It’s the time of year when local produce starts flooding into markets—a good reason why May is designated National Salad Month. If you’re ready to refresh your salad lineup with seasonal ingredients, these five recipes can get you started.
Classic green goddess dressing gets a vegan spin with silken tofu as the base. It’s blended with roasted poblano peppers and hot honey for a spicy accent, then tossed with seasonal greens.
To change up the usual all-American flavors of a classic cobb, the Sheraton Airport Hotel in San Francisco adds a Thai-inspired dressing that enhances the grilled chicken and avocado. Mung bean sprouts, pea sprouts and shiitake mushrooms carry out the Asian theme.
Dandelion, Kale and Orange Salad with Spiced Walnuts
Chef Joanne Weir specs the Cara Cara orange for this recipe—a red-fleshed navel orange that looks like a cross between a blood orange and grapefruit. If these are hard to come by, another orange variety can be substituted. The goal here is to provide a sweet, juicy counterpoint to the slightly bitter dandelion greens.
Photo courtesy of California Table Grape Commission
Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad with Grapes
This roasted beet salad gets a sweet spin with the addition of grapes. A tart dressing and slightly salty ricotta salata add flavor and texture contrast. Serve as a starter or side.
Chef Jennifer Shearer entered this recipe in a contest celebrating neighborhood restaurants and won the grand prize. Juicy red strawberries stand in for the usual tomatoes and cornbread for crusty Italian bread, giving this bread salad a summery twist.
University of Florida’s solution for feeding students in the midst of construction of a new dining hall has turned out so well, it will almost be a shame to see it go.
The endlessly colorful cuisine of Mexico is always in season, but Cinco de Mayo is a great time to bring some new recipes to the party, starting with El Rio Picante, an alternative marg, and finishing with DIY churro sundaes.