CLASSIC RED, WHITE, AND BLUE SALAD

This colorful and sweet salad is perfect for entertaining, especially for those who live in the States and celebrate Independence Day on July 4th. Keep the base and switch out the colors to make it specific to your special occasion. Suggestions later in the post. 

Ingredients

1 large bowl - Salad Greens 

1 Cup - Strawberries (sliced)

1 Cup - Blue Berries 

1 Cup - Cucumbers (sliced)

1 Cup - Pecans

Dressing Ingredients*

1/2 Cup - Olive Oil (https://amzn.to/3OOgNDp)

Juice of half a orange

4 Tbsp - Vinegar (https://amzn.to/3OHQgaY)

4 Tbsp - Honey (https://amzn.to/3R9PEws) *If you are able to, buy local. This brand is local to Tulsa, OK, where we live. Visit your local farmers market or local grocery store that carries local honey. 

2 Tbsp - Dijon Mustard (https://amzn.to/3aglabs)

4 Tbsp - Poppyseeds (https://amzn.to/3bT55ZP)

Instructions

1. Add all the dressing ingredients (except the poppyseeds) into a blender. Blend until all combined. Add more honey a tablespoon at a time to increase sweetness. 

2. Add the poppyseeds and mix by hand until incorporated into the mixture. 

3. Clean and chop all of your salad greens, strawberries, and cucumbers to desired size. We like them to be bite size. 

4. Drizzle on the dressing and enjoy!

Video

Commentary

Because this is a fruity salad, I will recommend items that I think will pair well with this salad (mainly fruits), but if you like onions or tomatoes with your sweet dressing, by all means add it to your salad. These are just suggestions.

Yellow: Peach, Plums, Gold Kiwi, Starfruit, Passionfruit

Green: Green grapes, Kiwi, Roasted Asparagus, Avocado, Green beans

Red: Plums, Beets, Raspberries, Cranberries

White: Parmesean, Sliced Almonds

Purple: Grapes, Figs, Red Cabbage, Raisins, Purple Carrots

Black: Blackberries, Figs

Brown: Almonds, Croutons

Other ideas: edible flowers, bell peppers, spring salad mix, kale, carrots, corn, beans, etc. 

Dressing: The ratio of the ingredients are up to you. Add more vinegar if you like it more sour and more honey if you like it sweeter. I like to add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavors more. If you like a sweet and spicy combo, add a little red pepper flakes (or paprika). 

Cheese: If you're like my family and don't like the stink of feta cheese, try using a less smelly cheese like fresh mozzarella. If you like the funk, get that bleu cheese out.  

Lastly

At the end of the day, this is your salad. So, you get to decide what you want to put into it.