Super Greens Salad with Cilantro Dijon Dressing (dairy free)

For many people the mere mention of the word ‘salad’ produces an expression of distaste. An image of a sad bowl of bland Iettuce with a few tomatoes and some onion, if you’re lucky, along with a store-bought dressing. Simple and oftentimes served as a side dish, the truth is that’s what many restaurants serve and what’s easiest to make at home. But that’s not one bit exciting, and salad should make you smile! 

I want to change your perception of salad and show you just how easy it can be to make a beautiful, delicious salad that serves as the main dish. With just a little extra time and a selection of fresh, seasonal ingredients, you can create a gorgeous platter of bountiful super greens that will have you craving more salads and raw vegetables in your diet. The key is getting a balance of flavors and textures that pair nicely; you want a combination of salty, acidic, bitter and sweet along with crunchy and creamy. 

Even if you don’t have every ingredient on hand, the trick to making a tasty salad every single time is, first and foremost, a homemade dressing (which can be just as simple as really good extra virgin olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon, sea salt and pepper) and the use of fresh herbs like oregano, cilantro, dill and basil to name a few. Herbs have beautiful aromatics and pungent notes that combined, create a deeper flavor profile. Start with the herbs you know and like and then you can branch out and experiment with herbs that are new to you. 

For this particular dressing, I use dairy free greek yogurt as the base for a creamy consistency. I’m a big fan of cooling cilantro so I chose this herb as my key flavor but if you prefer a different herb you can easily substitute for one of your liking. 

What’s important is using ingredients that speak to you and that you enjoy most. The more you play with different flavors and ingredients, the more intuitive you’ll become in the kitchen and the more fun you’ll have with your salad creations.

For the Salad:

4 cups mixed lettuce: arugula, spinach

1 cup micro greens or watercress

Fresh dill, oregano, fennel fronds

2-3 radishes, sliced thin

1/2 cup raw broccoli

1 shallot, sliced thin

1/2 small fennel, sliced thin

1 avocado, diced 

Crispy baked cannellini beans (can of beans drained, patted dry and tossed in olive oil, salt and 5-10 cloves of garlic, then baked in the oven on a baking sheet at 375 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. For even cooking, make sure the beans are separated on the baking tray so they crisp instead of steam, and halfway through cooking shake the tray flip the beans)

Cilantro Dijon Dressing:

1 cup, Kite Hill Foods Dairy-Free Plain unsweetened greek yogurt

1 Bunch cilantro, minced

1 tbsp whole grain dijon mustard

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

juice from a lemon

2 cloves garlic

Sea salt and pepper