Tag Archives: spring salads

Spring Greens with Rhubarb Vinaigrette

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.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings

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.

Kale Kamut Salad with Avocado Dressing

3 Replies

In the 549 posts I have written for this blog, only one, thus far, has contained kale. This will be the second. This scarcity of kale recipes is not by accident. I just didn’t think I liked kale. it was tough and bitter and swallowing it scratched the back of my throat.

Apparently, I was doing it all wrong. I was buying curly kale, and using it raw, in salads. Curly kale is best for blending into smoothies or sauteeing, stews and soups, where the heat can mellow it’s bitter bite.

For eating raw, Tuscan Kale (aka Lacinato Kale or Dinosaur Kale or Cavalo Nero/Black Kale) is a better choice. It is a bit more tender than the curly variety and the flavour, while still quite earthy, has an almost nutty sweetness. You need to remove the stems, slice it quite thin and let it sit in the dressing for about half an hour before serving. That will help to tenderize it.

Kamut is an ancient wheat grain, likely originating in Iran. It is reminiscent of farro, but a bit larger in size. It has a firm and chewy texture and a rich buttery flavour. it is nutritional powerhouse. High in fiber, protein, zinc and magnesium, kamut is a fantasic addition to soups and salads. I love the Bob’s Redmill brand, which is available in most healthfood stores , or online.

This salad was inspired by and adapted from the “Berkeley Brussels Salad” from pbs.org. You can customize the salad to include what ever is in season and looks good at the market that day. I added some spring onions and radishes, thinly sliced raw Brussels sprouts and some julienned radicchio. If you’re making it as a main course salad, cheese is always a welcome addition. I used manchego, a Spanish sheeps milk cheese. Don’t forget the crunch. I added toasted pumpkin seeds.

The creamy avocado based dressing makes more than you will need, but it keeps well in the fridge for about a week. It’s delicious as a sauce for frilled fish, chicken or vegetables.

Click here to print recipe for

Click here to print recipe for Kale and Kamut Salad with Avocado Dressing

Sorghum Tabbouleh

6 Replies

If you read the title of this post and wondered what the heck sorghum is, you’re not alone. Most people have never heard of this super grain. It’s an ancient grain, like 8000 BCE ancient, originally grown in southern Egypt. This small grain has a mild, nutty flavour, with a chewy texture similar to wheat berries. It’s a nutritional powerhouse, boasting a high level of antioxidants, which help to boost your immune system protecting it against certain diseases, including cancer. Sorghum is high in fibre which is beneficial to your digestive health. And if that’s not enough, it also happens to be gluten-free.

Sorghum is an extremely versatile grain. It can be ground into a flour as an addition to a gluten-free flour blend. Because of its high protein content it provides the baked good with structure and stability. Of all the gluten free flours, sorghum tastes the closest to wheat.

Sorghum can be made into a molasses-like syrup, used for sweetening baked goods and drinks. It’s quite popular in the southern U.S. it can also be popped in oil, similar to corn. I haven’t tried that yet, but I’m excited to give it a go.

A traditional tabbouleh is made with bulgar (cracked wheat), which is quite small in size and slightly fluffy in texture. I really loved it with sorghum. The hearty flavour and chewy texture added some heft to this salad. This is quite a flexible recipe. Feel free to add whatever looks good at the market that day. I used little sweet tomatoes and green onions. Pomegranate seeds and toasted pistachios added crunch and a little pop of colour. The one ingredient that is not negotiable is herbs, and lots of them. Parsley and mint are the classic choice.

A big squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a drizzle of good olive oil and lots of salt and pepper, and you’ve got a great salad.

Click here to print recipe for Sorghum Tabbouleh with Pomegranate and Pistachio

Sicilian Haricots Verts and Tomato Salad

1 Reply

This is the quintessential summer salad. Tender crunchy green beans and sweet, sun-kissed tomatoes. Sadly, we are still several months away from those beans and tomatoes, but we can fake it.

Most of the year, green beans look so full of promise, all bright and green, but in truth, they are imposters. Once you cook them, they disappoint. If you try to cook them briefly, they never have that fresh snap of summer beans, they just come out tough and leathery. If you try to cook them longer, to get them tender, they just end up mushy. And let’s not even talk about winter tomatoes. Red cardboard, disguised as a tomato. Enough said.

To satisfy my craving for verdant crunch, I bought haricots vert, those skinny pricey green beans. I’m sure my carbon footprint is huge, because they were probably from Kenya or Guatemala, but I wanted that tender crunch. Getting sweet tomatoes out of season is as simple as buying the little grape or cherry tomatoes. They have much better texture and flavour than their big sisters. Bonus points if you can find the rainbow baby tomatoes.
With the addition of toasted pine nuts, olives, capers and some ricotta salata, this salad had a decidedly Sicilian bent. For the dressing I whisked together anchovy paste (please use it even if you don’t think you like anchovies, it adds a powerful umami punch without tasting fishy), dijon mustard, garlic, lemon juice, white wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Don’t forget to garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Click here to print recipe for Sicilian Haricot Vert and Tomato Salad.

