salads Archives - The Midnight Baker

Fire Noodles

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 03 May 2022 23:00:44 +0000

Fire noodles make a great meatless main dish but also great as a cold salad.

Versatile Fire Noodles

Fire noodles is one of those dishes that can wear a couple of hats.

It’s a great main dish that you can also serve to any vegetarian guest because it’s really flavorful and filling. It’s also a good choice for a salad if it’s chilled. Now that we’re on the cusp of summer, delicious salads are a thing to be considered. Don’t forget picnics either. These noodles are just great no matter how you serve them.

Making this totally vegan is also an option. Any eggless pasta or rice noodles can be substituted. As far as the honey, that can be left out or a vegan syrup or sugar can fill in.

Why “Fire”

The “fire” comes from the colors of the peppers. There’s no heat in this at all. The chili paste adds no real heat; just a touch of flavor.

Since all bell peppers essentially taste the same, you can use whatever you have or what’s cheapest. If you do splurge and buy the red, orange and yellow, dice or slice what you don’t use and freeze them for later use. That’s what I do but bear in mind that they will be too limp after freezing to add to salads, so reserve those for cooking.

Best Noodles

In these types of recipes–or anything Asian with noodles–I always opt for lo mein noodles.

The reason for this is that it obviously makes Asian-style dishes more authentic. However, these noodles are a bit chewy so it makes the dish more satisfying. Lo mein noodles are available fresh in most big supermarkets, but you can also find the dry ones in the International aisle at the market. I buy them in bulk because I use them a lot.

If you can’t find them in either style, good old spaghetti will do nicely. Regular, #8 is best.

The Recipe

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Fire Noodles

Great meatless main or chilled as a salad

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Course: Main, Main Course, Main/Side, Salad

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: cold noodle salads, fire salad, meatless asian main dishes, salads for picnics

Servings: 4

Calories: 283kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1/2 each of red orange and yellow bell pepper
3 green onions sliced
8 oz lo mein noodles or spaghetti
2 tbs oil
1 clove garlic crushed
1 tbs sesame seed optional, for garnish

Sauce:

2 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp chili paste
1 tsp honey

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook noodles as per package directions; drain and set aside.
Mix sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the garlic and bell peppers. Stir fry until peppers are crisp-tender. Discard garlic.
Add the cooked noodles and the sauce. Toss to coat.
May be served hot or chilled.

Nutrition

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Jalapeño Popper Corn Salad

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 23:00:54 +0000

This jalapeño popper corn salad is a meal in itself.

The Perfect Cookout Salad

Sometimes, you just have to think outside the box when it comes to salads you serve for picnics and BBQs.

While you can’t go wrong with the old standards such as potato salad and macaroni/pasta salad, maybe offering something else in addition to those is in order.

That’s where this jalapeño popper corn salad comes in. First of all, it’s pretty different from the usual fare. Secondly, it’s quite hearty and will satisfy those who want to go meatless (when you exclude the bacon and it’ll still taste great).

Roasted Corn: It’s Worth It

Roasted corn has a fantastic flavor, which is why it’s perfect for this salad.

While you can use cooked frozen or canned corn, the extra step of roasting a whole ear of corn then removing the kernels is worth it.

If you cook out a lot and often do ears of corn on the grill, why not just throw a few extra on the barbie to plan for this salad? This is what I call a “planned over.” Meaning it’s technically a leftover for which you have later plans.

You can do that with the onions and jalapeños too.

If You Want It Milder…

You can, of course, use less jalapeños and make sure you have no seeds or ribs un what you add to the salad.

Another thing you could do is use plain jack cheese instead of pepperjack.

When it comes to the peppers, I like a combo of fully ripe and green jalapeños. I grow my own in my Aerogarden so I can let a lot of them get red and fully ripe. I haven’t seen any red ones in any of my markets, but you might find them in supermarkets that specialize in organic produce.

