Go-To Veggie Salad

 

Sometimes my body cries out for vegetables. When this happens, I have three go-to recipes to satisfy the craving. In the winter, it’s a simple veggie soup. Other times, I cut up both a regular and sweet potato and toss the pieces in olive old with some large chunks of red onion, green pepper, and zucchini, and then roast it all in the air fryer. 

When warmer weather arrives, salad is the logical solution to a veggie craving. However, I’m not a big fan of lettuce salads. I like them on occasion, but typically I’ll just munch on sugar snap peas, radishes, and baby carrots, along with sliced-up cucumber, green pepper, and celery. No dip necessary, but sometimes enjoyed.

Recently, I saw an Instagram post from The View from Great Island for a chopped asparagus salad. I was inspired! What a great jumping-off point for a veggie salad sans lettuce flexible enough to fit whatever produce is in season. 

This recipe is the one I made for Easter dinner and then enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the following week. Other than the asparagus, I typically have most of the ingredients on hand. 

I can see a version of this salad showing up on my dinner table many times in the next few months.

What is your go-to veggie dish? 

Yield: 6 to 8

Author: Linda Ditch

Go-To Veggie Salad

A veggie salad sans lettuce flexible enough to fit whatever produce is in season

Ingredients

• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 bag frozen shelled edamame, thawed
• 1 English-styled cucumber, diced
• 2 green peppers, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/2 bunch asparagus, cut into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces and blanched
• 2 carrots, sliced
• Crumbled feta cheese, to taste
• Kalamata olives, to taste
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Place beans and veggies into a large salad bowl. Add feta cheese and olives to fit your taste.
2. To make the dressing: In a small bowl or a jar, add the remaining ingredients. Whisk/shake well to combine. Pour the dressing over the top of the veggies, and then toss to combine. (You may not need all of the dressing.)

Created using The Recipes Generator

Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

Last night I gathered with a few friends and fellow fantasy football league members to watch the first game of the NFL season featuring the New England Patriots playing the Pittsburgh Steelers.



My brother-in-law, Don, wore his Steelers jersey. I wore my Patriots 2014 Super Bowl champs t-shirt. I went home happier than he did, though he was pretty psyched about Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown’s performance since he racked up a lot of points on Don’s fantasy team.

FYI: I’m a Kansas City Chiefs fan by birth, and always will be. However, I’m a Patriots fan by choice. They won me over during my years living in New England, especially while making their run to the 2001 championship. I admired how they chose to come out as a team instead of highlighting individual players during pre-game introductions. To me, that is what the game of football should be all about—playing as a team.

Of course, I had to make my Buffalo Wings for the game. To go with them, I decided to try homemade blue cheese dressing, after which I asked myself, “Why haven’t I done this sooner?!”

Blue cheese dressing is so easy to make. This one was a big hit. Even my nine-year-old nephew sat next to me, munching on hot wings and celery coated in the stuff and asking me to spoon more on his plate. He kept pointing to it and saying, in between mouthfuls, “That’s good.”

One note about the photos: I remembered to set aside some of the dressing and celery to use in the pictures. Unfortunately I forgot to save some of the Buffalo wings, which were devoured last night.

Oh well.

This dressing is great as a celery dip, too. I can’t wait to try it on a salad, with extra blue cheese crumbles on top.

Blue Cheese Dressing

Makes about 2 cups

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles, or to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, whole milk, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Stir in the blue cheese crumbles. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.