Salads Archives

Category: Salads

23
Sep
2015

Cucumber And Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

categories: From Our Veggie Garden, Salads, Vegetable Dishes

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You will LOVE this GORGEOUS and DELICIOUS carpaccio salad, with thinly sliced cucumbers, zucchini, feta cheese, and pecans, topped with a light, herb-seasoned dressing!
Recently I used a birthday gift card I received to purchase a cookbook I had my eye on for a while: “Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl Of Love”. It is a great cookbook… and this cucumber and zucchini carpaccio salad is the FIRST recipe I made from the book.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but found the dressing (which features fresh dill, flat leaf parsley, and mint), and the addition of feta cheese, and toasted pecans make this a unique looking and absolutely delicious, fresh crunchy salad! The salad is scrumptious, pretty to look at, and would be a perfect brunch, potluck or party dish!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of The Page

What Exactly IS A “Carpaccio Salad”?

I thought the salad looked wonderful, but was very curious what a “Carpaccio” salad actually was. Turns out the word Carpaccio (according to Wikipedia) originally referred to a dish utilizing extremely thin slices of raw meat, layered with white truffles or Parmesan cheese.

The dish was named after a Venetian painter named Vittore Carpaccio, who was well known for his paintings which prominently featured red and white tones. (see where the red meat and white truffles played a part?).

Nowadays the term “carpaccio” can be used for any dish made with thinly sliced raw meat, fish or vegetables. THIS carpaccio salad uses fresh cucumbers and zucchini. Only veggies-no raw meat for me!

How To Prepare This Cucumber Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

Very thinly slice one large cucumber and one zucchini of equal size (I picked both from my garden-yeehaw!). I used a mandolin to thinly slice the veggies, which made it very easy. However, if you are slicing the cucumbers and zucchini by hand, make sure you get the slices as thin as possible. Here are the cucumber slices, so you can see their “thin-ness”.

Here is me and my trusty mandolin (a gift from our oldest son), slicing the zucchini thinly. This is a great tool for this recipe!

Here are the finished cucumber and zucchini slices. The peel is left intact, which adds color to the cucumber zucchini carpaccio salad.

Arranging The Carpaccio Salad Veggies

Begin in the center of a round serving plate, and alternately arrange the slices (one cucumber, one zucchini, etc.), working outward around the circle.

Keep layering the veggies, one zucchini, one cucumber, and so on. Keep layering until all the veggies are distributed and the carpaccio salad looks like this:

Prepare The Salad Dressing

Looks good already, doesn’t it? I think so! Mix the dressing, which includes, olive oil, lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, fresh mint, flat leaf parsley and dill (herbs were from our garden… nice).

Toast The Pecans For The Salad

Toast chopped pecans in a “dry” skillet. A “dry skillet means you use no oil. Simply add chopped pecans, and heat on medium-low for 3-4 minutes, keeping them stirred, until lightly toasted.

To Serve The Cucumber Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

Mix the dressing really well, then drizzle it over the top of the veggies, trying to cover them all. Sprinkle the top of the cucumber zucchini carpaccio salad with crumbled feta cheese, toasted pecans, and some cracked black pepper. I also added a few small mint leaves and dill for garnish, and a small red pear tomato (cut in quarters almost to bottom) from our garden, and that was it!

MAKE AHEAD TIP: If you want to make this up early, arrange the cucumbers and zucchini on plate, then cover and refrigerate. Right before serving, add the dressing, feta, pecans and black pepper. This is what it looked like at serving time! Pretty, huh?

Trust me – this carpaccio salad is amazing! The dressing is fresh, and the fresh herbs shine through, to make this such a wonderful, tasty, and beautiful salad. Here… I saved a bite for you! (You’re welcome).

I will most definitely be making this carpaccio salad again! Sure hope you will give it a try, also! Have a great day. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you will come back again soon.

Looking For More Salads Using VEGGIES?

You can find all my salad recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorites include:

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Cucumber And Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Total Time

15 mins

You will LOVE this GORGEOUS and DELICIOUS carpaccio salad, featuring thinly sliced cucumbers, zucchini, feta, pecans, and a light, herb-seasoned dressing!

Category: Salad, Vegetable Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: carpaccio salad

Servings: 6 servings

Calories Per Serving: 170 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For salad dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh dill
1 Tablespoon finely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

For salad:

2 zucchini , sliced very thin
2 cucumbers , sliced very thin
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 cup feta cheese , crumbled
1/4 cup finely chopped roasted pecans (or walnuts)
Freshly cracked black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, mint, dill and parsley together until well combined. Set salad dressing aside (or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate if making ahead).
To make the salad, very thinly slice the cucumbers and zucchini. Arrange the veggie slices on a large serving plate, by alternating cucumbers and zucchini. Work from the inside of the plate around the circle to the outside, filling the entire plate. Once the veggies are arranged, sprinkle lightly with salt. NOTE: If you are making this salad ahead of serving time, wrap the veggie plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate at this point. Add the rest (salad dressing, feta, pecans, etc. at serving time).
When ready to serve, drizzle the salad dressing over the entire salad, trying to cover all the veggies lightly.
Add the crumbled feta cheese, distributing over the top of the salad. Do the same with the toasted pecans (or walnuts), then finish with cracked black pepper.
If desired, garnish salad with additional mint leaves or dill sprigs. I added a small red pear tomato (cut into quarters, sliced from top to bottom). Serve, and enjoy!!!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: For my husband and myself, I cut the SALAD ingredients in half (i.e. one cucumber, one zucchini, etc.), but kept the quantity of salad dressing the same. There was still enough salad for 3-4 small servings. Just an FYI.

Nutrition Facts

Cucumber And Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 170 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 11mg4%

Sodium 341mg15%

Potassium 343mg10%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 345IU7%

Vitamin C 19.9mg24%

Calcium 91mg9%

Iron 0.8mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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17
Aug
2015

Cobb Salad

categories: Bacon, Chicken, Main Dish Salads, Main Dishes, Salads

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Cobb Salad is a delicious “all in one” meal, with chicken breast, chilled salad greens, bacon, avocado, bleu cheese crumbles, and crunchy veggies!
This past week I made a Cobb Salad for my husband and I for dinner. Cobb Salads are one of my favorite meals, because of all the chopped veggies, chicken, bacon, etc. that go into it. It’s an entire meal… we are always full when done eating, that’s for sure!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Cad At The Bottom Of the Page

Making A Cobb Salad

The majority of work involved in making this chopped Cobb Salad is simply that… chopping! Chopping up cooked, crisp bacon, grilled chicken breasts, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, cucumber and avocados.