The Recipe

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Jalapeño Popper Corn Salad

Roasting the corn gives this salad it's great flavor

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Course: Main/Side, Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: jalapeño popper corn salad, salads for cookouts and picnics, salads using roasted corn

Servings: 8

Calories: 498kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 cups roasted corn cooked canned or frozen may be used
2 large roasted jalapeños
1 medium onion quartered and grilled
1/2 cup crisp bacon sliced
1 cup sharp cheddar shredded
1 cup pepper jack cheese shredded

Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
2 oz cream cheese softened
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Grill whole corn on the cob by your preferred method--mine is on my gas grill but you can use an air fryer too. When corn is nicely roasted, set aside to cool, then cut the kernels off the cob to use in the salad.
Grill the jalapeños and onions by the same method as the corn, but spritz them with a bit of oil before you do. When they are done, set them aside to cool. Then roughly chop the onion and dice the jalapeños (whether you remove the seeds are up to you but they do add additional heat).
Mix all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the roasted corn, onions cheeses and jalapeños. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon, then add the rest to the corn mixture.
Add enough of the dressing to coat--depending on your tastes, you may not use all of it. If there is leftover dressing, it may be refrigerated and used on any salad you wish.

Nutrition

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Parmesan Chicken Salad

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 00:04:56 +0000

If you’ve got leftover chicken, this Parmesan chicken salad is a great way to use it.

Use Those Leftovers: Parmesan Chicken Salad

Since most of us have to deal with using leftover chicken and turkey, we could also use some new ways to use the stuff.

Chicken salad is one of those all-time favorites for using leftovers and there’s many many recipes. This Parmesan chicken salad is yet another one of those recipes. The difference here is that this salad has a really great flavor and stands out as one of the best I’ve tasted. And I’ve tasted a lot of chicken salad in many years.

Basil? But Yes

Basil actually goes very nicely with chicken provided it’s used sparingly so it doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors. The original recipe I saw called for fresh, but my basil petered out a while ago and I haven’t started another windowsill garden yet. I used the dried kind you find on the spice shelf and it worked out fine. But I’m sure that the flavor would be awesome using fresh, so do it if you can but don’t sweat it if you can’t. Another plus to the fresh kind is that it will add a pop of color, but since you use green onions there’s plenty of color in this salad.

Little Mayo

This salad doesn’t use much mayo. You might want to add a tablespoon more if you find this chicken salad a bit dry. I’m a mayo freak but I found the stated amount to be just fine–and I used roasted white meat chicken too.

I made sandwiches with this and I used my no-knead peasant bread to make them. It’s a wonderful combination so I suggest you make that bread just for this purpose! The bread has the perfect texture to complement this salad.

The Recipe

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Parmesan Chicken Salad

Great way to use leftover chicken

Prep Time10

Cook Time0

Course: Appetizers, Main, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fancy chicken salads, superbowl party food, using chicken leftovers

Servings: 4

Calories: 338kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 cups cooked chicken
3 tbs finely diced celery
3 green onions finely chopped
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 tsp pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Chill until ready to serve.

Notes

If using fresh basil, use 2 tsp finely chopped.

Nutrition

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Beef Fajita Salad Bowls

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 18 Jul 2020 23:00:18 +0000

Who wouldn’t love a big salad with a spicy fajita seasoning? It’s easy and tasty!

Even Eat The Fajita Plate

Have you ever said you were so hungry you could eat the plate too? Well, you get to do exactly that with this satisfying fajita salad since the bowl is edible too.

In fact, that’s the only real labor-intensive task; shaping the “bowl.”

If you’re into Mexican food, or if you’ve ever made a brioche, you have the equipment to do this. It’s just a fluted deep metallic bowl that you drape the flour tortilla over to mold the shape.

However, if you don’t have those bowls, a nice softball-sized aluminum foil ball will suffice nicely. Just drape the tortilla over the ball so you get a bowl-like result. While it won’t be as pretty as using the mold, it works and that’s all that counts here.

Simple Fillings

The beauty of these fajita salad bowls is how simple the filling is. It’s some veggies and a spicy fajita seasoning seasoning.

For this recipe, you can use commercial fajita seasoning, but I always think it’s better to make your own. First of all, it’s way cheaper and maybe even more importantly, you control the ingredients so there’s nothing in it that you can’t pronounce. And since you make relatively small batches, it’s always fresh.

