I had the family over for Sunday supper this week. We had grilled chicken and a variety of salads along with some garlic bread sticks and roasted asparagus. My sister brought a sugar free apple pie for dessert. It was just nice to get together here at my place as a family. Usually we go to my sister's!
Like always, however, I did cook too much and found myself with some leftovers that I needed to use up. Today I thought I would make myself a delicious Dinner salad! Salad for dinner is a good thing, and this is the start of salad season after all!
WHAT IS A DINNER SALAD
The simple answer is a main dish salad that is hearty and filling. A salad that won't leave you hungry and wanting more!
Dinner salads are usually composed of a delicious mix of salad greens, a variety of crisp vegetables, as well as a protein of some sort. You can make them all vegetarian, or you can add proteins such as cheese, meat, fish or poultry.
They usually also include a delicious dressing that is drizzled over top, and some croutons always go well sprinkled on top.
I had some chicken leftover from yesterday and I also made good use of the soft bread sticks that were leftover to make some croutons. I also was able to use the last of the Boursin cheese that I had in the refrigerator.
I combined that with a few other bits and pieces and some crisp lettuce and I had a salad that was incredibly delicious and substantial.
A touch of Dijon mustard, olive oil, some seasonings, a bit of honey . . . garlic. It was lush and delicious!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE A DINNER SALAD
There is nothing written in stone. Here is what I used and what worked well together.
- 2 cups coarsely chopped iceberg or romaine lettuce
- 2 pieces of boneless, skinless grilled chicken (about 1 cup, cubed)
- 1 3-inch piece of English cucumber, peeled and cubed
- 6 cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 small ripe avocado, cubed
- 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cut into quarters
- 1/4 of a red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (60g) cubed cheese of some sort, pick your favorite
- crisp croutons to sprinkle
Of course any salad is only as good as its dressing and this is what you will need for this one. Its fabulous.
For the dressing:
- 3 TBS olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or one small clove, peeled and minced)
- 1 tsp good Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp liquid honey
- 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
You don't need to use chicken. Steak or roast pork, leftover ham, lamb, or turkey. You can even use leftover cooked fish. Salmon is particularly good.
If you don't have leftovers, then use cubed deli-meats. Tinned salmon and tuna broken into bite sized chunks are also very nice.
Any cheese goes! You want something nice and creamy and rich in flavor. Today I used Boursin, but goats cheese is lovely as is a nice creamy cheddar. Blue cheese goes especially nice with beef.
Boiled egg is a lovely addition. The yolk from the egg almost emulsifies with the dressing as you are eating it. Loads of crunch from the vegetables. Cucumber is nice, as is celery, hearts of palm, radishes, etc.
I added some halved cherry tomatoes, but any diced tomato would do, and chopped peppers are also nice, raw or even roasted.
Just use what you have! Just make sure all of your vegetables are lovely and fresh and crisp. You might be surprised at the delicious combinations you can come up with!
HOW TO MAKE A DINNER SALAD
It might seem silly to some for me to explain this, but there are some people who do need a bit of direction and there is nothing wrong with that! I'm always here to help!!
First make the dressing. Measure the mustard into a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil, one tablespoonful at a time. Whisk in the lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley flakes. Set aside.
Divide the chopped lettuce between two pasta bowls.
Top each bowl of lettuce with the egg, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, chicken, and cheese, placing each ingredient on top in an enticing manner, and dividing them equally. Sprinkle the chopped onion and croutons on top of each.
Give your dressing a final whisk and drizzle half over each salad. Serve immediately.
This made for a really hearty and filling supper. I was quite happy with it and felt good that I was eating something healthy as well as using up my leftovers!
We won't talk about the piece of apple pie I finished off with. 😁 It was also very good, and sugar free, so I don't feel too awfully bad about it.
Some other salads here in my English Kitchen that you might enjoy are:
SALAD COMPOSE - Very French with crisp salad leaves, boiled egg, sweet plum tomatoes, crisp salty bacon and buttery crisp garlic baguette croutons. Finished off with a beautiful sherry vinegar vinaigrette dressing!
STEAK MUSHROOM AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD - Perfectly cooked grilled medium rare pieces of steak, combined with tasty rich sauteed mushrooms, capers, creamy tangy blue cheese all tossed together with a rich sherry and honey vinaigrette dressing. Delicious!
LOW FAT CHICKEN TACO SALAD - A mix of salad greens, black beans, corn, peppers, black olives, along with crispy chicken strips combined with a low fat creamy spicy dressing and some baked tortilla crisps on top. Fabulously tasty!
Dinner Salad
Yield: 2
Author: Marie Rayner
Prep time: 15 MinTotal time: 15 Min
With the warmer temperatures some nights we enjoy a delicious salad for our dinner. This is one really fabulous version, with plenty of crunch, protein and a killer honey mustard vinaigrette dressing. Sized perfectly for two. Its also a great way to use up any bits and bobs you might have in the refrigerator that need using up!
Ingredients
- 2 cups coarsely chopped iceberg or romaine lettuce
- 2 pieces of boneless, skinless grilled chicken (about 1 cup, cubed)
- 1 3-inch piece of English cucumber, peeled and cubed
- 6 cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 small ripe avocado, cubed
- 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and cut into quarters
- 1/4 of a red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (60g) cubed cheese of some sort, pick your favorite
- crisp croutons to sprinkle
For the dressing:
- 3 TBS olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or one small clove, peeled and minced)
- 1 tsp good Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp liquid honey
- 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
Instructions
- First make the dressing. Measure the mustard into a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil, one tablespoonful at a time. Whisk in the lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley flakes. Set aside.
- Divide the chopped lettuce between two pasta bowls.
- Top each bowl of lettuce with the egg, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, chicken, and cheese, placing each ingredient on top in an enticing manner, and dividing them equally. Sprinkle the chopped onion and croutons on top of each.
- Give your dressing a final whisk and drizzle half over each salad. Serve immediately.
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HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CROUTONS
I found myself with some leftover garlic bread sticks after the weekend. I think it was a bit of a stretch for the maker to call them bread sticks, as they were more like hot dog buns brushed with a bit of garlic butter. Anyways, I had some leftover and I used about six of them to make homemade croutons.
Making your own homemade croutons for salads and soups is really easy, and (you will discover) much more delicious than any ready-made variety!
All you need is a quantity of somewhat stale bread or rolls. Cut them into 1/2 inch cubes with a serrated knife and place them onto a baking sheet. Preheat your oven to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6.
Spread the bread cubes out into a single layer on a lipped baking sheet. Give them a good spritz with some olive oil spray. I find the spray the best thing to use because it allows you to evenly coat the bread pieces, whereas if you use just oil, it soaks into some and misses others.
Toss together with your hands along with some of your favorite seasonings. I used 1 tsp of garlic Italian seasoning today. But you can use any combination of herbs or seasonings you enjoy.
Toast them in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring them every 5 minutes or so, until crisp and golden brown.
Store in an airtight container. They will keep for a few weeks or even longer depending on how crisp you get them. Great sprinkled over salads or soups!
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