The prep work is not so bad… it’s easy! Once you have THAT done, all that is involved is layering the ingredients onto the cold crisp salad greens, adding your favorite dressing and enjoying this great salad!

If you have already have cooked chicken (I used leftover grilled chicken breasts!) and hard-boiled eggs, then this salad comes together very quickly!

The recipe makes enough for two meal sized salads. It could easily be adapted to make 4 smaller salads as a side dish. You know what else I like about this yummy salad? It not only TASTES good, it LOOKS good!

Once you’ve “assembled” this cobb salad, all that is left to do is add your favorite salad dressing, grab a fork, and dig in!!! Sure hope you will give this salad a try. I really think you will LOVE it!

I hope you have the chance to make and enjoy this delicious Cobb Salad. Have a fantastic week, friends. May God bless the work of your hands as you journey through each day you are given!

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some wonderful salad recipes that include:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Have a GREAT day!

0 from 0 votes

Cobb Salad

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Total Time

15 mins

Cobb Salad is a delicious "all in one" meal, featuring chicken breast, chilled salad greens, bacon, avocado, bleu cheese crumbles, and crunchy veggies!

Category: Entree Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cobb salad

Servings: 2 entree salads

Calories Per Serving: 701 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

Iceberg Lettuce and assorted Spring Greens
4 slices bacon , cooked until crispy, then crumbled
2 grilled or cooked skinless , boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup bleu cheese crumbles
1 medium tomato , chopped
2 hard boiled eggs , chopped
1 medium cucumber , peeled and cubed
1 avocado , cubed
Salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place mixed chilled salad greens on serving plate.
Place layers (lines) of remaining ingredients on top of salad greens in any order you wish, remembering to divide all ingredients in half (half for each salad).
Top with your favorite salad dressing; serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

FYI-The prep time does not include time for boiling the eggs or cooking the chicken. It's really quick and easy to throw this salad together when those are already pre-cooked.

Caloric calculation is based on TWO salads. If recipe is divided into 4 servings, the calorie count will be cut in half.

Nutrition Facts

Cobb Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 main course salad)

Calories 701 Calories from Fat 450

% Daily Value*

Fat 50g77%

Saturated Fat 16g100%

Cholesterol 313mg104%

Sodium 969mg42%

Potassium 1514mg43%

Carbohydrates 16g5%

Fiber 8g33%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 46g92%

Vitamin A 1400IU28%

Vitamin C 25.1mg30%

Calcium 248mg25%

Iron 2.3mg13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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27
Jul
2015

Quick n’ Easy Chef’s Salad

categories: Main Dish Salads, Main Dishes, Salads, Turkey

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Summertime. Heat. Hot. UGH. What better time to make a Quick n’ Easy Chef’s Salad for dinner? This is a great idea for those HOT, HOT, summer days when you don’t really want to heat up the kitchen or cook a lot.
My husband and I love to have lighter meals at times when it is so hot outside that all you want to do is fill your tummy or feed your family, without exerting too much energy. Ever have days like that? I do, occasionally. Well, why not throw together a healthy, delicious entree salad, filled with lots of veggies AND protein and make THAT your meal? The bonus is that it’s quick, easy, and delicious!

Chef Salads are kind of like that. You just “build” them as you like them. Usually I start with a bed of mixed greens. I slice up some hard-boiled eggs (see my cute little egg picture below?), slice cheese into stick-like portion sizes (I’ve used cheddar in these photos, but have also used cheddar and pepper jack combo before), chop a few tomatoes and/or other veggies like green/red peppers, cucumber chunks, red onions, etc, and slice up some deli-bought ham and turkey slices.

Then I assemble it all (as decoratively as my little old hands can), on a dinner plate, and top it with my favorite salad dressing. **In case you’re wondering, my favorite salad dressing is bleu cheese. (I posted that in case you want to send me a case of bleu cheese dressing for my birthday).

Really the “hardest” thing about making this salad is just hard-boiling the eggs ahead of time. No biggie.

By the way, speaking of eggs… I love my handy-dandy little ol’ egg slicer I’ve had for over 30 years. Still works like a charm to make even slices of hard boiled egg to garnish this salad or potato salad with. Just sayin’. From the looks of this picture, it looks like it needs a good cleaning!

Anyways… just build the salad the way you or your family likes it. This is just the way I do it. Nothing too fancy… just GOOD. You really can’t go wrong with hard-boiled eggs, ham/turkey, cheese, and whatever veggies you want.

Just try to make it look good. Remember… we eat with our eyes, right? (something like that… I do tend to use a fork for this meal).

It’s as simple as that! You really can make a quick, healthy, entree Chef’s Salad for much less than you would spend to buy one in a restaurant. Hope you will consider making a Chef’s Salad for you and your significant others sometime this summer.

Hope you will be inspired to make a Chef’s Salad this summer, and make it your OWN way. Have a great summer. Enjoy the beauty all around (look closely- you can find it everywhere); practice thankfulness, and try to make the most out of each day you are given.

God Bless You!

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29
Jun
2015

Purple Coleslaw

categories: Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetable Dishes

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Purple coleslaw, with homemade poppyseed dressing, is a quick, easy salad that’s perfect for BBQ’s! Slaw turns deep purple the longer it refrigerates.
I happen to love coleslaw, and the crunch of the cabbage, and the creamy, slightly sweet dressing. Coleslaw is so easy to make, and I like the way this Purple Coleslaw deepens in it’s purple color the longer it is mixed together. More color on my plate!

It’s easy to go to the produce section and buy pre-shredded coleslaw mixes. Also it is easy to go to the salad dressing section and buy a pre-made coleslaw dressing. Mix them together and poof! Coleslaw. Well, I totally “get” the convenience of it, but I think it’s fun being able to make a great coleslaw using fresh produce. I also enjoy making my own “not out of the bottle” coleslaw dressing.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Why Does It Turn Purple?

