Category: Salads


Apr
2021

Southwestern Rice Salad

categories: Salads, Side Dishes
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Southwestern Rice Salad is a yummy side or meatless main dish. Rice, black beans, corn, and peppers are mixed in a lightly seasoned dressing.
Southwestern Rice Salad is a yummy side or meatless main dish. Rice, black beans, corn, and peppers are mixed in a lightly seasoned dressing.

If you’re looking for a delicious and unique salad, side dish, or meatless main dish, I’d like to recommend this Southwestern Rice Salad. I got the original recipe about 15 years ago from one of my “Taste of Home” magazines. At the time I thought it sounded really interesting, so I saved the recipe. Guess what? It is REALLY tasty!

The salad features cooked rice with black beans, corn, carrots, bell peppers, garlic, cilantro, red onion, tomatoes and wait for it… crunchy salted peanuts!!! The salad is dressed with a simple Southwest-inspired salad dressing, and then is served chilled. Who knew something so unusual sounding could taste so good? But it IS good!

The entire salad can be ready in 30 minutes. If you want to save time, prep the veggies and other ingredients while the rice is cooking. That will shave some time off the preparation! I also recommend chilling the salad after it is finished and dressed (for best flavor), but that is up to you. Here’s how to make Southwestern Rice Salad:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Rice

Place uncooked long grain rice in a saucepan with water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Simmer the rice (covered) on low heat for 15 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat. The rice should be tender and the water will have been absorbed.

Let the rice sit (still covered), for 5 minutes, then rinse with cold water to cool it down. Drain the rice after rinsing and place the cooled, cooked rice in a large serving bowl.

Long grain white rice is cooked in water until done and fluffy.Cooked rice is rinsed then drained before adding it to salad bowl.

Time To Make The Southwestern Rice Salad

TIP: If you want to save time, do the following steps while the rice is cooking. In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil until hot on medium heat. Add chopped green pepper, red onion, carrots, and minced garlic. Sauté these veggies until they are crisp-tender. Stir often while cooking so the garlic won’t burn in the skillet (and become bitter).This should take 4-5 minutes. 

 When done, add this veggie mixture to the cooled rice in the bowl, and stir well, to combine.

Chopped green pepper, carrot, red onion, and garlic are cooked in oil until tender.The cooked veggies are added to the cooled rice in salad bowl.

The next ingredients you will add to the Southwestern rice salad are corn (frozen, but thawed), black beans, tomatoes, salted peanuts and chopped fresh cilantro. Place them in the bowl with the rice and stir gently, until all the ingredients are combined. Isn’t it colorful? 

Corn, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro and salted peanuts are added to the Southwestern rice salad.Southwestern Rice Salad is very colorful after adding all the ingredients.

Make The Salad Dressing

The last thing you need to prepare is the simple salad dressing to coat the Southwestern rice salad. It’s EASY! Use a wire whisk or a fork to fully mix olive oil, fresh lemon juice, cayenne pepper and ground cumin in a small bowl. Mix these salad dressing ingredients for about a minute to ensure the oil and juice are fully integrated. Now you’re ready to add it to the salad!

Pour the salad dressing over the Southwestern rice salad, and toss well, to ensure all the salad is mixed well with the dressing. Once done, refrigerate the salad until it is time to serve. The flavors really come together the longer the salad is refrigerated, so if you have the chance to make this salad early in the day, the better. If not, you can certainly serve the salad right away, if that is your preference.

Salad dressing for the salad is made with lemon juice, olive oil, cayenne and ground cumin.

Ready To Serve Southwestern Rice Salad

Once the salad is dressed and refrigerated for a bit, it is ready to enjoy! Southwestern rice salad is filling, thanks in part to the black beans and rice, so it can be enjoyed as a meatless main dish, or you can enjoy it as a side dish for chicken, beef and pork. The salad has lots of flavor, and makes enough for 12 servings, so there is plenty to go around.

Store any leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. My husband keeps getting spoonfuls of leftovers out of the fridge throughout the day to eat as a snack or to have with his lunch or dinner. He definitely loves this lightly seasoned, chilled salad! The crunchy peanuts are a welcome surprise, too!

After chilling in the refrigerator, the Southwestern Rice Salad is served in a white bowl.A close up look at the Southwestern Rice Salad, full of veggies.

I hope you have the chance to make this yummy, filling Southwestern rice salad. I truly believe you and those you love will enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by today, and I sincerely hope you will come back again soon. Have a great day!

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have lots of great tasting salad recipes for you to enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: “Taste of Home” magazine, June/July 2006 edition, page 8, published by Reiman Publications, Inc.

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Southwestern Rice Salad
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Southwestern Rice Salad is a yummy side or meatless main dish. Rice, black beans, corn, and peppers are mixed in a lightly seasoned dressing.

