Giada De Laurentis' cookbooks.
>Here's the FoodTV link as well:
>http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_30000,00.html
>
>-----------------------------------
>Beet and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad
>1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
>3 tablespoons shallots, thinly sliced
>1 tablespoon honey
>1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
>Salt and freshly ground black pepper
>6 medium beets, cooked and quartered
>6 cups fresh arugula
>1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
>1/4 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
>1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
>3 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
>
>Line a baking sheet with foil. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
>F.
>
>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.
>
>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.
>--------------------------------------------
>
>Chopped salads are also nice in that they use firmer
>vegetables that can keep for a few hours and usually taste
>better when they're allowed to marinate for a while.
>
>Here's one from Wolfgang Puck that I've also made before
>(though I did leave out the artichokes since I couldn't get
>them easily at the time):
>Chino Chopped Vegetable Salad
>http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_18245,00.html
>

Hi Gayle,

I love and own all Giada De Laurentis' cookbooks! I love all her other recipes! This salad looks yummy! I make this salad this weekend! I used to watch all her shows! Really good stuff! Thanks for sharing!:9 :* :p

Belinda
http://www.PictureTrail.com/gid16930497
 
Thanks for all the great ideas! These all sound delicious. I really appreciate the input! Now to just make a decision....!
Michele
 
Hi Belinda,

I have two of her cookbooks and love them! I haven't found a recipe in them yet that has disappointed me.
 
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