Store bought coleslaw mixes usually have lots of shredded green cabbage, shredded carrots and a teensy,tiny bit of purple cabbage. I like to make my own coleslaw THAT way, but I also love this recipe which adds a much larger amount of purple cabbage.

This larger amount of purple cabbage ultimately colors the dressing purple the longer the coleslaw is mixed together. It’s kinda fun to serve a purple coleslaw, and it’s a breeze to make my own!

How To Make Purple Coleslaw

First you shred two cups of purple cabbage into a large mixing bowl. I use a mandolin, but you can also do this with a cheese grater.

Now shred the green cabbage and some carrots into the same bowl.

Now you will have all the coleslaw veggies in the large mixing bowl. See how EASY that is?

Mix these colorful purple coleslaw ingredients together. See how pretty it is already?

Make The Dressing For The Purple Coleslaw

The coleslaw dressing has light mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, poppyseeds, and a little salt, pepper and sugar. Mix these ingredients together in a small bowl. That’s IT!

Add the dressing to the bowl with the purple coleslaw, and stir well, to combine.

Refrigerate The Purple Coleslaw For Best Flavor (And Color)

Cover the coleslaw with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour (the longer the better), so the flavors can come together. When you are ready to serve, give it a good stir, and dig in. Refrigerate leftovers.

NOTE: The longer you keep the purple coleslaw refrigerated (and stirred), the more purple the dressing will become, as the deep purple color from the cabbage mixes with the dressing. It’s kind of a unique touch for a delicious homemade coleslaw.

This is a perfect side dish for summer BBQ’s. We really enjoy this great purple coleslaw. Sure hope you will give it a try. Have a great week!

Looking For More COLESLAW Recipes?

You can find ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of great salads you’ll enjoy, including these other coleslaw recipes:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Recipe source: My brain and lots of experimenting…

0 from 0 votes

Purple Coleslaw

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Total Time

15 mins

Purple coleslaw, with homemade poppyseed dressing, is a quick, easy salad that's perfect for BBQ's! Slaw turns deep purple the longer it refrigerates.

Category: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: purple coleslaw

Servings: 6 (1/2 cup) servings

Calories Per Serving: 288 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Coleslaw:

2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 cup shredded purple cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrots

For Coleslaw Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon poppyseeds
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Shred green cabbage, purple cabbage, and carrots. Place into a large mixing bowl. Mix well, to combine.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, poppyseeds, and granulated sugar. Mix well, to thoroughly combine.
Add the dressing to the slaw mixture. Stir well until all veggies are coated with dressing. Cover coleslaw with plastic wrap; place in refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour (preferably longer), so that flavors come together and the slaw is very cold.
Serve, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Prep time does not include inactive refrigeration time. The longer the cole slaw is refrigerated, the better it is, and the more PURPLE it becomes!

Nutrition Facts

Purple Coleslaw

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 288 Calories from Fat 252

% Daily Value*

Fat 28g43%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 15mg5%

Sodium 349mg15%

Potassium 117mg3%

Carbohydrates 7g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 1995IU40%

Vitamin C 17.7mg21%

Calcium 30mg3%

Iron 0.4mg2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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17
Jun
2015

Chicken Salad

categories: Chicken, Main Dish Salads, Main Dishes, Salads

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This easy to prepare, delicious chicken salad, with cranberries, celery and pecans can be eaten as is, or served in pita bread or rolls for a great sandwich.
We’ve had lots of sunshine and hot weather the past several weeks in the Pacific Northwest. A few nights ago I decided to make my old standby recipe for Chicken Salad, serve it with some fresh pineapple, strawberries, and cantaloupe, and have dinner out on our back deck.

This was a perfect entree salad on a hot night! I was even able to use some of the red leaf lettuce from our garden to serve the salad on- whoo-hoo! I’ve been making chicken salad this way for over 25 years. I’ve never had a recipe that I’ve used, so I had to be deliberate about writing it down this time, so I could post the right quantities for this blog post.

We really enjoy the salad, with chunks of chicken breast, crisp celery, the sweet chewy raisins, dried cranberries, red onion and crunchy pecans! This salad is really easy to make, too! Quick and easy, it’s my idea of a perfect meal! Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Cook The Chicken Breasts

The first thing you need to do is cook the chicken. Put frozen chicken breasts (yep-right out of the freezer) into a large pan. Cover them with water, bring water to a boil, then cook on high heat for about 45-50 minutes (until fully cooked). *Note: I use 4 chicken breasts, but this picture shows 5 because I was cooking an extra one for another recipe.

When the chicken has finished cooking, remove the chicken breasts from the water and let the pieces cool a little. Once the chicken has cooled enough to handle, cut the pieces into 1 inch cubes and set aside.

Preparing The Chicken Salad

While the chicken is cooking, chop the pecans, celery and red onion, and place them into a medium sized bowl, along with the raisins and dried cranberries.

Place the chunks of cooked chicken breast into the bowl with the other ingredients.

Add the mayonnaise to the bowl, and then season the chicken salad with salt and pepper. Give it a good stir to mix it all together (making sure it is all coated). Give it a taste, then add more salt and pepper, if necessary to suit your taste preference.

Serving The Chicken Salad

Cover the chicken salad with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for about 2-3 hours. We feel this salad is at it’s best served nice and cold, plus the flavors have had time to develop. Once the salad has fully chilled, it’s ready to serve! By the way… it tastes GREAT on sandwiches, too. I love to stuff a pita full of this chicken salad! Yum.

Chicken salad can be served in pita bread for sandwiches. — Delicious, stuffed with chicken salad!

My absolute favorite way to serve this is… just as it is!!!!! When ready to serve, I place red lettuce leaves onto a serving plate, then arrange the chicken salad on top, for a nice presentation.

This chicken salad is a great quick bite for lunch OR for a light dinner! I sure hope you will try making this for yourself… it’s really delicious! Hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy each minute of life you are blessed with!

