Description
Wild dandelion salad brings Mediterranean sunshine to your plate, offering a nutritious green feast with zesty lemon and garlic notes. Crisp greens, tangy dressing, and simple ingredients combine for a refreshing dish you’ll savor with each vibrant bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 4 cups (960 milliliters / 32 fluid ounces) young dandelion greens, washed and chopped
- 1 crisp apple, thinly sliced (such as Honeycrisp or Fuji)
- 1 avocado, diced
Additional Ingredients:
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup (30 grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted
- ¼ cup (30 grams) crumbled goat cheese or feta (optional)
- ¼ cup (40 grams) dried cranberries or raisins (optional)
Vinaigrette Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Craft a zesty vinaigrette by blending olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, tangy Dijon mustard, and golden honey in a small mixing container, whisking until smooth and emulsified.
- Season the vinaigrette with a pinch of kosher salt and a delicate grind of black pepper, adjusting the flavors to create a harmonious balance of bright and rich notes.
- Carefully wash the dandelion greens under cool running water, gently patting them dry with clean kitchen towels to remove excess moisture.
- Slice crisp apples into delicate half-moon shapes, ensuring uniform thickness for consistent texture throughout the salad.
- Cube ripe avocado into perfect bite-sized pieces, taking care to maintain their creamy integrity without bruising the tender flesh.
- Thinly slice red onion into translucent, delicate rings that will provide a sharp, aromatic counterpoint to the salad’s other ingredients.
- Gently toast selected nuts in a dry skillet until they release their rich, nutty fragrance and develop a golden-brown color.
- Arrange the prepared dandelion greens in a spacious salad bowl, creating a vibrant green foundation for the remaining ingredients.
- Layer the apple slices, avocado cubes, red onion rings, and toasted nuts atop the greens with an artistic, deliberate arrangement.
- Drizzle the prepared vinaigrette over the salad, using a light hand to ensure each ingredient is delicately coated without becoming saturated.
- Toss the salad with two large utensils, gently folding the ingredients to distribute the dressing evenly and preserve the salad’s delicate structure.
- Present immediately to capture the salad’s peak freshness, serving as an elegant starter or a refreshing light meal.
Notes
- Choose young, tender dandelion greens for a milder, less bitter flavor that pairs perfectly with the tangy vinaigrette.
- Massage the greens gently with the dressing to soften their texture and reduce bitterness, making them more palatable and easier to digest.
- Swap nuts for different varieties like almonds or pecans to add unique crunch and nutritional diversity to the salad.
- Adapt the recipe for vegan diets by replacing honey with maple syrup or agave nectar, maintaining the sweet balance in the vinaigrette.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 10mg