Tag Archives: side dishes

Spring Greens with Rhubarb Vinaigrette

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After a long Ottawa winter, I have a tendency to get a little carried away when spring produce finally arrives. Asparagus? Into the basket. Peas? Absolutely. Rhubarb? Always. While I usually save rhubarb for desserts, this year I found myself wondering whether those tart pink stalks could do double duty in something savoury. That curiosity led to this Spring Greens Salad with Rhubarb Vinaigrette. The dressing is bright, tangy, and beautifully pink, and it pairs perfectly with spring greens, strawberries, creamy Brie, and candied spiced nuts. It’s the kind of salad that makes me genuinely excited to eat my greens.

I’m firmly on Team Texture when it comes to salads. If every bite tastes and feels the same, I lose interest pretty quickly. This salad has crunch from the Little Gem lettuce and candied spiced nuts, sweetness from strawberries, honey, and the candied coating on the nuts, and creamy richness from the Brie. The rhubarb vinaigrette brings a bright tang, while a little Aleppo pepper in the spice mix adds just enough heat to keep things interesting. I also love the slightly bitter, peppery bite of arugula. It balances the sweetness of the berries and candied nuts and makes every other flavour pop a little more. And can we talk about the colours? Between the pink dressing, red berries, and fresh green lettuces, this salad practically screams spring.

Keys to Success:

  • 1. Homemade candied nuts are worth it, but store-bought works too. Short on time? Feel free to use your favourite store-bought candied nuts. That said, homemade candied nuts are surprisingly easy to make and keep well for several weeks in an airtight jar. I used a combination of pistachios, walnuts, and pecans, but this recipe is very forgiving. Use whatever nuts you have on hand.
  • 2. Choose a cheese you love. Not a Brie fan? No problem. Havarti, Gouda, or a good aged cheddar would all work beautifully here. The goal is a creamy, flavourful cheese that balances the tangy dressing.
  • 3. Use whatever blending tool you have. A high-speed blender creates an especially smooth rhubarb vinaigrette, but an immersion blender or food processor will also do the job. Blend until the dressing is silky and no chunks of rhubarb remain.
  • 4. Dry your greens thoroughly. Waterlogged lettuce is the enemy of a good salad. After washing your greens, spin or pat them dry so the dressing clings to the leaves instead of sliding off.
  • 5. No Little Gem? Use romaine hearts. I love Little Gem for its sweet flavour and crisp texture, but romaine hearts are an excellent substitute and much easier to find in some areas.
  • 6. Platter or bowl—your choice. I like arranging all the components on a large platter because the colours look so beautiful and everyone can see what’s in the salad. If you’re serving a crowd or prefer a more casual presentation, toss everything together in a large bowl instead.
  • 7. Don’t overdress the salad. The rhubarb vinaigrette is bright and flavourful, so a little goes a long way. Start with about two-thirds of the dressing, toss gently, and add more as needed. You can always add more dressing, but you can’t take it away. Keeping the greens lightly coated helps preserve all those wonderful textures.

Spring Greens Salad with Rhubarb Vinaigrette

This Spring Greens Salad with Rhubarb Vinaigrette combines crisp Little Gem lettuce, peppery arugula, sweet strawberries, creamy Brie, and candied spiced nuts with a bright, tangy rhubarb dressing. It’s a colourful celebration of spring flavours and textures.
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Servings 4
Calories 501 kcal

Ingredients
  

Candied Spiced Nuts

  • 300 grams assorted nuts, (about 3 cups). I used pecan halves, walnut halves, and shelled pistachios.
  • 50 grams granulated sugar
  • 4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, or 2 teaspoons Morton Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
  • 1 large egg white

Rhubarb Vinaigrette

  • 150 grams rhubarb, sliced into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad Ingredients

  • 400 grams mixed spring greens (about 7–8 cups loosely packed). I used a mix of Little Gem, arugula, frisée, and pea shoots.
  • 1 pint strawberries, sliced
  • 130 grams brie, cut into 1-inch pieces

Instructions
 

Make Candied Spiced Nuts

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, and Aleppo pepper. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the egg white until frothy. Add the nuts and toss until evenly coated. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the nuts and toss again until well coated.
  • Spread the nuts in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15–20 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until lightly golden and dry to the touch.
  • Let cool completely. The nuts will crisp as they cool. Break apart the clusters and roughly chop before using. Store extras in an airtight container at room temperature.