Looking For More Chicken Salad Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a few chicken salad recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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0 from 0 votes

Chicken Salad

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Total Time

45 mins

This easy to prepare, delicious chicken salad, with cranberries, celery and pecans can be eaten as is, or served in pita bread or rolls for a great sandwich.

Category: Entree Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken salad

Servings: 8 small servings

Calories Per Serving: 467 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

4 boneless , skinless chicken breasts (frozen)
1 1/2 cups diced celery (I use 3 stalks-slice each stalk in thirds lengthwise, then chop)
1 cup chopped pecans (can also use walnuts)
3/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 1/3 cups mayonnaise
salt and pepper , to taste (approx. 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper-more, as needed)
Red leaf lettuce leaves (to serve salad on top of-this is optional, but it looks pretty!)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place frozen chicken breasts into a large saucepan. Cover completely with water. Cook on HIGH for 45-50 minutes (until chicken is done). Remove from heat. Remove chicken to a cutting board and let cool.
In a large salad bowl, place the celery, pecans, raisins, dried cranberries, and red onion.
Once the chicken has cooled off (to the touch), cut it into 1 inch cubes. Add the chicken to the salad bowl.
Add the mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine all ingredients.
Taste salad. Add additional salt and pepper, to suit your taste. I usually have to add a bit more. When ready, cover salad with plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator to chill for 2-3 hours or more (the longer the flavors have time to come together, the better!)
When ready to serve, place a few red leaf lettuce leaves onto serving plate. Arrange salad into a mound in the center of the lettuce. Serve, and enjoy!
Keep leftovers covered and refrigerated. Will keep for several days!

Recipe Notes

Prep time includes time for cooking the chicken, but does not include refrigeration time.

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 467 Calories from Fat 351

% Daily Value*

Fat 39g60%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 51mg17%

Sodium 321mg14%

Potassium 433mg12%

Carbohydrates 16g5%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 14g28%

Vitamin A 210IU4%

Vitamin C 2.1mg3%

Calcium 27mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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05
Jun
2015

Mixed Greens, Cranberries, Feta & Pecans with a Creamy Lemon Dressing

categories: Salads

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Several years ago a parent (at a school I worked at) brought an amazing salad for a staff luncheon during Teacher Appreciation Week. I fell in love with the Mixed Greens, Cranberries, Feta & Pecans with a Creamy Lemon Dressing it had on it. Soooo good!
I asked the Mom who brought the salad if she would “pretty please” give me her recipe… and she did! Well, that was well over 10 years ago, and I’ve been making this salad ever since. It is absolutely one of my all-time favorite salads!

I still have the piece of yellow legal paper she wrote the recipe down on… by now it is quite stained, but still going strong! I am so grateful she was gracious enough to share her “recipe” with me!

This salad is totally easy to prepare… the homemade creamy lemon dressing is what makes the salad go from great to spectacular!

First you need to dry toast some pecans (may substitute walnuts). Do this by putting the pecans in a totally dry skillet, and cook them on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to prevent burning. When done, remove from pan; set aside to cool.

Mix together the salad dressing, then refrigerate it for awhile, so the flavors have a chance to “marry”. To make the salad dressing, place equal portions of fresh lemon juice, oil, real maple syrup, and a couple dashes of finely ground black pepper in a medium sized bowl.

Stir with a fork or whisk to combine.

Add mayonnaise to mixture.

Whisk the ingredients together until smooth.

Put the dressing in a container with a lid (you will need to thoroughly shake it before serving), and refrigerate until cold, to allow flavors to really come together (the longer, the better!)

When ready to prepare the salad for serving, place spinach, red leaf lettuce and mixed greens (gourmet greens at the market) onto a serving platter or into a serving bowl. Top with dried cranberries, chopped, toasted pecans, and crumbled feta (or gorgonzola) cheese.

Drizzle with creamy lemon dressing, toss, and serve! You can also mix the salad greens with the salad dressing, then top with cranberries, pecans and feta. (For these pictures, I dressed the salad AFTER).

This truly is an amazing tasting salad… just perfect for a hot summer night! It is packed with flavor and texture… and the dressing is off the charts! Sure hope you will give salad a try… I KNOW you will LOVE it!

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

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Recipe source: Vickie Spracklen

0 from 0 votes

Mixed Greens, Cranberries, Feta & Pecans with a Creamy Lemon Dressing

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Total Time

15 mins

This is a perfect summer salad, bursting with the flavors and textures of cranberries, feta, toasted pecans, enhanced by an amazing creamy lemon dressing!

Category: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: mixed greens salad

Servings: 4 servings

Calories Per Serving: 425 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For the salad:

1 bunch baby spinach
1/2 head red leaf lettuce
1/2 bag of "fancy" gourmet lettuce
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup toasted , chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (or gorgonzola)

For the creamy lemon dressing:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup real maple syrup
2 dashes finely ground black pepper
1/4 cup real mayonnaise

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the salad dressing (as much ahead of time as possible):

In a medium sized bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, maple syrup and a couple dashes of finely ground black pepper. Mix well to combine.
Add mayonnaise to salad dressing. Whisk well until smooth. Place in covered container and refrigerate (as long as possible) or until ready to serve. Right before serving, give the container a good shake to re-mix ingredients in dressing.
Toast the pecans, by cooking them over medium heat in a dry skillet for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Set aside to cool.
Arrange chilled, mixed salad greens in bowl or on serving plate. Evenly distribute cranberries, feta, and toasted pecans over the top of salad. Pour salad dressing over top (as little or as much as you like). Mix and serve. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Prep time does not include time for salad dressing to refrigerate. It can be served right when you make it, but it definitely is better after having been refrigerated for awhile, so the flavors can co-mingle.

Nutrition Facts

Mixed Greens, Cranberries, Feta & Pecans with a Creamy Lemon Dressing

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/4 of total))

Calories 425 Calories from Fat 297

% Daily Value*

Fat 33g51%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 14mg5%

Sodium 445mg19%

Potassium 742mg21%

Carbohydrates 28g9%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 20g22%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 15100IU302%

Vitamin C 36.5mg44%

Calcium 188mg19%

Iron 3.5mg19%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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13
Mar
2015

Strawberry-Pineapple Jello Salad

categories: Salads

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It’s easy to make a delicious Strawberry-Pineapple Jello Salad, enhanced with pecans, cream cheese and a secret ingredient- shhh.. it’s 7-Up!

