Essence of Spring Greens Salad

All the most succulent spring greens topped with fruit, nuts and a simple raspberry walnut vinaigrette.

Serves 6
Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 20 min

Salad Ingredients

2 to 3 half-pound bags of different types of tender spring lettuces and salad greens. You can often find bags of pre-mixed lettuces and salad greens at the market, and my favorite salads are made of one bag mixed lettuce, one bag baby spinach, and one bag mixed salad greens, especially those including arugula. Or make your own mixture, going for a mixture of colors (greens, red) and textures (tender leaf lettuce, butterhead, romaine). I love to add some spicier mixed greens, which you can often find bagged and labeled in local markets as "salad greens" or "mesclun," and include tender leaves of mustard, Swiss chard, mizuna, kale, arugula, etc.
Arugula: Make a special effort to add a handful of arugula if that’s available. Even a small amount of this slightly peppery green gives a salad a distinctive flavor that makes it absolutely addictive.
Green onions, sliced, both white and green parts (1 or 2)
A handful of radishes, sliced (from a half to a full bunch)
Walnuts or pecans: A sprinkling of broken pieces (from 1/4 to 1/2 cup)
Dried strawberries from the farmers’ market, if available. I got mine from Sellmeyer Farm, and they are the concentrated essence of strawberry. You can use just a few slices of dried berry, dicing them into small bits. You can rehydrate first for 30-60 minutes for easier dicing or cut them dry if you have a sharp knife.) If you can’t find dried strawberries at your local farmers’ market you can use craisins from the grocery store.
Ripe fruit, whatever is in season or available—strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, pear. Slice into bite-sized pieces. I'm using strawberries because they're available at the market this weekend.

Raspberry/Walnut Vinaigrette ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup walnut oil* (or use all olive oil)
A scant 2 tablespoons of honey
1/4 cup raspberry balsamic vinegar (the type I used was labeled “raspberry-infused white balsamic vinegar”) or regular balsamic vinegar
A bit of salt and pepper

Dressing Prep

Add the honey and vinegar to a quart mason jar and seal tightly, then shake vigorously until well mixed. Add the a shake of salt and pepper, then both oils, and shake again. Set aside.

Salad Prep

Wash the salad greens and spin them dry. Toss all of the vegetables together in a large bowl and add salad dressing lightly, tossing to coat (you’ll add more in a minute). Dish up into individual servings, then sprinkle nuts, dried, and fresh fruit over top of salad and drizzle just a little more dressing over the assembled salad.
This salad should be heavy on whatever is abundant and fresh in the garden or at the market. Other ingredients could be added, or some of these subtracted, of course—you can throw in whatever is available that particular week. Other great additions are broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, roasted beets, or goat cheese.
*You can just use a 1/4 cup of olive oil and skip the walnut oil if you must, but the walnut oil has a rich, nutty flavor that boosts the flavor, and one bottle of it will go a long way.

Notes

I love this raspberry walnut dressing on a spring salad since it allows the flavor of the greens to shine through. You can also use Mom's Simple Sweet and Sour Dressing or the fat-free Strawberry-Balsamic Dressing (adapted from Whole Foods) for this salad.
This makes a big salad that could can serve a group of 6 or more as a first course, or it can make a few big meal-sized salads.

By Laura Carter