Although I have always been one to enjoy a salad, experiencing COVID more than a year ago has curtailed my tastebuds to devour any type of lettuce. I occasionally try to get away with eating fresh spinach, but even that is a chore for me. As a result, I have searched for interesting salads without any form of major greens and have come up with some wonderful selections which I am happy to share with you.
Crisp Summer Salad
(from Daniella Silver and Norene Gilletz’s The Silver Platter—Simple Elegance)
Ingredients:
- 5 ears corn
- 1 lb. snap peas, (trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces)
- 2 mangoes, peeled and diced (I use frozen mango)
- 2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil (I use frozen basil cubes to avoid the green leaves)
Dressing:
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1.3 cup lime juice
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and pepper.
Boil corn until tender and crisp, 5-7 minutes. Drain corn, place into ice cold water for 5 minutes and pat dry.
Shave off corn kernels, leaving them attached to each other if possible.
Place in bowl and add all other ingredients.
Combine dressing ingredients in a jar, seal tightly and shake well. Toss to combine, cover, refrigerate until shortly before serving time.
Pea Shoot Salad
(from Variations by Daniella Silver)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups sugar snap peas and 2 cups snow peas (trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces)
- 1 cup shelled green peas or edamame beans
- 1 container pea shoots or pea sprouts
- 3 scallions (thinly sliced)
- ¾ cup dried cranberries,
Dressing:
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 3 Tbsp honey
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
[An important note: I have searched every store in this area and around to find pea shoots. They do not exist (including the fancy, which means pricey, fruit and vegetable stores around). Interestingly, I know that they are sold in St. Louis,but since that is slightly too far to drive, I have added in their stead bean sprouts.]
Combine all of the salad ingredients in a bowl, cover and refrigerate. Combine dressing ingredients in a jar, seal tightly and shake well and refrigerate. Before serving, toss salad with dressing.
This salad has become a winner in my household. Hopefully your families will enjoy both of my choices as much as our family does.