Have you ever heard the phrase “it’s like trying to nail Jello to the wall”? Well, trying to get a good photo of a fantastic tasting Strawberry-Pineapple Jello Salad proved to be a huge challenge. I want to share this recipe with you in spite of that, so you need to know this strawberry-pineapple jello salad tastes good, in spite of the photos. OK? OK.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of The Page

A Little Bit About This Yummy Salad

This sweet strawberry-pineapple jello salad is super easy to make, and it’s full of flavor! The salad contains crushed pineapple, pecans, cream cheese and the secret ingredient… wait for it… a can of 7-Up! Yep!

Jello salad is perfect to feed a crowd of people, and this strawberry-pineapple jello salad makes approximately 16 servings! I have posted the pictures and recipe for strawberry flavored salad, but at times I have substituted lime jello for the strawberry, and it is equally wonderful!

How To Make Strawberry-Pineapple Jello Salad

Here’s what you do: Dissolve jello powder in 2 cups of boiling water (use the drained pineapple juice as part of this liquid).

Time To Blend It Up!

Once mixture is dissolved, put the liquid in a blender with the cream cheese. Blend these ingredients well, until the jello and cream cheese are completely combined.

Once they are fully blended, the jello and cream cheese mixture will look like this below…

Add The Secret Ingredient To The Jello!

Pour the creamy jello mixture into a large serving dish (a 2.5 quart dish for a half recipe or a 13×9 dish for full recipe works well). Add 1 can of 7-Up to the jello, then stir to combine.

After mixing the 7-Up in, the mixture will be foamy and look like this, in the photo below.

Time To CHILL The Strawberry Pineapple Jello Salad!

Cover the jello with plastic wrap and put the dish into a refrigerator. When the jello has thickened slightly (after about 45 minutes or so), add the crushed pineapple and chopped pecans (or walnuts).

Stir until combined, re-cover with plastic wrap and let refrigerate until the strawberry-pineapple jello salad is completely set. My recommendation is to let it refrigerate for 4-6 hours! I usually make this salad the day BEFORE I plan to serve it!

Time to EAT!

Once firm and fully set, serve the jello salad, by cutting it into serving-sized pieces. Remove the pieces with a spatula, serve, and enjoy!

This salad has been served alongside lots of holiday meals, especially at Thanksgiving time! It may not be the “prettiest” jello salad you’ve ever laid eyes on, but it sure is delicious! Hope you will give it a try!

You Can Also Make Lime-Pineapple Jello Salad!

This is also fantastic as a LIME-PINEAPPLE JELLO SALAD (substitute lime jello for strawberry) YUM! Here is a photo of that salad!

Hope you will consider trying this delicious jello salad! We have had it often, especially served with our Thanksgiving Day dinner! Have a great day!

Looking For More JELLO SALAD Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few jello salad recipes we love include:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Original recipe source: unknown (been making this for over 30 years…)

5 from 1 vote

Strawberry-Pineapple Jello Salad

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Refrigeration (inactive)

5 hrs

Total Time

5 hrs 10 mins

A delicious & easy to prepare, Strawberry-Pineapple Jello Salad, enhanced with pecans, cream cheese and a secret ingredient, 7-Up!

Category: Salad, Salad/Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: strawberry-pineapple jello salad

Servings: 12 servings

Calories Per Serving: 123 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

6 ounces Strawberry Jello powder (large box-can also substitute Lime)
3 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces crushed pineapple (drained, BUT RESERVE JUICE!)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
12 ounces 7-Up (1 can)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Dissolve jello in 2 cups boiling water **(use reserved pineapple juice as part of the 2 cups liquid).
Put jello in blender with cream cheese. Blend until completely combined.
Pour jello mixture into serving dish. Add can of 7-Up. Stir until combined. Mixture will be foamy. Cover dish with plastic wrap, then refrigerate until slightly thickened (about 45 minutes or so).
When jello is slightly thickened, stir in the crushed pineapple and chopped nuts. Stir to combine and distribute throughout jello. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely set and firm (several hours).
When ready to serve, slice into serving pieces with a knife, then use a spatula to remove portions. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

This salad does not take very long to prepare at all. Most of the prep time is INACTIVE time... "hurry up and wait for jello to firm up" kind of time! Try this with lime jello... it's fantastic!

Nutrition Facts

Strawberry-Pineapple Jello Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 123 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 4mg1%

Sodium 102mg4%

Potassium 60mg2%

Carbohydrates 20g7%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 18g20%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 49IU1%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 17mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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04
Mar
2015

Southwestern Cobb Salad with Chili-Rubbed Steak

categories: Beef, Main Dish Salads, Main Dishes, Mexican / Southwestern, Salads

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You’ll enjoy this Southwestern Cobb Salad, with chili-rubbed steak, Romaine lettuce, feta cheese, orange slices, jicama, tomatoes, avocado & a delicious salad dressing.
Last summer I found a Food Network cookbook in a used bookstore. The original price was listed as $29.95, but because it was used, I only paid $1.99 for it. SCORE! I’ve marked several recipes in it that I want to try… the first one that I’ve “officially” tried is this one for a delicious Southwestern Cobb Salad with Chili-Rubbed Steak. This Southwestern cobb salad has it all- meat, veggies, fruit, cheese, sweet, crunch, and spice. WOW! You’re gonna love it!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Why I LOVE This Southwestern Cobb Salad!

I made this entree salad for our dinner a couple of nights ago. It was fantastic… as well as a gorgeous looking salad! The salad was fairly easy to prepare, and the tastes were amazing! From the homemade salad dressing with a touch of spice and orange burst of freshness, to the simple chili-rubbed steak, this salad is filled with fresh, wonderful flavors!

The flavors I just described are the supporting stars of this Southwestern cobb salad, which features Romaine lettuce, feta cheese, fresh orange slices, jicama, tomatoes and avocado. My husband and I both LOVED it, and he’s already asked me to prepare it again soon.

