I’m excited to bring you this light and delicious salad. I know this isn’t a complicated or complex recipe, but it’s so delicious and perfect for a light meal. I love salads, but sometimes they need to be livened up with flavor—it’s easy to fall into a salad rut. I obviously didn’t have anything, but for some color, I’d recommend some dried cranberries or maybe some radishes. Raspberries would also be a great addition. For the croutons, I had half a loaf of multi-grain sourdough with sunflower and sesame seeds from Trader Joe’s, that was probably going to go bad if I didn’t so something with it. The vinaigrette is simple and delicious, and perfect for a springtime salad. Everything comes together beautifully!
INGREDIENTS:
Croutons:
6-8 C cubed sourdough
Olive oil
Dried rosemary
Salt
Garlic powder
Dressing:
2 clove of garlic
1/2 a large shallot
1/2 C olive oil (I really used just less than half a cup, but slightly more than 1/4 C)
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp agave
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbs lemon juice
Salad:
8 C baby spinach
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2 C sliced mushrooms
1/2 cucumber, diced
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
1/3 C pepitas
Dried cranberries, radishes or raspberries (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400. Put the bread cubes in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil—not a lot—you do not want to coat each bread cube with oil. Add the rosemary, salt, and garlic powder—to taste—and use a rubber spatula to combine everything well. Transfer to a large cookie sheet, preferably one with sides, and bake for 10-15 minutes, checking and stirring around about halfway through. When they start to brown around the edges, they’re done.
For the dressing, add the garlic clove and shallot to the food processor or blender and blend until minced. Add the rest of dressing ingredients and blend until smooth; transfer to a jar.
Combine all of the salad ingredients, except the avocado (I like to keep avocado out of any leftover salad because it doesn’t always stay fresh; I had it on top of individual servings). I’d treat raspberries the same if you decide to add them. Add some croutons and drizzle with a bit of dressing. Enjoy!
- Croutons:
- 6-8 C cubed sourdough
- Olive oil
- Dried rosemary
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Dressing:
- 2 clove of garlic
- ½ a large shallot
- ½ C olive oil (I really used just less than half a cup, but slightly more than ¼ C)
- 1 Tbs red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbs unsweetened almond milk
- 1 Tbs Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp agave
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 Tbs lemon juice
- Salad:
- 8 C baby spinach
- 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
- 2 C sliced mushrooms
- ½ cucumber, diced
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
- ⅓ C pepitas
- Dried cranberries
- Preheat the oven to 400. Put the bread cubes in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil---not a lot---you do not want to coat each bread cube with oil. Add the rosemary, salt, and garlic powder---to taste---and use a rubber spatula to combine everything well. Transfer to a large cookie sheet, preferably one with sides, and bake for 10-15 minutes, checking and stirring around about halfway through. When they start to brown around the edges, they're done.
- For the dressing, add the garlic clove and shallot to the food processor or blender and blend until minced. Add the rest of dressing ingredients and blend until smooth; transfer to a jar.
- Combine all of the salad ingredients, except the avocado (I like to keep avocado out of any leftover salad because it doesn't always stay fresh; I had it on top of individual servings). Add some croutons and drizzle with a bit of dressing. Enjoy!
