taste of spring salad
I love the taste of watercress and use it in many of my salads instead of lettuce. It's so nutritious too so I like to buy a bunch every week. It's such a pretty little leaf it reminds me of Spring. These are the ingredients I happened to have on hand today so for my lunch I created this quick and easy salad that's bursting with a variety of spring flavors. I like to use healthy organic ingredients as often as possible, but not necessary. If you have some edible flowers, you can garnish each individual salad with a few. The vinaigrette recipe makes a half cup and just use as much as desired. If you have some extra vinaigrette left over, you could drizzle it over some crisp steamed and chilled asparagus as a side dish for another meal. All the spring ingredients make a lovely presentation. Will be posting a picture of my special salad soon. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
Ingredients For taste of spring salad
-
1 bunchwatercress, rinsed, dried and stems removed
-
10 - 12fresh asparagus spears, steamed, chilled and cut in 2 inch pieces
-
6 - 8radishes (easter egg radishes are nice), sliced or cut in half lengthwise if small
-
12grape or pear tomatoes (red and yellow), cut in half
-
1 lgpeeled carrot, thinly sliced at an angle
-
1avocado, cubed
-
3hard boiled eggs, cut in half
- CELERY SEED & MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE
-
1/4 capple cider vinegar (unfiltered)
-
1 Tbspraw honey (my favorite)
-
1 Tbspdijon mustard
-
1/2 tspcelery seed
-
1/2 tspdill weed
-
1/2 tspsea salt
-
1/4 cextra virgin olive oil (organic is best)
How To Make taste of spring salad
-
1Pull out your prettiest pastel colored salad bowl to serve one large salad or you can use 4 -6 individual salad plates or bowls.
-
2Boil your eggs, cool, peel and cut in half and set aside
-
3Boil water for asparagus, let steam for 2 - 3 minutes, depending on thickness, drain and chill in fridge while prepping other ingredients
-
4For the Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together honey, dijon mustard and Apple Cider Vinegar until nice and smooth, add the celery seed, dill weed, sea salt and whisk some more, then gradually pour olive oil in while still whisking until completely emulsified. Set aside. You can store the vinaigrette in a small jar in the fridge for 2 or 3 days if you have some left over.
-
5Cut the steams off the watercress, rinse well and dry. (I use my salad spinner) Put in bowl(s)
-
6Cut chilled asparagus into approx. 2" pieces and add to watercress
-
7Add your radishes, (thinly sliced or cut in half from stem to tail)
-
8Cut your baby pear or grape tomatoes in half and add to salad
-
9Add your peeled and thinly sliced carrot to salad
-
10Peel and cube avocado and add to salad vegetables
-
11Garnish salad with Boiled Egg Halves sprinkled with salt and pepper
-
12Drizzle Celery Seed and Mustard Vinaigrette over salad. When you toss the salad, the combination of flavors taste really well together
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!