How To Make The Salad Dressing For Southwestern Cobb Salad

First thing I did was to make the salad dressing. Making the salad dressing is easy. I loved the addition of orange zest to it… the citrus zest helped make it very fresh tasting! Place the salad dressing ingredients into a small bowl. Easy enough so far, right?

Give the salad dressing ingredients a good whisking, and it’s done! Now all you will need to do is cover the bowl, and refrigerate the dressing until ready to use! EASY!

Make A Chili Spice Rub For The Steak

The next thing to do is make the chili spice rub mixture in another small bowl. It’s simply olive oil and chili powder that you can mix together using a fork.. Making this rub is quick and EASY.

Once fully mixed, put a little bit of the rub on the steaks. TIP: The chili rub mixture is fairly spicy, so use discretion how much you put on the steaks.

Rub the chili powder/oil mixture onto both sides of the steaks, before cooking.

How To Peel and Cut Orange Slices For Southwestern Cobb Salad

Once salad dressing, spice rub and steaks are ready, it’s time to chop the fresh veggies and fruit. Start with the orange. Cut the top and bottom peel off of an orange. Then cut down the sides of the orange, removing all peel and white “pith”.

You’ll be left with something that looks like this (below). Use a sharp knife and cut between each of the sections and remove the orange slices for the salad. Get the white membrane cut off the orange slices. It’s not too difficult.

Preparing Jicama For The Southwestern Cobb Salad

This strange looking thing is a jicama, also known as a Mexican turnip. It has the firm texture of a raw potato. Use a sharp knife and carefully cut the peel off. It will look like a potato once it has been peeled.

Cut the peeled jicama into 1 inch slices, then cut each slice into small cubes.

Assembling The Salad

The prep for the salad involves cubing the jicama, cutting the orange into gorgeous sections, chopping the tomatoes, and cutting a fresh avocado into cubes.

These ingredients for the Southwestern cobb salad were layered in rows, along with crumbled feta cheese, on top of the romaine lettuce. Make sure to leave a couple rows open to add the steak after it has been cooked! The platter with the lettuce and veggies was covered with plastic wrap and went into the refrigerator to keep cold, while I cooked the steak.

Cooking The Steak For Southwestern Cobb Salad

The steak was cooked per the original recipe instructions in the broiler of our oven. It was convenient and delicious, using this oven method. The next time I make this Southwestern Cobb Salad, I will throw the steaks on our Weber grill to achieve an even more smoky taste!

Here’s the what the steak looks like, right after coming out from the oven broiler. Let the meat rest for 5 minutes before cutting. It is important to let the meat rest. This will keep most of the good juices inside the meat, instead of all over the pan. More juice INSIDE the steak means more FLAVOR! Once meat has rested, cut into small cubes.

Remove the salad from refrigerator, and add the steak cubes, as shown. This Southwestern Cobb Salad with chili-rubbed steak sure is pretty to look at!

Roadmap For Assembling and Serving Southwestern Cobb Salad

Here’s the “roadmap” for the salad: Place chopped Romaine lettuce on bottom of serving platter (or individual plates). Arrange rows of prepped fruit and veggies for a colorful presentation.

The order I used for the rows, left to right, were Feta cheese, chopped tomatoes, orange slices, steak cubes, jicama cubes, avocado, and more steak cubes. After the salad is layered, the only thing left to do is pour the dressing on top of the Southwestern cobb salad, and toss gently to combine. That’s it!

This Southwestern Cobb Salad is an all in one dinner salad, and it is delicious! Hope you will give it a try. I confident you will LOVE it! Enjoy!

If you enjoy Main Course Salads, be sure to check out these recipes below. These and others can be found in the RECIPE INDEX, found in the menu toolbar at the top of each page.

Interested In More Recipes?

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Recipe Source: “Food Network Kitchens Cookbook”, published 2003, The Meredith Corporation, page 78.

0 from 0 votes

Southwestern Cobb Salad with Chili-Rubbed Steak

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

35 mins

You'll enjoy this Southwestern Cobb Salad, with chili-rubbed steak, Romaine lettuce, feta cheese, orange slices, jicama, tomatoes, avocado & a delicious salad dressing.

Category: Entree/Salad

Cuisine: Southwestern

Keyword: Southwestern Cobb Salad

Servings: 4 servings

Calories Per Serving: 694 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For the dressing:

2 cloves garlic cloves , minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup mayonaise
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon chipotle hot sauce (I used sauce from a can of adobo chiles)
3 Tablespoons fresh minced cilantro
1 stem scallion (use the white and green parts of the onion), thinly sliced
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

For the steak:

1.75 pounds tri-tip steak or other sirloin steak ( I used 2 steaks), for a total of about 1 3/4 pounds meat
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1.5 Tablespoons chili powder

For the salad:

5 cups head Romaine lettuce , torn or chopped
1 ripe avocado
2 ripe medium tomatoes , diced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese , or more (can also use Cotija cheese)
1 orange , peeled, cut into sections
1/2 medium jicama , peeled and cubed (about 1 1/2 cups)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the salad dressing: Smash the garlic cloves with the flat side of a butcher knife, then sprinkle with salt. Mix together to form a thick paste. Put the garlic "paste" into a msall bowl, then add the rest of the salad dressing ingredients (mayo, buttermilk, chipotle hot sauce, cilantro, scallion and orange zest). Whisk ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate.
Prepare the steak: Lightly salt and pepper the steak. In a small bowl, mix the chili powder and olive oil together until combined into a thick paste. Put this on the meat, and rub the spices into both sides of the meat. If you are grilling steak outside, put on grill and cook until medium. If you are going to be broiling the steak (as per recipe), here's what you need to do: Put a broiler rack and pan about 6 inches away from the broiler in your oven. Turn broiler on and let the pans PREHEAT for several minutes before putting the meat on the pan. When the broiler pan is really HOT, add the steak. (You should hear it sizzle as it hits the broiler pan). Cook for 7-8 minutes on each side for medium, turning once. When done, remove the steak to a cutting board. Let the meat rest for about 5 minutes, then cut into cubes.
To make the salad: Halve, seed, peel and cube the avocado. Peel and section the orange. Peel and cube the jicama. Chop the tomatoes. Put the chopped Romaine lettuce onto a large serving platter (or in a large salad bowl). Arrange the feta, chopped tomatoes, orange sections, steak, jicama and avocado in strips on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the salad dressing over the salad, and toss to combine. (if making individual serving plates, use 3 Tablespoons of dressing per salad).

Recipe Notes

NOTE: This recipe can be adapted to serve 6, by creating smaller portion sizes.

Nutrition Facts

Southwestern Cobb Salad with Chili-Rubbed Steak

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/4 of total))

Calories 694 Calories from Fat 423

% Daily Value*

Fat 47g72%

Saturated Fat 13g81%

Cholesterol 157mg52%

Sodium 891mg39%

Potassium 1393mg40%

Carbohydrates 20g7%

Fiber 9g38%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 47g94%

Vitamin A 6800IU136%

Vitamin C 46.6mg56%

Calcium 228mg23%

Iron 4.9mg27%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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17
Feb
2015

BLT Wedge Salad

categories: Bacon, Salads

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You’re gonna LOVE this classic BLT wedge salad with bacon, iceberg lettuce, crumbled blue cheese, and chopped tomatoes, topped with a thick, creamy, homemade blue cheese dressing!My husband LOVES wedge salads. I think they are his favorite salad. Ever. When we have the opportunity to eat “out”, he will almost always order a wedge salad if it’s on the menu, to go with his meal. I, on the other hand, have NEVER ordered a wedge salad OR made a BLT wedge salad for that matter… until now.

My husband had hinted around that “we” should try making one at home (you know, the proverbial “we”). I wasn’t convinced I would even like it, but because I love my guy so much, I hunted around for recipes. The one I decided on is similar to the wedge salads on the menu at Morton’s – The Steak House. He LOVES those!

So… I made a couple little tweaks in the recipe, and fixed us a BLT Wedge Salad last week with our dinner. And guess what? We BOTH loved it! Who knew that a really cold quarter head of lettuce, covered with a delicious homemade dressing, chopped tomatoes, crisp bacon crumbles and chunks of blue cheese could be so good? We liked the salad and dressing so much that the following evening all we had for dinner was another BLT Wedge Salad! Nothing else… just the salad! (Can you tell we liked it?)

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make The Dressing For A BLT Wedge Salad

First you make the salad dressing by whisking together mayonnaise and sour cream. Then buttermilk , seasoning salt, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, and black pepper is added.

Gently fold in the crumbled blue cheese. Once blue cheese is folded in, salad dressing is covered and refrigerated for several hours, for the flavors to fully develop.

Prepare The Rest Of The Ingredients For The Salad

Chop and de-seed (as much as possible) 1-2 large Roma tomatoes.

Cook the bacon pieces until very crisp. I like to cut up the bacon using kitchen shears before cooking, because it helps it to cook faster.

Once the bacon is fully cooked and crisp, remove it from the skillet. Drain it on paper towels, and set aside.

Serve The BLT Wedge Salad

Make sure the iceberg lettuce is really cold. When ready to serve, take the core of the lettuce head out by holding the lettuce firmly and smacking the core (on the bottom) onto the kitchen counter. The core should be easy to remove after this. Cut the lettuce head, from top to bottom in half, then cut each half again.

To serve, place one entire lettuce wedge onto serving plate, drizzle with salad dressing, then top with chopped tomatoes, crumbled blue cheese and bacon crumbles.

Enjoy the crunch as you cut through the chilled lettuce wedge!

I really hope you try and enjoy this restaurant style BLT Wedge Salad. It’s cold, crisp, and DELICIOUS! Have a wonderful day, friends, and come back again soon.

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of delicious salad recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Have a GREAT day!

Recipe Adapted From: http://pattycakescooking.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/mortons-steak-house-iceberg-blue-cheese.html

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

BLT Wedge Salad

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Total Time

15 mins

Classic wedge salad with bacon, iceberg lettuce, blue cheese, and chopped tomatoes drizzled with a homemade creamy blue cheese dressing.

Category: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: BLT wedge salad

Servings: 4 servings

Calories Per Serving: 605 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

1 cup real mayonnaise
1/2 cup , plus 1 Tablespoon sour cream
2 Tablespoons buttermilk (more if needed, for desired consistency)
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
Salt and pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

For salad:

1 head iceberg lettuce (very cold)
6 slices bacon , cooked crisp and crumbled
1-2 Roma tomatoes , chopped and de-seeded as much as possible

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the sauce several hours before assembling salad. Whisk the mayonnaise and sour cream together in a medium sized bowl. Add the buttermilk, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and seasoning salt to this mixture. Mix well to combine. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Gently fold in the blue cheese crumbles and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours (or even better- overnight!) until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, take completely chilled lettuce out of refrigerator. Pull off any discolored outer leaves. Remove core by hitting the lettuce (core side down) onto kitchen counter to loosen up the core. Remove the core, and discard.
Slice the lettuce into 4 wedges, slicing from the top of the lettuce to the bottom. Place a completely cold lettuce wedge onto each serving plate. Spoon the dressing over the top of the wedge, and allow the dressing to overflow and run down the side.
Sprinkle the top of the wedge with crumbled bacon bits, chopped tomatoes, and additional blue cheese crumbles. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

The key to this salad is having the lettuce wedges be extremely COLD. You can cut the lettuce wedges and then refrigerate them for several hours, if desired. I even put our lettuce wedges in our freezer for 10 minutes right before serving, to get them even colder.

Nutrition Facts

BLT Wedge Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 wedge)

Calories 605 Calories from Fat 540

% Daily Value*

Fat 60g92%

Saturated Fat 14g88%

Cholesterol 58mg19%

Sodium 980mg43%

Potassium 356mg10%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 9g18%

Vitamin A 970IU19%

Vitamin C 5.9mg7%

Calcium 126mg13%

Iron 0.9mg5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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11
Feb
2015

Spinach and Orzo Salad

categories: Salads

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This delicious spinach and orzo salad is an easy to make dish, with feta cheese, capers, kalamata olives, and a simple homemade salad dressing!

A couple of days ago I was looking through some old recipe books I’ve acquired over the years. I found this Spinach and Orzo Salad recipe, (contributed by a friend of mine) in a church cookbook I received at a Women’s Christmas event 12 years ago.

