Colorful Vegetable Salad
This salad is typical of chopped vegetable salads served throughout Europe and around the Mediterranean. When we say “salad” in the United States, we most often think of lettuce. This salad has no lettuce, but lots of colorful vegetables and a light, dill vinaigrette.
DRESSING INGREDIENTS
lemon juice – 1⁄2 cup
olive oil – 6 Tbsp.
agave or sugar – 2 tsp.
salt – 3⁄4 tsp.
dry granulated onion – 2 tsp.
dry dill weed – 1 tsp.
Makes: 3⁄4-1 cup dressing
SALAD INGREDIENTS
1 English cucumber
4 roma tomatoes
1 yellow or orange bell pepper
about 1⁄4 head Chinese cabbage, finely sliced
DRESSING INSTRUCTIONS
1. Prepare and measure your lemon juice. Whisk together with the oil and agave or sugar.
2. Add dry ingredients/herbs. Let stand while you prepare the vegetables.
The dressing for this salad uses the base ingredients typical of many salads—an acid, an oil, and a sweetener—then adds herbs and seasonings for added flavor.
SALAD INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cut the English cucumber in half or quarters lengthwise, then in thin slices crosswise. Quarter and slice the tomatoes. Remove seeds and stem from the pepper and cut into fine strips or small cubes. Weigh the vegetables and add enough Chinese cabbage to make three pounds total vegetables.
2. Combine all the vegetables in a bowl. Toss with the dressing and serve.
TIPS AND VARIATIONS
• For variety you can also add any or all of the following to the dressing: 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoon s dry parsley, 2 teaspoons dry chives, 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1⁄2 tea- spoon prepared mustard (like Grey Poupon).
• You can change the vegetables you use—just try to end up with about 3 pounds total prepared vegetables (1 pound vegetables per ~1⁄4 cup dressing). If you want to make a smaller salad, prepare fewer vegetables and just use as much dressing as you need. Refrigerate the remainder of the dressing to use another time.
• In Germany this type of salad is often served with optional canned corn and flake canned tuna to put over the top and slices of fresh baguette on the side.
• If I’m taking this salad to a party, I usually keep the dressing separate and mix it with the vegetables just before serving. Because there is salt in the dressing, the vegetables will start to “weep” if the dressing is added sooner, effectively thinning the dressing and making it too weak.
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