Start with a base of greens. We went with spring greens, but I also love spinach as a base, as well as thinly sliced kale, arugula, and romaine. Next comes any vegetable you have on hand. My go-to’s are finely shredded carrot, chopped tomatoes, and onion or shallot. But to make it a little more fancy, I also included pomegranate arils, cranberries, and pepitas. For even more texture and flavor, you could also consider adding things like my Easy Vegan Parmesan Cheese, Actually Crispy Baked Chickpeas or 5-Minute Macadamia Nut Cheese! Next comes the dressing. Recipes usually recommend adding twice the amount of oil as acid when making vinaigrette. But I find that makes the dressing taste too oily. So I go for more of a 1:1 ratio for better balance, add a little maple syrup to offset the acidity, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. For even more flavor and texture, you can whisk (or blend) in some shallot. Blending it will add more body to your dressing (making it creamier and thicker). Whisking will be more visually appealing as you can see specks of shallot throughout the dressing. We hope you love and use this side salad all the time. It’s: SimpleLightQuick & Easy to makeFresh& Customizable You can pair this side salad with just about any dish. It’s especially delicious with our Smoky BBQ Black Bean Burger, Best Vegan Gluten-Free Mac ‘n’ Cheese, Easy Gluten-Free Vegan Pizza, and Garlic & White Wine Pasta with Brussels Sprouts. For more salad inspiration, be sure to check out our Sweet Potato & Avocado Green Salad, Roasted Vegetable Salad with Chimichurri, Kale Citrus Salad, Curried Cauliflower Grape & Lentil Salad, or this fan-favorite Garlicky Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas. If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
