California evening salad
“This is my easy dinner salad and to be honest it may be a little different than what you expect. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good garden salad with ranch dressing and maybe some bacon bits. But as a California girl, salad to me always means veggies with all the seasonal fruit—pears, apples, grapes, Cara Cara oranges, clementines—and lots of avocado, crunchy nuts or seeds, whatever herbs I have on hand, a simple vinaigrette and sometimes some crumbled goat cheese. The crunchy, sweet, and light combination of these ingredients makes for the perfect salad for me, which is served at home for dinner at least five nights out of seven each week.” -Walker
for the maple cider vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
juice of ½ lemon
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
For the salad:
8 cups of loosely packed mixed greens
1 small head of radicchio, leaves torn into bite-size pieces
1½ cups fruit (sliced apples, pears, oranges, and/or figs; halved grapes; or clementine wedges)
½ cup toasted nuts and seeds (lightly salted walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, toasted pepitas and/or pecans)
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, basil, cilantro, chives, or spring onions (white and green parts)
2 avocados, halved, stoned, peeled and diced
¼ cup vinaigrette or maple cider vinaigrette
1. First make the maple cider vinaigrette (if using): In a bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the oil while stirring vigorously. Use immediately or transfer to a jar, seal tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. Shake well before use.
2. In a large salad bowl, layer the vegetables, fruit, nuts and/or seeds, herbs, and avocado. Swirl gently to combine. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss again. Serve immediately.
Recipe taken from Get well soon by Danielle Walker. Copyright © 2022 by Simple Writing Holdings, LLC. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Photography © 2022 by Aubrie Pick.
Originally featured in 3 Quick Paleo Dinner Recipes by Danielle Walker
