More Than a Salad
You know how sometimes you make a ton of fantastic food and you're all sorts of excited to share it with your friends but then somebody else shows up to your shindig and they one-up you with an AMAZING dish?
THAT HAPPENED TO ME.
Usually I'm the one-upper. I'm proud of that fact. However, the last time we had a bunch of people over, our neighbor went and showed up with a dish that got far more raves than anything I made. AND IT WAS A SALAD. OMGWTFBBQ.
A salad generated more chatter than my Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes. A salad was the recipe everyone asked for -- not the grilled pizza.
A SALAD.
Which, OK, I'll just go ahead and admit it was probably the best salad I've ever had. By far. It's possible that I even managed to eat three giant servings of it for dinner tonight.
It's more than "a salad." It's ... incredibly good.
My neighbor was sweet enough to share the recipe with me and a bunch of my friends, so I'll pay it forward and share it with you.
You start with a bag of spring mix, or if you are a giant sissy like me and don't like bitter lettuce, you can substitute for whatever sort of salad mix you like. I am boring and went with Romaine.
Then you throw some mandarin oranges, sliced strawberries, chopped red onions, chopped pecans, and craisins on top.
After that, you con your only child into mixing it all up because she makes everything more fun.
And then comes the important part. The dressing. Honestly, this salad is pretty good without dressing (As in NONE. Zero. Zip. Zilch dressing.), but it's other-worldly if you use Marzetti Poppyseed dressing.
In a perfect world I would have poured some dressing into the giant salad bowl and tossed until it was evenly coated, but I don't live in a perfect world. I live in a world with a 6-year old who prefers her salad without dressing.
I KNOW. She is so weird.
So instead of putting dressing on the entire salad, I put it on my serving. I poured a little extra because I'm a grown-up and there's no one to stop me from having extra dressing when I want extra dressing.
SO THERE.
And now the photos of the salad are making me want more salad.
Here. Have a recipe so I can go nom some more.
More Than a Salad
1--10 oz bag of spring mix
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup strawberries, sliced
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup craisins
Marzetti Poppyseed Dressing
1. Find a big bowl.
2. Throw the lettuce in it.
3. Throw the oranges, strawberries, red onion, pecans, and craisins in with the lettuce. Toss that salad.
4. Resist the urge to make the sort of joke a 16-year old boy would make.
5. Dress the salad however you want.
6. Enjoy!
Recipe
Reader Comments (10)
Holy lord, that sounds and looks amazing.
All over that like a rabbit on ... lettuce.
I've got bad jokes.
My daughter doesn't like dressing either. Very weird. We went out to dinner recently and she ordered a side salad, no dressing. The waiter looked at me for confirmation and I just said, 'yes, she is probably the only kid I know that doesn't drown her salads in ranch.'
@Carie--Ranch is the only dressing Alexis will eat, but even when she does put it on her salad, she puts so little on it that it's pretty pointless.
It's awesome with balsamic vinagrette and grilled chicken (or grilled chicken alternative). O'Charley's has a similar salad, and I get it every time I go (and have to try to hide the strawberries and oranges from my kids, as they won't leave me any!)
I love salads like this! Many Thanks to you and your neighbor for sharing.
Cool! I'm doing that! I usually like more meat in my salad, Meat?? You'll be thinking. Yeah! Salade Perigourdine is my ultimate salad, but this looks pretty great. Nice one
That looks fantastic! Can't wait to try it.
I've been fruit and veggie-deprived for about a week since we are visiting the in-law's. Who knew produce was nearly extinct here in the northern reaches of Pittsburgh? ;)
Hi Michelle,
Oh my, that looks good! I love poopy seed dressing but on the side. I like very little dressing too. Here is another salad that you might like.
ROSE’S SPINACH-FRUIT SALAD
1 bag baby spinach
1-1 1/2 can mandarin oranges
1 pint cut up strawberries or raspberries
3/4 cup chopped (large pieces) almonds or walnuts
4 oz feta cheese
Serve with Brianna’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette dressing
Another you can eat and eat!
Patti
considering how late i got there that night, the salad had sat for quite some time and STILL was incredible. that says a lot about how tasty this was because salad mixed with dressing can get rather icky after a bit most times.
thanks for the reminder that i need to have a date with mr. marzetti...
I am so making this tomorrow.