This Green Salad with Citrus Dressing has no traditional green lettuce, but there is enough choice in green vegetables to make a delicious salad. The red chard is the star of the salad as it provides the beautiful dark green background color and the red veins make the salad pop. The citrus dressing is made up of mainly lemon and orange juice with mustard and maple syrup giving the salad a sweet acidity.
As you see, a green salad does not have to be just lettuce with something; it can be anything you like. Make it different once in a while, like I did. It can still be green, healthy, divers, full of flavor, and colorful because of the many shades and shapes of green. A plate full of green vegetables and fruit can be served either as a salad. The simple citrus dressing aids in bringing the flavors and shapes together.
You can also just arrange the individual cuts on a nice plate, and serve them with dipping sauces, pimento cheese, white queso, salsa, pesto and the citrus dressing.
Ingredients of Green Salad with Citrus Dressing
I picked the following fruits and vegetables; red chard, celery stalk, green asparagus, Granny Smith apple, green bell pepper, kiwi and parsley.
- The red chard is a beautiful leafy vegetable, slightly bitter and may be a little tough. When you slice it thinly, the toughness will disappear.
- Cut the celery in thin strips and they can serve as a dipping stick and in small tiny pieces they are a good crunch in the salad.
- The green asparagus are cooked just a few minutes, making them a touch more tender.
- The apple with skin is another great dipper and a color picker-upper for the salad.
- The bell pepper adds deep dark green
- The kiwi is in a different league; a beautiful fruit that just needs peeling and slicing and enjoying.
- Roasted sunflower seeds and dried cherries for intensity and chewiness.
The Citrus dressing is very simple, but is it my go-to dressing when I want a little more than just a oil/vinegar vinaigrette. It a mix of lemon juice, orange juice and olive oil. Mustard, maple syrup, parsley, salt and pepper are added for flavor and a hint of sweetness.
Green Salad with Citrus Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 leaves red chard
- 1/2 green bell pepper
- 2 stalks celery
- 1/2 Granny Smith apple
- 2 kiwi fruits
- 10 green asparagus
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 5 sprigs parsley
Citrus Dressing
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1.5 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat an oven to 350 degrees F. Place the sunflower seeds on a baking sheet and roast them for a few minutes. Allow to cool.
- Wash all the vegetables and fruit and cut in small pieces.
- Cook the asparagus for a couple of minutes in boiling water and cool in ice water to stop the cooking process and preserve the color.
- Peel the kiwi and slice.
- Make the dressing and transfer the dried cherries into the dressing, allowing them to soften a little.
- Mix all the vegetables, fruit, seeds, cherries and dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.
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