When I was growing up, the salad we ate most often consisted of iceberg with tomatoes, cucumbers, radish and a slice of cold ham. The result was I wanted to forget that taste and experiment more! You can add pretty much every type of food to prepare delightful salads, so why limit yourself to what’s familiar? This fresh salad will literally surprise you with its gorgeous flavour. It is nutritious, delicious, easy to make and so healthy! It is also vegan-friendly; just be careful if you have nut allergies, or someone in your family has.
This is made with fresh arugula or rucola, in Italian. This peppery green is full of vitamins C, K, A, iron, and calcium, and harmonizes perfectly with sweet berries and crunchy nuts. So without further ado…
Fresh Arugula Salad with Strawberries and Nuts
Serves 1
For the salad:
2 handfuls of rucola
4-5 strawberries
1 tbs of chopped walnuts
1 tbs of chopped almonds
For the dressing:
1 tbs of maple syrup
1 tbs of balsamic vinegar
2 tbs of olive oil
Instructions:
Put the handful of rucola on a plate and chop the strawberries in half. Add them to the rucola, together with the walnuts and almonds. Prepare the dressing by first adding the balsamic vinegar to the maple syrup. Mix by hand (with the same spoon) in a bowl. Add the olive oil. Pour on your salad and serve. Now fix the next plate and enjoy together with the people you love! This salad is best prepared on a plate, rather than in a salad bowl, otherwise the nuts will just sink to the bottom of the bowl with the dressing.
Speaking of the dressing I should warn you about something. Make sure you don’t stain yourself, or spill it on the carpet. My husband and I love this salad and often prepare it for lunch, or dinner, but the other day as we were watching the WC games, my husband decided to mix the dressing in front of the TV. It was then he thought there was a bread crumb floating in the dressing. In his attempts to remove it, he spilled the contents on our black and white carpet. You don’t even have to be an expert in cleaning to know that balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and olive oil are a pain to clean, especially in combination. For starters, the vinegar has a dark colour difficult to get rid of, the maple syrup will make the stain thick and sticky and the olive oil will give it a particular shine! Thank God, I have carpet saviours for friends. The dressing is divine and the salad is a treat for your taste buds, but your carpets and upholstery won’t appreciate it as much as you will!
More summery salads: Refreshing Vegan Watermelon “Feta” Salad
Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Brussels Sprouts
Massaged Kale Salad – a Template
Warm Wheat Berry Salad with Amaranth Greens
__
Photo: Lana Jane Fox
