If there’s a vegan or vegetarian in the crowd, then this dish will be sure to please. Chock full of complementary textures and flavours, it not only qualifies as eye candy, but is also a substantial stand-alone meal—a stunning meal in a dish!
Best beer? Serve this salad with an IPA or pale ale. For a more adventurous sip, it’s equally delicious with a Belgian pale or dark ale.
Endlessly customizable
When it comes to this powerhouse salad, the sky’s the limit. Swap out apples with orange wedges, or mix up your greens by substituting spinach for endive. Bump up the protein with some canned chickpeas or black beans, if you wish. Or cut up some corn tortillas into bite-sized strips, fry in pan until crisp, then toss over salad for added crunch.
Everything-But-Meat Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups (500 mL) packed kale, washed, spun dry, and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 Tbsp + 1/4 cup (15 mL + 60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 head Romaine, washed, spun dry, and shredded
- 1/2 head radicchio, shaved
- 4 large curly endive leaves, washed, spun dry, and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 unpeeled cucumber, cut into matchstick pieces
- 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
- 1 cup (250 mL) grape tomatoes, halved
- 4 large radishes, shaved
- 1 crisp, green unpeeled apple, cored and thinly sliced
- 1/4 small, sweet onion, shaved into rounds
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp (5 mL) maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) sea salt
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) toasted nuts such as walnuts or hazelnuts, chopped, or pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) toasted nuts such as walnuts or hazelnuts, chopped, or pumpkin seeds
- Nasturtium flowers (optional)
Directions
01
In large bowl, place kale and drizzle with 1 Tbsp (15 mL) oil; using your fingertips, rub oil into leaves to soften. Add Romaine, radicchio, endive, cucumber, carrot, tomatoes, radishes, apple slices, and sweet onion, separated into rings.
02
In small bowl, combine vinegar, mustard, syrup, salt and pepper. Whisk to blend. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup (60 mL) oil until emulsified. Drizzle over salad and gently toss to coat. Top salad with nuts and hemp hearts. Garnish with nasturtium flowers, if available.
Irene McGuinness is a writer, recipe developer, food stylist for numerous magazines and corporations, and alumna of the Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University