As for the veggies, I use a mix of baby salad greens and try to vary the colors of the bell peppers. However, using just one color–green–works well too. All the colors taste the same so it’s just a visual thing to mix colors. The orange and yellow peppers are costly, but if you can catch a sale, then by all means use a variety. Remember, you can freeze bell peppers so anything extra won’t go to waste.

Spicy Fajita Seasoning

As I said before, feel free to use any commercial fajita seasoning you like. But since I have a lot of herbs and spices on hand, I make my own spicy fajita seasoning.

One substitution I make when I make up a batch is use chipotle chili powder instead of the generic. Now, it may render it “unuathentic,” but the taste of chipotle really ups the ante on flavor. I’ve also tried ancho chili powder as well. Both are great substitutes that can also enhance the flavor of other recipes, such as these spicy pork chops, so I recommend buying them.

The Recipe

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Fajita Salad Bowls

Combine a salad with fajitas--all served in an edible bowl

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: fajitas, flour tortilla bowls, spicy fajita seasoning

Servings: 6

Calories: 273kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb thinly sliced sirloin steak or any tender steak
6 flour tortillas about 10-inches/25 cm in diameter
6 cups assorted salad greens
2 bell peppers julienned
1 large onion sliced
2 tbs oil

Fajita Seasoning:

1 tbs cornstarch
2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tsp paprika hot paprika preferred
1 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix all the fajita seasoning ingredients in a small bowl; set aside
To make tortilla bowls, preheat oven to 400F/200C. Dampen the flour tortillas with a few drops of water. Mold them to shape on the exterior of fluted tortilla shaper bowls. If you don't have the shapers, see post for another method. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the tortillas begin to brown and hold their shape. Remove from oven and cool completely. FYI you can make a bunch of these for later use.
Fill the tortilla bowls with about 1 cup of salad greens.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the thinly sliced steak and brown. Add the onion and cook until onion just becomes transluscent. Add the peppers and fry just until they turn a bright color. Add the fajita seasoning and stir well to blend.
Place the meat mixture on top of the salad greens in the bowl. Serve immediately

Nutrition

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Mexican Corn Salad

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 23:00:53 +0000

Lovers of Mexican street corn will love this Mexican corn salad!

Corn Salad With A Mexican Touch

The first time I tried Mexican street corn, I fell in love with it. However, now I have major issues with my teeth that I’m reluctant to enjoy the “real thing.”

I’ve seen this done in salad form and wondered if it was as good as the variety that comes on the cob. The answer is a resounding YES!

Of course there are some things you can do to make this more like the authentic corn, but there are additional steps to take if you have the time. I didn’t but next time I sure will because I feel it will improve an already good thing.

The Corn

For the sake of time and convenience, I used frozen corn and the salad turned out very nicely.

However, real Mexican street corn is grilled or roasted. If you want a more authentic flavor, then I would definitely buy ears of corn and either roast them in an air fryer or on your outside grill.

Of course you’d have to cut the roasted corn off the cob, but I don’t see that as a huge issue. I guess you could even do the roasting/grilling the day before you want to make the salad.

Crema

When I made the authentic recipe, I made my own crema–which is the dressing–because it wasn’t available where I live.

It’s pretty easy to do and there’s a link in the recipe card, but I just want you to realize that you have to plan ahead with it. If you cannot find creme fraiche or don’t want to pay (what I believe) is a high price for what it is, you will have to make your own. This will take 24 hours.

There are easy substitutes for the crema, and they are in the recipe notes.

The Recipe

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Mexican Street Corn Salad

The popular corn-on-the-cob recipe now in salad form

Prep Time5

Cook Time5

If You Make Your Own Creme Fraich1

Total Time1 10

Course: Salad, Side Dish, Side Dish/Salad

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Mexican street corn, salads, side dishes

Servings: 8

Calories: 151kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

32 oz corn kernels fresh or frozen
2 cups seedless cucumber diced
1/4 cup white onion chopped
1/4 cup red onion chopped
2 tbs cilantro chopped
1 tbs chili powder
1/2 cup Cotija cheese grated -OR-Parmesan
1/2 cup crema see notes for substitution
Salt & pepper to taste.

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place corn in a large bowl, add 2 tbs water, cover and steam in the microwave for 5 minutes. Drain off liquid and allow the corn to cool.
When the corn is cool, add all remaining ingredients and stir to coat. You may add more crema if you want a saucier salad.

Notes

A decent substitute for the crema is a 1-to-1 mix of mayonnaise and sour cream with about a teaspoon or so of fresh lime juice.

Video

Nutrition

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Taco Salad

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 08 Jun 2019 23:00:50 +0000

This taco salad will beat the heat on hot days. Very easy to make.

Calling All Taco Lovers

If you love tacos and want a nice easy salad that’s practically fuss-free this recipe is for you.

It’s got all the major ingredients–and any others you want to throw into the mix–that will definitely satisfy all your taco lovers.

There’s plenty of flavor in the ground beef and it contains an ingredient some may consider a bit unusual, but it works well here.

I think I improved on the original recipe by using more exotic chili powders. However, you don’t have to do that. The least-expensive one will do just fine.

Double Duty?

Can this dish serve a double purpose? The answer is, “Yes it can!”

Not only is this a nice light supper on hot days, but I think it’s a pretty nifty appetizer too!

You can put this out as part of a buffet for any party and I’m sure it will be well received. I mean, who doesn’t like tacos, right? It looks like a dip but your guests will need plates for this.

Another good thing about this taco salad is that you can use up all those broken tortilla chips you always are left with

Chili Powder

One thing I want to mention here is the chili powder.

The original recipe I mentioned in the first paragraph used the most common variety. That’s fine and will work quite well.

However, I recently bought some more interesting varieties so I mixed them together in equal parts. I used ancho chili powder and chipotle chili powder. Since I’m quite fond of the smokiness of chipotle, I appreciated the flavor immensely.

Now, ancho chili powder is a bit on the hotter side. That seemed to blend very well with the chipotle, but if you’re serving people where you’re not entirely sure of their fondness for heat, I’d advise not using ancho. It’s always best to play it safe when you’re feeding a crowd of people.

Now, a final word on heat–I used fresh jalapeño peppers and left the seeds. For less heat, toss the seeds (and some of the internal ribs) for something milder, or use the original’s canned and pickled variety.

The Recipe

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Taco Salad

A deconstructed taco you eat like a salad.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Appetizer, Main, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: ground beef, taco salad, tacos

Servings: 4

Calories: 807kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup California-style French dressing Catalina
1 tbs chili powder
1 tbs ancho chili powder
8 cups iceberg lettuce torn in small pieces
2 cups tortilla chips broken up
5-6 cherry tomatoes sliced in half
1 fresh jalapeno pepper thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 avocado diced
1 cup Mexican-blend shredded cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Brown ground beef; drain. Stir in the salad dressing, garlic powder and the chili powders; set aside.
Spread lettuce over a large platter. Top with the broken tortilla chips.
Place ground beef mixture on top of the lettuce/chips.
Top with remaining ingredients.

Nutrition

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Mexican Three-Bean Salad

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 21 Jul 2018 23:00:19 +0000

Simple Mexican style bean salad that’s a complete meatless meal!

Simple Yet Stunning

If you’re looking for a salad that will really wow your guests or family, look no further than this Mexican bean salad!

It’s also a great option for a main dish if you are having company that doesn’t eat meat.

The colors are mouthwatering so this really can be the centerpiece of any meal.

Easy To Make

At first glance, you may think this is complicated to prepare, but it’s not!

The hardest thing here is opening the cans of beans! Of course, all canned beans have to be well rinsed and drained. Therefore, I suggest you begin preparation about one hour before you plan to serve the salad. The colander can be set either in the sink or on the draining board so it drains well and doesn’t get in your way.

Other than that, the only other prep work you have is a bit of chopping and defrosting. I might add at this point that you can vary the amounts of anything in the salad itself to suit your individual taste. For instance, I’m not a big lover of cilantro but recognize it’s needed for a special flavor. I tend to go light on it, but if you love it, add more!

The same applies to the dressing. Again, I’m not a lover of cumin but the dressing needs that flavor. Add more of anything if you like it. Just don’t alter the oil/acid amounts.

Your Choice Of Beans

I love the color combination you get with the variety of beans used in this salad. To me, color is very important for food because the more vibrant it looks, the more appealing it is to eat.

But that doesn’t mean you cannot substitute one bean variety for your favorite. If I were to substitute anything here, I’d switch out the cannellini beans for garbanzo beans (aka chick peas) because I really love them. Doing that would also give more depth to the shapes and textures–another thing that’s pleasing to the eye and palate!

The Recipe

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Mexican Three-Bean Salad

Three-Bean salad is a simple Mexican style bean salad that’s a complete meatless meal!

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: bean salad, three bean salad

Servings: 6 -8

Calories: 335kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

15 oz canned cannellini beans drained and rinsed
15 oz canned kidney beans drained and rinsed
15 oz canned black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels defrosted
3/4 cup red onion chopped
1/2 cup poblano peppers finely diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper finely diced
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbs white wine vinegar
1 tbs lemon juice
1/8 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 clove garlic minced
1 tbs sugar
1 Pinch salt
1 Pinch pepper

Instructions

Place the drained beans, corn, onion, peppers, parsley and cilantro in a large bowl.
Mix all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk it well; pour over bean mixture and toss to coat.
Chill until ready to serve.

Nutrition

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Spinach Salad

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 23:00:10 +0000

This spinach salad is so quick and easy!

Simple Is Better!

I’m always amazed how such simple ingredients can produce some of the most tasty dishes!

Top chefs have contended this for quite a while, although I admit, even at my age, that I’m still awestruck as to the truth of this.

This salad is an example of the simple-is-better principle. Basic and common ingredients come together for some mighty fine flavor.

Spinach Variety

I prefer to use baby spinach for several reasons.

First, it’s all sold washed so there’s never any sandiness. Secondly, it combines well with lettuces and other greens for different salads.

More mature spinach may be used, but make sure it’s well washed and the large woody stems are completely removed.

Frozen spinach cannot be used in this recipe for obvious reasons!

Now For The Dressing

Sesame oil is a common ingredient for me since I do a lot of Asian-style cooking. I consider it a pantry staple. However, if you don’t have this on your shelf, it’s worthwhile buying a small bottle of it. You will find you’ll use this in many other recipes because of it’s fine nutty flavor. A friend once called dark sesame oil “Chinese butter.” That’s a very apt description. But be careful to buy the right kind of sesame oil. Refined oil, which is light and has no taste, is sold with the common oils. Dark sesame oil will be in the Asian section of your supermarket.

The dijon mustard helps to emulsify the fats. It’s the secret that holds the dressing–or any other vinaigrette–together.

I have rice vinegar in my pantry for the same reasons I have the dark sesame oil. However, it’s not really necessary to use it. Any vinegar, with the exception of red wine, can be substituted for this. I’d recommend just plain white vinegar or cider vinegar which should give the dressing an interesting and slightly fruity flavor.

The Recipe

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Spinach Salad

This spinach salad has a flavorful Asian vinaigrette dressing which is a step above the traditional hot bacon dressing.

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: Asian vinaigrette, spinach salad

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 126kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs baby spinach leaves
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
1 clove garlic finely minced
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Place washed and dried spinach in a large bowl.
Combine vegetable oil, sesame oil, garlic, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, mustard and sesame seeds.
Pour over spinach.
Toss to coat.
Let set 5 minutes.
Toss again.

Nutrition

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Ginger Garlic Cucumber Salad

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 30 Jun 2018 23:00:47 +0000

Ginger garlic cucumber salad is perfect for a hot summer day because it’s very cooling. Easy to make too.

Cucumber Salad Goes Asian

Since I love cucumbers and specifically cucumber salad, I’m always jonesing for new recipes.

I’ve made the classic creamy salad and dill varieties for years. Recently, I posted this other Asian cucumber salad which uses different flavors.

Try them all if you like!

Prepping the Cukes

Cucumbers have a lot of water in them. If you don’t get a lot of it out, it’ll make the dressing watery and dilute the flavor somewhat. Of course, if you don’t mind this and you plan to serve the salad immediately, then you can bypass this step.

First of all, I strongly suggest using a mandolin to slice the the cukes. You want them very thin and you just cannot get uniformity using a knife–no matter how good your knife skills are.

Next you lay the slices in a colander and sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt–don’t go overboard; about a teaspoon is enough. Then you have to weight them down. I have a large colander so what I do is place an 8-inch cast iron skillet in a plastic bag and put that on top. Now just let this sit for 30 minutes.

Next step is to lay the slices on some paper towels and blot the cukes to dry them as much as you can. Now you’re ready to make up the salad.

The Dressing

This dressing is ultra simple.

All you have to do is mix the ingredients together. Note that there is no salt in the dressing and that’s mainly because you used it to prep the cucumbers

The Recipe

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Ginger Garlic Cucumber Salad

Ginger garlic cucumber salad is perfect for a hot summer day because it’s very cooling. Easy to make too.

Prep Time30

Total Time30

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: cucumber salad, cucumbers, summer salad

Servings: 4

Calories: 126kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 seedless cucumbers i.e. European (see NOTES)
2 tbs kosher salt
3 green onions finely sliced
1 tbs finely minced cilantro

For the Dressing:

1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic minced
2 1/2 tbs vegetable oil
1 tbs low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp dark sesame oil
1 tsp sugar

Instructions

Slice cucumbers very thinly. A mandolin is best for this.
Place sliced cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle with the kosher salt. Toss so they are well coated. Set the colander in the sink so they drain. Let stand 15-20 minutes.
Lay the cucumber slices on a kitchen towel and pat to dry; place them in a large bowl then add the green onions and cilantro.
For the dressing: Mix the sugar, ginger, garlic and soy sauce in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Whisk in the oils then pour over cucumber slices and toss to coat.
Refrigerate until ready to use. This salad will keep about 2 days but the dressing will get a bit watery (but still taste good).

Notes

Don’t use regular cucumbers (store bought) because they are waxed. Kirby’s (pickling cucumbers) are a good substitute for the European ones.

Nutrition

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Tomato Salad

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 23:00:01 +0000

This tomato salad is so refreshing and delicious you just might call it a meal!

The Perfect Summer Salad

This salad is so cooling and refreshing you’ll serve this often throughout the summer. Heck, it’s even good in the other three seasons too!

Tomatoes seem to go well with everything and this salad is no exception. It’s easy to make and even easier to eat.

I’ve often eaten only this salad for a light dinner or lunch. Even though it’s light, it’s quite filling especially if it’s made with robustly flavored tomatoes.

Tomatoes As Pretty As A Picture

This salad makes a stunning presentation even when it’s made with standard red tomatoes.

However, it goes to higher levels when you make it with different colored ones. Just try it with a good mix of red, orange and yellow and see how great it looks! That’s something I’d do if I had guests because yellow and orange tomatoes are a bit pricy and rarely go on sale by me.

The flavor will go into the stratosphere if you use home-grown tomatoes. Nothing beats the flavor of home grown, so use them when you can. Since I no longer garden, I’ve found that the vine-ripened variety tastes the best and it’s a great substitute for when you don’t have access to home grown. Kumatoes are also very tasty and their color would add a dimension to the way this salad looks.

Simple Dressing

The dressing for this salad is very simple and basic. It enhances the flavor without being overpowering.

It’s a simple emulsion and relies on the use of a drop of Dijon mustard to aid the emulsification. When using the Dijon, you don’t have to worry too much about being careful to drip the oil in. Just as long as you do a steady stream, it’ll set up nicely.

Watch The Video

The Recipe

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Tomato Salad

This tomato salad is so cooling and refreshing you’ll serve this often throughout the summer. Heck, it’s even good in the other three seasons too!

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: salads

Cuisine: American

Keyword: salad recipe, tomato salad, tomatoes

Servings: 4

Calories: 87kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 cups diced tomatoes seeds removed
1 clove garlic minced
2 tbs chopped fresh basil

Dressing:

2 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs honey
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil

Instructions

Mix lemon juice, honey, mustard and salt in a small bowl. Whisk in oil until emulsified.
Place tomatoes, garlic and basil in another bowl; toss to combine. Drizzle the dressing over and toss to coat.

Nutrition

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