Meatless Monday: Oat Waldorf Salad

Fresh, filling salads are my Meatless Monday standby—especially when the weather warms up.

And the key to taking a salad from sad to spectacular is, of course, the ingredients. Waldorf salads, which take their name from a famous New York hotel, are traditionally made with apples, celery, lettuce, walnuts, and a mayo dressing. Not bad, right?

Our version keeps the good stuff and subtracts the heavy dressing and boring iceberg lettuce. Plus, we throw in some chewy oat groats, crisp radicchio, and a light vinaigrette. Oat groats may seem exotic, but they’re simply the whole grain kernel from which other types of oats are made. You should be able to find them on the shelves of your local health food store.

Tips to make over your salads

Make sure your salad is pulling its nutritional weight by keeping these tips in mind.

• Swap lacklustre lettuce for more nutritious options, such as vitamin A- and iron-rich spinach.
• Curb the croutons in favour of crunchy seeds and nuts (pumpkin seeds and walnuts are my go-to toppings).
• Experiment with vegetarian proteins such as extra-firm tofu or chickpeas, and stay far away from mysterious deli meat.
• Go easy on the dressing. Although adding a dash of extra-virgin olive oil to our salads is a heart-healthy choice, conventional dressings can contain preservatives and other no-nos.

Oat Waldorf Salad

From Matthew Kadey’s “Raise the Salad Bar”

1 cup (250 mL) organic oat groats
2 cups (500 mL) low-sodium vegetable broth
3 cups (750 mL) red seedless grapes
1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil or camelina oil 
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped walnuts
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 cups (500 mL) thinly sliced radicchio
3 oz (85 g) fontina cheese, diced 
1 apple, diced 
2 Tbsp (30 mL) cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tsp (5 mL) lemon zest 
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper

Heat medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add oats and heat, shaking pan often, until fragrant and popping, about 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes, or until groats are tender but still chewy. Drain any excess liquid and let cool.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Toss grapes with oil and spread out on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, or until grapes have softened and begun to burst. Remove from oven and let cool. Reserve juices.

Heat heavy-duty skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and heat until toasted, shaking pan often.

In large bowl, toss together oats, grapes, walnuts, celery, radicchio, cheese, and apple. In small bowl, whisk together pan juices from roasted grapes, vinegar, lemon zest, shallot, salt, and pepper. Toss dressing with oat salad.

Serves 4.

Each serving contains: 475 calories; 15 g protein; 23 g total fat (6 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 59 g total carbohydrates (24 g sugars, 8 g fibre); 342 mg sodium