Grilled Asparagus and Farro Salad

5 Replies

As parents, I believe one of our most important jobs is to create memories for our children. Certain aromas or sounds can instantly evoke specific memories or feelings. It only takes a shake of Ajax cleansing powder and a squirt of Joy dishwashing liquid to transport me right back to the kitchen of my childhood. The combo of Ajax and Joy was my mom’s special recipe for disinfecting the sink after dinner each night. The scent was sinus clearing and most certainly responsible for the loss of a few brain cells. But we had the shiniest sinks in the neighbourhood.

If you were to ask my children, undoubtedly, they would tell you that the annoying whir of my cobalt blue Braun immersion blender was the soundtrack to their childhood. Each morning, they were roused from a deep sleep to the sound of their mom frothing milk for her morning latte. (This was before Nespresso machines with milk frother attachments) No need for alarm clocks in our house.

I hope that I have created other memories for my children, that were perhaps a bit more pleasant.Last weekend was the start of cottage season and we had a full house. My youngest son was there as well as my daughter and 3 of her friends. A few days earlier the girls had decided that they wanted to eat healthy for the weekend, so I was instructed to please not bake anything tempting. I made this salad for our lunch on Friday. It was met with rave reviews. It’s not really a grain salad, as the farro only plays a supporting role. The real star of this salad are the fat spears of sweet asparagus, charred to perfection on the outside but still maintaining a bit of crunch in the center.

The inspiration for this recipe came from Melissa Clark, over at www.cooking.nytimes.com. She roasted the asparagus in the oven, but I wanted to officially start grilling season. I like fat spears of asparagus and I peel the bottom third of each spear because that’s how I was taught to do it at my very first restaurant job.The dressing for the salad packs a flavour punch. Lime juice, garlic, soy sauce and olive oil are whisked together and mixed with the cooked farro. This is a great make ahead salad as the farro can sit in the dressing for several hours. The asparagus and green onion can sit for about 30 minutes before serving. I decided on a bed of peppery arugula and bitter radicchio. Toss the farro with the salad greens and top with the grilled vegetables. Using a vegetable peeler, shave thin shards of Parmesan cheese over the top of this salad.

Click here to print recipe for Grilled Asparagus and Farro Salad.

Israeli Couscous with Pickled Shallots, Peas, Mint and Ricotta Salata

4 Replies

I have never understood the appeal of traditional couscous. It simply does not have enough texture or heft for me. Even when steamed and fluffed properly, so that the grains stay separate, it fails to satisfy me. I like my carbs with a bit of bite to them. Israeli couscous is more my jam. It is dense with a bouncy, chewy texture. I had always assumed that Israeli couscous was just bigger balls of regular couscous. I only recently learned the true difference.

Traditional couscous is actually tiny ground pasta made from semolina flour. It is made by rubbing semolina between wet hands until teeny-tiny balls are formed. The couscous is then dried and steamed. Israeli couscous is also made from semolina flour, but the similarities end there. Israeli couscous is made by mixing semolina flour with water, into a dough. The dough is then machine extruded through a round mould, about 1 millimetre in size. These tiny pearls are then toasted dry, which adds a nutty flavour.

Traditional couscous has been around, some believe, since the 9th century, but Israeli couscous is just a baby. It only came into existence in the 1950’s. Following the War of Independence in 1948, many immigrants arrived in the newly formed country from all over the Middle East. Most of them relied on rice as a staple in their cuisine, but there were rice shortages. Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, asked the Osem food company to develop something that they could substitute for their beloved rice. They created “Ptitim“. It was nicknamed Ben Gurion rice, since it was originally extruded in the shape of rice grains. They later introduced a round version which they called Israeli couscous.

This delicious salad is my adaptation of a Cook’s Illustrated recipe. I have only made a slight change. I substituted ricotta salata for the feta cheese they suggested. I prefer the drier texture and less salty taste of ricotta salata. Many Italian grocers carry it. Feel free to use feta if you like, or even some crumbled goat cheese, if that’s your thing.

Begin with pickling the shallots. Nothing too complicated here. You will need red wine vinegar, sugar, a pinch of salt and some thinly sliced shallots. Simmer vinegar, sugar and salt until the sugar dissolves. Add shallots, turn off heat, cover pot and let macerate for 30 minutes. That’s it. I always thought pickling was so complicated. To properly cook Israeli couscous, begin by sauteeing in a bit of olive oil until about half the grains turn brown. Then add water and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 12 minutes. The ratio of Israeli couscous to water is 1:1.25. (For every cup of couscous, add 1¼ cups water)Once cooked, spread couscous out on a baking sheet to allow it to cool before tossing with other salad ingredients. Prepare the dressing. The mild flavour of couscous can stand up to a bracing dressing of Dijon, lemon juice, red pepper flakes and olive oil.Then it’s simply a matter of assembly. I thawed some green peas (no cooking necessary), drained the pickled shallots, washed some baby arugula and mint, toasted and chopped pistachios and diced up the cheese. Sugar snap peas or asparagus would also be excellent friends with this salad. I loved the combination of all these ingredients. Chewy, nutty couscous, bitter arugula, sweet mint, crunchy pistachios, salty cheese and the zingy pickled shallots. Each bite had me craving more.

Salt and Serenity

Tales from my kitchen

Tag Archives: spring salads

Spring Greens with Rhubarb Vinaigrette

Keys to Success: