Name: The Everything Salad
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 1 Red Apple (thinly sliced ); 3 Baby Gherkins (thinly sliced ); 20 Green Olives; 8 Cherry Tomatoes (halved or quartered ); 20 Mini Mozzarella Balls; 85 grams Arugula; 85 grams Corn Salad (Lamb' s Lettuce); 50 ml Olive Oil; 20 ml Balsamic Vinegar; 10 ml Honey

You heard of the everything bagel – now, I present to you The Everything Salad! Yes, there is no history here because this recipe was inspired by my MIL. Now, a little backstory – I am absolutely terrible at salad. Salad is my kryptonite or shall I say saladonite, get it? SALADOnite as in krypt… okay never mind. Yes, so my salad making skills are just as bad as my humour apparently. But in my opinion, my MIL is the best when it comes to salads – her salads are always simple but bursting with flavour and it pairs well with almost everything. I wanted this salad recipe that is inspired by her to serve the same purpose as well. If you want a nice fresh salad to have by the side for your dinner meals or even just for lunch – then this a perfect recipe that takes only 12 minutes to whip up and it is super customizable to suit what you have in your pantry (see Substitutions below). The Everything Salad is easy, takes so little time to make, versatile and customizable – wow this salad recipe just keeps scoring points!

BEE ROLL

TIPS & TRICKS / SUBSTITUTIONS

SUBSTITUTIONS

Fruits & Vegetables

There’s a reason this recipe is called ‘The Everything Salad’ and it is because it’s fully customizable. You can switch things up based on what you have. No apples? Try pears, strawberries, watermelon, pomegranate, peach, or even grapes (make sure the grapes are sweet to complement the vinaigrette). And if you’re out of arugula or corn salad a.k.a lamb’s lettuce, then mixed green salad, romaine salad, or red leaf lettuce works just fine. For toppings, besides the recommended pine nuts, you can swap them for walnuts, almonds, pecans, or even store-bought or homemade croutons. Not a fan of gherkins? No problem, leave them out or add a kick of heat with some pickled jalapenos instead. But here’s the best part: even if all you’ve got is an apple, some rucola or greens, and the ingredients for the vinaigrette, you’ll still end up with a delicious salad. Also, this is a great salad recipe to start with, especially if you are a beginner, as it lets you start simple and slowly move forward in adding more ingredients.

STEPS ON MAKING THE EVERYTHING SALAD

First, wash the arugula well and place it on a clean kitchen towel. Gently roll the towel to remove the moisture from the arugula. Repeat the same steps with the corn salad (lamb’s lettuce). It is always a good habit to wash salad, even if the store-bought packet labels it as already washed. Giving it a good wash helps get rid of any dirt or germs that might be left on it.

Peel the apple, core it, and cut it into thin slices. Set them on a large plate on one side. A little note here, it is absolutely okay to cut the apples anyway you like it, but just keep in mind they have to be thin. Next, cut the cherry tomatoes in half or into quarters, then place them on one side of the same plate. Thinly slice the baby gherkins and set them on the same plate. Set the green olives and mini mozzarella balls separately on the same plate as well.

In a mason jar, add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and honey. Screw the lid over the mason jar and shake it well. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the arugula, corn salad (lamb’s lettuce), apple slices, halved or fourths cherry tomatoes, baby gherkin slices, green olives, mini mozzarella balls, and the vinaigrette. Mix everything together until all the ingredients in the salad are coated evenly with the vinaigrette.

Serve it as it is or with an optional topping of pine nuts for an added crunch texture.

STORAGE

This salad is not ideal for storing, as the longer it sits, the less fresh it would be, and it would also tend to lose its crunchy salad texture. Hence, it is best to consume it fresh.