Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Field of Greens Salad with Mustard-Maple VinaigretteThis is a beautiful salad.  It positively screams “Spring”!  It’s green…really green.  And it has texture, as well as a velvety quality from the lettuces.  The Mustard-Maple Vinaigrette is the perfect dressing for the salad.  This isn’t a really, really leafy salad.  You know what I mean?  It’s a chunky salad, rather than leafy.  Yeah, there are significant leaves, but those chunky bits are deliciously significant.  Field of Greens SaladI chiffonade the fresh herbs—mint, dillweed and basil.  I use Thai basil, but you may use Italian basil.Field of Greens Salad GreensI used 3 kinds of leaves—lettuce-type, pea leaves and arugula.  If you wish, feel free to limit the leaves to just pea leaves and arugula.  Double the remaining ingredients, and it becomes what The Goddess refers to as, a “substantial” salad.  And The Goddess knows substantial, okay?

Field of Greens SaladI like a Granny Smith apple, because it’s not sweet and the acid is the perfect foil for the sweetness of the maple syrup.  Also, I put the asparagus on the side (even though I put it top of my portion in the picture), because as you know, The Latin Lover does not enjoy asparagus.  But, if you do enjoy it, as I do, it really does add a lovely aspect to this salad.  And what’s more spring-like than asparagus?

Field of Greens Salad

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: Simply Delicious
  • Print

  • 2 cups romaine
  • 2 cups butter lettuce
  • 1 handful baby arugula
  • 1 cup fresh pea leaves (or romaine)
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 1 small Granny Smith apple, diced
  • 1 Anjou or Bartlett pear, diced
  • 1 Hass avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced (include some of the green part)
  • 8 spears cooked and cooled asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh dillweed
  • 2 teaspoons chiffonade fresh mint leaves
  • 1 tablespoon chiffonade fresh basil (I prefer to use Thai basil)
  • Mustard-Maple Vinaigrette, see recipe

Place all the ingredients, except the vinaigrette, in a large serving bowl.  Toss (I use my hands!) to combine.  Drizzle with 3-4 tablespoons of the vinaigrette; retoss.  Serve.

NOTE:  If someone, and you know who you are, doesn’t enjoy asparagus, serve the spears on the side.  For a more substantial salad, use only the pea leaves and arugula and double the remaining ingredients, except the herbs.

Field of Greens Salad Recipe©Marcia Lahens 2018.  All rights reserved.

Mustard-Maple Vinaigrette on Field of Greens SaladI dress the salad with Mustard-Maple Vinaigrette.  I love the combination of mustard and maple, but maple syrup these days just isn’t as maple-y as I want for this, so I boost the flavor with maple extract.  Add just a few drops, because it’s strong stuff.  Good stuff.  But, strong stuff.