Summer is a Great Time for Salads
In summer, I do a lot less cooking, but still like to make meals at home. The simple solution is making more salads and using the grill to avoid heating up the kitchen.
Baby Arugula Salad is great for either lunch something like a creamy vegetable soup (try Creamy Broccoli Soup or Creamy Butternut Squash Soup). Make the soup early one morning before it gets hot, and quickly heat it up for meals later in the day (or serve chilled). Or for dinner, make some Wild Salmon on the grill.
In Love with Con’ Olio Oils & Vinegars
In mid-June, I started teaching kids’ cooking classes at Con’ Olio Oils & Vinegars in Austin, TX and was transported into the world of amazing, high quality olive oils and vinegars from Europe, South America, and Australia.
A few weeks before my classes started I got a tour of the store and sampled a variety of their products. I fell head over heals with everything I tasted, and was especially taken with the white balsamics which are lighter in color and flavor than the dark varieties (which I also love).
It was the Lemongrass Mint White Balsamic that I ended up using in this recipe. Don’t worry if you can’t find this variety. A traditional dark balsamic or white balsamic also works great with this salad.
How to Balance Bitterness of Baby Arugula
This salad took me by surprise. I made during the first week of kids’ cooking camp at Con’ Olio and EVERYONE liked it– even those children that swore up and down they didn’t like vegetables. The key to this salad is finding a dressing that balances the peppery flavor of the baby arugula and the tartness of the berries.
On the recommendation of the manager at Con’ Olio, I used a combination of a mild extra-virgin olive oil and their lemongrass-mint white balsamic vinegar for the dressing. It is just equal parts of each with a little sea salt and black pepper. It made the baby arugula salad unbelievably delicious!
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Baby Arugula Salad with Berries and Lemongrass-Mint Vinaigrette
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese (optional), shaved
- 1/4 cup raspberries
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 1/4 cup strawberries, sliced
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (Con’ Olio brand recommended)
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (Con’ Olio brand lemongrass mint balsamic recommended)
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium prep bowl, mix together arugula and spinach.
- Prepare dressing by whisking together olive oil and white balsamic vinegar with a few pinches sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper in a small mixing bowl or glass measuring cup.
- Using a pair of tongs, toss salad greens and Pecorino Romano (if using) with dressing until evenly coated.
- Divide greens onto 4 salad plates. Top each salad with a variety of berries and sliced almonds.
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Other Summer Salads from Cook Love Heal
Summer Corn Salad with Avocado
Summer Arugula & Nectarine Salad with Lemon White Balsamic Vinaigrette
