YIELDS:
8-12 servings
PREP TIME:
0 hours 30 mins
COOK TIME:
0 hours 3-5 mins
TOTAL TIME:
0 hours 35 mins
ingredients
1/2 Head of Iceberg Lettuce, chopped
2 Cups Washed and dried Baby Spinach
1 Cup Coleslaw mix
1 Cup Heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
4 Compari tomatoes, quartered
1 Cucumber, peeled and sliced
2 Celery stalks, chopped
1 Red, yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
1 Cup Blueberries
1 Apple, chopped
3 Green onions, chopped
1/2 Cup Marcona almonds
1/2 Cup Shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
House Vinaigrette
1/4 Cup Olive oil
2 Tbsp. Red wine vinegar
1/2 Tsp. Dried oregano
1/2 Tsp. Dried basil
1/4 Tsp. garlic powder
1/4 Tsp. onion powder
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Make the dressing by adding all the ingredients to a mason jar. Put on the lid and shake. Alternatively, mix thoroughly in a carafe or small bowl. Put to the side until the salad is ready to be dressed.
2. Put all the salad ingredients into a large bowl. Toss to mix. Dress with 1/2 of the dressing and toss until well combined. Add more dressing if dry and toss again. Taste. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Serve in a big bowl or on a platter with serving spoons and smaller bowls or plates on the side. Have extra dressing in a carafe and serve along side the salad.
NOTES: This is more of a concept rather than a recipe. I like “stuff” in my salad. I’ve never been a fan of a lot of lettuce…I always thought they just put it on the plate to fill up the space and then they’d add a couple of things to garnish. I really want all the “garnishes” with a little lettuce…lol.
I put anything I have in the fridge into this salad. Almost any veggies will work. You can use any type of onion (red, yellow, green or shallots), any kind of cheese or multiple cheeses, use any nut or seed or both that you enjoy and add more protein in the form of turkey, chicken, ham or shrimp. Add any fresh herbs that you have on hand. I love adding olives or capers to the salad (I just didn’t have any on hand when I was making this salad and writing this recipe.) Croutons are great on this salad! I am adding this salad to my Super Bowl Menu which is already pretty carb heavy (Baked Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Garlic Knots) so I left them off. But go ahead, add some crunchy toppings if you like. Crumbled bacon would be good too! Use any berry or fruit you have on hand (maybe not bananas).
I call it the kitchen sink because you can throw anything you have in it…clean out your fridge. It makes for such an interesting salad full of surprises in every bite. You’ll get several servings of veggies in every serving and it really is delicious.
I’ve given you the recipe for my basic House Vinaigrette but I also like putting out bottles of different store bought dressings so my guests can decide how they want to dress the salad. This makes a really big bowl of salad which is great for large groups and parties but also good to make at the beginning of the week and use all week long. I just don’t add the dressing until I’m ready to serve it. If you like the idea of adding this to your Super Bowl Buffet, get the rest of my big game day menu here. Enjoy.
