I’ve really been digging fruit-based salads this summer.
I’m not normally a ‘salad person’ as much as I try to be, but the fruit we’ve been getting has been absolutely spectacular. Case in point: Strawberry Spinach Salad. These raspberries HAD to be the star in something! And the cheese… well, the cheese had to have a supporting role (absolutely the winner of best supporting actor/actress)!
New York is a complete food-lovers paradise. I know I say this wherever we move, but I just might have found the place with the best food ever. They aren’t just apples, they’re the most delicious apples you’ve ever tasted. Even in the smaller, quieter neighborhoods there are so many European-style specialty shops, markets, bakeries, butchers, vegetable grocers… I could just wander and pick for hours! That is, if I get up the nerve to elbow my way past everyone else!
This salad is a bit of everything – fruit, cheese, vegetables and chicken, all doused in the olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette from my Cobbish Salad recipe. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s delicious!
We need to throw together our base first: crunchy zippy arugula mix with some lemon garlic chicken (or leftover roasted chicken if you need a little less POW).
Now the veggies: cucumber, green onions and celery. All green so they don’t outshine those raspberries!
Then the raspberries (are they not gorgeous? That pinky red!)
Top it all off with a strong creamy, slightly salty feta. You want the real stuff – on the label it should say either sheep or goat milk, not cow. NEVER COW. That is not feta cheese.
Drizzle that simple olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette and voila!
A gorgeous, simple summer salad.
I’ve sent it with Mr. Nomato as a lunch more than once and every time it comes back with rave reviews.
Salty, sweet, tart, crunch, zip…
AND THOSE BERRIES. Wowza.
- 1 carton of raspberries , washed
- 4 1 ” cubes of feta
- 2 cooked chicken breasts (I always use leftovers from Roasted Chicken or Lemon Garlic Chicken), chopped
- 1 large cucumber , sliced
- 3 sprigs green onion , chopped
- 4 stalks celery , chopped
- 1 bag arugula mix (or your favourite!)
- Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tsp balsamic vinegar
- dash each salt , pepper and OPTIONAL oregano
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Add arugula mix to large bowl, and then add chicken, cucumber, green onion and celery.
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Top with raspberries and crumble the feta over top.
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Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and oregano in a shaker or just quickly stir together in a bowl, and then pour over top immediately before serving.