Make Rhubarb Vinaigrette

  • Place the rhubarb and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cover and cook until the rhubarb is very soft, about 10 minutes.
  • Drain the rhubarb well and discard the cooking liquid. Transfer the softened rhubarb to a blender and add the maple syrup, Dijon mustard, vinegar, and olive oil. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Assemble Salad:

  • Place the greens in a large bowl and toss with about ¼ cup of the rhubarb vinaigrette, adding more as needed to lightly coat the leaves. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Transfer to a platter or shallow serving bowl. Top with the strawberries, brie, and about ½ cup of the candied spiced nuts. Serve immediately

Notes

The colour of the vinaigrette will vary depending on the colour of your rhubarb stalks.
Do not attempt making spiced candied nuts on a very humid day.  They will not dry our properly and will be very sticky after baking.
You will only need about 1/2 cup of the Candied Spiced Nuts in the salad. Store extra in an airtight container at room temperature. They will last for several weeks.  Do not attempt making these on a very humid day.  They will not dry our properly and will be very sticky after baking.

Nutrition

Calories: 501kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 11gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 825mgPotassium: 470mgFiber: 5gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 330IUVitamin C: 73mgCalcium: 145mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

I set out to see whether rhubarb could make a good salad dressing, and honestly, I wasn’t sure how the experiment would turn out. The fact that my husband went back for seconds tells me everything I need to know. This salad has quickly become one of my favourite ways to enjoy rhubarb season, and I hope you’ll give it a try. If you do, leave a comment below and let me know where you stand on the great rhubarb debate.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Israeli Couscous Salad

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in white round bowlHope life is treating you well this week. We are in full-on purge mode around here. We’re planning to downsize shortly. It’s amazing the amount of junk you can accumulate in 23 years.  Getting rid of stuff is not my husband’s forte. He still has all his high school essays. (He got an A+ in his Family Studies paper on “The cost of setting up a home for newlyweds” – it was the 70’s!) He kept all the cards from our wedding. We have been married for over 30 years. He also kept every birthday and father’s day card from me and the kids.

I wasn’t hopeful that he would be able to dispose of very much. But once he began shredding, he couldn’t stop. And then he discovered Kijiji. Things have been flying out of here at an alarming rate. It has become quite cathartic for him. I’m afraid that if I stay still for too long he might put me up for sale on Kijiji. I can just imagine the ad:

“Pre-owned, but very well-maintained wife for sale. All parts original. A little slow to start up in the morning, but motor begins purring after an extra-hot latte.” Will accept any reasonable offers.”

This salad was inspired by a forgotten bag of Israeli couscous I discovered sitting at the back of my pantry in a cleaning spree. The addition of roasted butternut squash is the clever idea of Daniel Gritzer over at seriouseats.com. Start by toasting the uncooked Israeli couscous in a bit of olive oil.Toasting cous cousAdd boiling water and salt and cook couscous.adding boiling waterI recently learned that squash is an excellent source of potassium. Apparently acorn squash is the champion, but butternut is a close second, and I find it much easier to peel. All those ridges in acorn squash scare me. If you need a primer on peeling and cutting butternut, check out the video in this post.chopping squash Toss squash with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Add some smoked paprika too, because everything is better with smoked paprika.ready for roastingA jolt of freshness is provided by lots of green (scallions, mint and parsley) and yellow (lemon).lemon and herbsready to assemble

Click here to print recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash and Israeli Couscous Salad.

in white oval bowl

 

Squash Fries with Chipotle Mayo

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fries in green bowl with chipotle mayoI have been making squash fries at least once a week for over two years now. It recently occured  to me that that I have not shared the recipe with you yet. My bad! Sorry about that. Once you try them, you too will be serving them often. I started making them around the same time that I discovered smoked paprika. Squash and smoked paprika are just made for each other. olive oil and smoked paprika make great friesI usually roast vegetables at a high heat (450°F), which gives then that gorgeous char. However, I have been reading that roasting veggies at a low temp (250°F) deeply concentrates the flavours and gives you a velvety-custardy texture. They turn out more evenly cooked and less shriveled than their high-heat friends. I will admit that the roasting time balloons from 45 minutes to over 2 hours, but it’s unattended roasting time. If you can plan ahead, your patience will be rewarded.

First we need to tackle peeling and cutting the squash. This can be scary if you don’t know what you’re doing. Here’s my method.

Make sure you spread them out in a single layer on the baking sheet.ready for roastingI love dipping them in chipotle mayo. I just mix low fat mayo (please do not use that fat-free stuff) with canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. It is commonly found in the Mexican section of the supermarket. One can will give you way more than you need for this recipe. Here’s what I do to deal with leftovers. Remove all the seeds from the chiles, and process into a smooth paste in the food processor. Transfer paste to a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze. Once the paste is frozen solid, transfer to a zip-loc bag and store in freezer. Then you can simply break off pieces as you need them. Here are some great ideas on what to do with leftover chipotles.

fries with beer 3 625 sq

Click here to print recipe for Squash Fries with Chipotle Mayo.