Salads: a masterlist
@redsimple recently asked about a salads masterpost, so here's a short list of some favorites. :)
- Toasted Farro & Antipasti Salad. A really hearty and satisfying combo, and I love the warm/cool contrast. This one is substantial enough for a main dish.
- Julia Turshen's Iceberg Wedge Salad with Pickled Shallots. As far as blue cheese wedge salads go, this is the GOAT. All the pickling brine from the shallots gets whisked into the blue cheese dressing and gives it the most delicious zing. I usually add diced tomato and crumbled bacon on top, in addition to the pickled shallot rings.
- Back Pocket Canned Salad. A great pantry salad, and it's great in the wintertime, when celery is always available, unlike some other produce. It makes an excellent next-day desk lunch. Be sure to pick a bunch of celery that has lots of leaves in the middle—they have strong celery flavor, and the greens are much needed here to help balance out the heft of the beans, feta, and chunky hearts of palm.
- Paris Mushroom Salad with Lemon, Parsley, and Parmesan. You don't see a lot of raw mushroom salads out there, but this one is so simple and earthy and elegant. I've also been known to sprinkle some chopped Trader Joe's truffled Marcona almonds on top.
- North African Tuna and Rice Salad. The combo here is magical. The preserved lemons! The rose harissa! Even better the next day. I recommend using olive oil-packed tuna for this one (and drizzling some or all of it into the salad itself).
- Nancy's Chopped Salad. Imagine an Italian hoagie, except in salad form. The recipe calls for what sounds like a lot of oregano, but add it all—you won't be sorry.
- Kale Salad with Salami, Pecorino, and Walnuts. A great fall or winter salad; very hearty, with a delightful combination of flavors and textures.
- Broccoli Salad With Cheddar and Warm Bacon Vinaigrette. My favorite of all the broccoli salad iterations I've tried.
- Rice Salad With Portobellos, Smashed Cucumbers, and Salsa Verde. I've only had this one once, but there was so much about it that was unexpected and delicious. Well worth trying.
- Twig Salad. That old rotisserie chicken, iceberg, sweet poppyseed dressing, almond, and fried chow mein noodle salad that everyone's mom made in the '80s. Throwback to my childhood.
- Baby Lettuces with Feta, Strawberries, and Smoked Almonds. This salad is surprising and utterly enchanting.
- Radish Sashimi. Again, very surprising: fresh, bright, lovely! Don't skip the dill and lemon zest, and if you do happen to have yuzu juice in your fridge, a scant 1/4 teaspoon or so tastes amazing in the ponzu mixture.
- Smitten Kitchen's Apple and Cheddar Crisp Salad. The treatment of the cheese and almonds here is absolute genius.
- This Creamy Preserved Lemon Dressing has changed my life, salad wise. Somehow it tastes like blue cheese? I like to serve it spooned over a plate full of tiny iceberg "wedges" that I've cut into one or two-inch pyramids, along with some diced ripe tomato.
- Cabbage Salad with Olives, Pine Nuts, Castelvetranos, and Lemon-Garlic Dressing. A modified version of Molly Wizenberg's similar salad from her book A Homemade Life. One of my favorite salads, it benefits from an overnight sit to let the flavors meld (but wait until just before serving to add the pine nuts and Parmesan.)
- Picnic Tomatoes. It wouldn't be a salads list without a tomato-centric recipe. I made this a couple of summers ago, and it was mind-blowing. I have strong pro-Duke's feelings here, but you do you. Just be sure you use the ripest, most peak-season tomatoes you can.