I made this spinach and orzo salad for my husband and I to enjoy with our dinner. It was delicious (thanks, Monica). Tender baby spinach leaves are mixed with orzo pasta, kalamata olives, green onions, capers, red bell pepper, and feta cheese.

The finished salad is tossed in a wonderful, lemon and white wine vinegar based dressing. I loved having the orzo pasta in this salad, because it added a unique touch!

We really did enjoy this “loaded with flavor” spinach and orzo salad. From start to finish, I think it only took me about 15 minutes to make. My tip is to make the entire salad ahead of time, then let it refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Are Spinach And Orzo Salad Leftovers Good The Next Day?

YES!!! When I first made it, the salad was served right after it was tossed with the salad dressing. We had some extra salad leftover (which I usually don’t like cause the lettuce “wilts” overnight), and I ended up saving it in a container. Whoa!

Even the leftovers of this salad were delicious! IT WAS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC (and NOT wilted) the next day for lunch.

Refrigerating the salad for several hours (AFTER the dressing was added) absolutely enhanced the flavors, and it was just as amazing, if not more, than the night before!

It’s EASY To Make Spinach And Orzo Salad!

The ingredients for the simple dressing are mixed together in a small bowl. Whisk them together until they are well incorporated.

Combine all the spinach and orzo salad “add-ins” in a medium bowl. They include sliced olives, green onions, chopped red pepper, crumbled feta cheese, and capers. Set aside.

Cook The Orzo

Add orzo pasta to lightly salted, boiling water. Cook the orzo for 9-10 minutes, according to package directions.

Once the orzo has finished cooking, drain it in a colander. Add a small amount of olive oil, and toss gently, to coat.

Set the pan with the orzo aside, until ready to add it to the salad. Let the cooked orzo cool completely.

Time To Put the Spinach And Orzo Salad Together

When you are ready to “build” the spinach and orzo salad, place baby spinach leaves into the serving bowl.

Place the orzo, kalamata olives, red pepper, green onions, capers and feta cheese on top of the spinach leaves.

Mix all the spinach and orzo salad ingredients until they are well combined.

Give the prepared salad dressing a final stir, then pour it onto the spinach and orzo salad. Give the salad another toss, to distribute the salad dressing throughout.

Time To EAT!

Once mixed together, the spinach and orzo salad is ready to serve and enjoy! Hope you like it too, because it is delicious!

Hope you will give this delicious spinach and orzo salad a try! It’s simple to make, and really tastes quite amazing! Have a fantastic day!

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

You can find ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of yummy salad recipes you’ll enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Recipe Source: Monica Martin, in “A Real Simple Christmas”, Family Favorites, 2002

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Spinach and Orzo Salad

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

9 mins

Total Time

24 mins

This delicious spinach and orzo salad is an easy to make dish, with feta cheese, capers, kalamata olives, and a simple homemade salad dressing!

Category: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: spinach and orzo salad

Servings: 4 servings

Calories Per Serving: 313 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

4 ounces orzo pasta (about 1/2 cup)
1 Tablespoon olive oil

For the salad dressing:

1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 garlic clove , minced
small pinch dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon cumin
Salt & pepper (to taste)

For Salad:

1 bag baby spinach leaves (or use 1 bunch spinach, then chop)
1/4 cup sliced kalamata olives
1/2 red bell pepper , chopped
1 stalk green onion (white and green parts), minced
1/2 Tablespoon capers
2 oz. feta cheese , crumbled

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the salad dressing: In a small bowl, mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, white wine vinegar, dijon, garlic, thyme, oregano, cumin and salt & pepper, until fully combined.
Bring medium saucepan of water to a full boil Add the orzo. Cook for 9 minutes. Drain and toss with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside to cool.
Put the spinach leaves into a large salad bowl. Add the cooked and cooled orzo, sliced olives, chopped red peppers, minced green onion, capers and feta cheese. Mix to combine.
Pour the salad dressing over the salad. Toss to fully combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Tip: I think the flavors go together (even better than they already do) when you completely make the salad (including the dressing), then refrigerate the salad for a few hours.

Nutrition Facts

Spinach and Orzo Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 313 Calories from Fat 189

% Daily Value*

Fat 21g32%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 12mg4%

Sodium 328mg14%

Potassium 94mg3%

Carbohydrates 23g8%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 610IU12%

Vitamin C 20mg24%

Calcium 80mg8%

Iron 0.6mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Category: Salads

What Exactly IS A “Carpaccio Salad”?

How To Prepare This Cucumber Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

Arranging The Carpaccio Salad Veggies

Prepare The Salad Dressing

Toast The Pecans For The Salad

To Serve The Cucumber Zucchini Carpaccio Salad

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Making A Cobb Salad

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

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Why Does It Turn Purple?

How To Make Purple Coleslaw

Make The Dressing For The Purple Coleslaw

Refrigerate The Purple Coleslaw For Best Flavor (And Color)

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Cook The Chicken Breasts

Preparing The Chicken Salad

Serving The Chicken Salad

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A Little Bit About This Yummy Salad

How To Make Strawberry-Pineapple Jello Salad

Time To Blend It Up!

Add The Secret Ingredient To The Jello!

Time To CHILL The Strawberry Pineapple Jello Salad!

Time to EAT!

You Can Also Make Lime-Pineapple Jello Salad!

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Why I LOVE This Southwestern Cobb Salad!

How To Make The Salad Dressing For Southwestern Cobb Salad

Make A Chili Spice Rub For The Steak

How To Peel and Cut Orange Slices For Southwestern Cobb Salad

Preparing Jicama For The Southwestern Cobb Salad

Assembling The Salad

Cooking The Steak For Southwestern Cobb Salad

Roadmap For Assembling and Serving Southwestern Cobb Salad

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How To Make The Dressing For A BLT Wedge Salad

Prepare The Rest Of The Ingredients For The Salad

Serve The BLT Wedge Salad

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Are Spinach And Orzo Salad Leftovers Good The Next Day?

It’s EASY To Make Spinach And Orzo Salad!

Cook The Orzo

Time To Put the Spinach And Orzo Salad Together

Time To EAT!

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