Category: Main Course Salad, Salad/Side Dish
Cuisine: Southwestern
Keyword: Southwestern rice salad
Servings: 12
Calories Per Serving: 305 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1⅓ cups water
  • ⅔ cup long grain white rice , uncooked
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ¾ cup chopped green bell pepper
  • ½ cup chopped red onion (or shallot)
  • 1 medium carrot , peeled and chopped
  • 3 large garlic cloves , minced
  • 16 ounces frozen corn , thawed
  • 15 ounces canned black beans , rinsed and drained
  • 2 medium Roma tomatoes , chopped
  • 1 cup salted peanuts
  • ⅓ cup fresh cilantro , finely chopped
For Salad Dressing:
  • ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Place rice in a saucepan with water; bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pan. Simmer rice (covered) on low heat for 15 minutes; remove pan from heat. Let rice sit (covered), for 5 minutes; rinse rice with cold water; drain. Put rice in large serving bowl.

  2. TIP: If you want to save time, do the following steps while rice is cooking. In large skillet, heat vegetable oil on medium. Add green pepper, red onion, carrots, and minced garlic. Sauté until crisp-tender (4-5 minutes), stirring often so garlic won't burn. Add to rice; stir.

  3. Add corn, beans, tomatoes, peanuts and cilantro to rice; stir to combine.

  4. Use a wire whisk or fork to fully mix olive oil, lemon juice, cayenne and ground cumin in a small bowl. Mix well to ensure oil and juice are fully combined. Pour dressing over salad; toss well, to coat. Cover and refrigerate salad until time to serve. Store leftovers, covered, in refrigerator up to 4-5 days. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Southwestern Rice Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/12th of total))
Calories 305 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Sodium 198mg9%
Potassium 410mg12%
Carbohydrates 28g9%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 1056IU21%
Vitamin C 16mg19%
Calcium 38mg4%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Southwestern Rice Salad is a yummy side or meatless main dish. Rice, black beans, corn, and peppers are mixed in a lightly seasoned dressing.


Feb
2021

Asian Cucumber Salad

categories: Salads, Vegetable Dishes
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Asian Cucumber Salad is an easy side dish, with sliced cucumbers & green onions marinated in an Asian-inspired sauce, served cold and crispy!
Asian Cucumber Salad is an easy side dish, with sliced cucumbers & green onions marinated in an Asian-inspired sauce, served cold and crispy!

I grew up eating marinated cucumbers, because my Mom made them quite often, especially in the hot summertime. I’ve shared her basic recipe, called “Mom’s Marinated Cucumbers” here on the blog previously, and hope you will check it out, if interested. They’re really good!

This recipe I am sharing today has a slight Asian twist to it, due in part to it’s use of rice vinegar and soy sauce. Asian Cucumber Salad is simple to make in about 10 minutes, but you will have to allow time for the cucumbers to marinate for the best flavor, so plan ahead! I like to make up a batch in the morning to be able to enjoy later in the day! Let me show you how easy this salad is to make:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Cucumbers

Trim the ends off the cucumbers, and then use a vegetable peeler or knife to remove all the peel. Once peeled, thinly slice (about 1/4″) all of the cucumbers. You can use regular cucumbers OR English cucumbers for this salad.

NOTE: I used one really large English cucumber for these photos, but you can also use 2 large or 3 medium sized regular cucumbers, if desired. There is enough marinade for either way you choose to fix this dish.

The cucumbers are washed, ends trimmed off, then peeled.Cucumbers are peeled, and cut into thin slices for Asian Cucumber Salad.

Now it’s time to get the cucumbers ready for marinating! Place the cucumber slices and chopped green onions (scallions) into a container with a lid or a large re-sealable plastic bag. You’re going to use all the white parts of each green onion, and SOME of the green tops, okay?

NOTE: I prefer to use a large dish with a lid when marinating these, because sometimes the plastic re-sealable bags can leak (and that’s not good).

Chopped green onions and sliced cucumbers in dish before marinating.

Marinate The Cucumbers

It’s EASY to make the Asian-inspired marinade for the cucumbers. Measure rice vinegar, water, reduced sodium soy sauce, granulated sugar, salt and black pepper into a small bowl. Whisk or stir well, until these ingredients are fully combined. Pour the marinade over the sliced cucumbers and green onions, and gently stir until the cucumbers are coated on all sides.

Place a tight fitting lid on the dish (or seal the bag), and place the dish into your refrigerator. For BEST flavor, let the cucumbers marinate in the sauce for several hours to saturate them with flavor (or even overnight, if you want). Stir occasionally, to ensure the cucumbers remain coated with marinade.

Asian sauce is mixed then poured over cucumber mix to marinate.

Serve The Asian Cucumber Salad

After they’ve marinated for several hours (or overnight), it’s time to serve the Asian Cucumber Salad. Remove the cucumbers with a slotted spoon, letting the marinade drain off the cucumbers before serving.

Transfer the drained Asian Cucumber Salad to a serving dish, and lightly sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve the salad – the cucumbers will be crisp, cold, and full of flavor! They’re so good, I find myself grabbing one or two slices out of the fridge for a quick, tasty snack any time of the day.

Asian Cucumber Salad is served garnished with sesame seeds in a white bowl.A close up photo of the Asian Cucumber Salad in a white bowl.

You can also use the marinated, drained cucumbers on your favorite mixed green salad, for a crunchy, tasty pop of flavor! They’re delicious when used in this way, as well.

Marinated cucumbers are delicious and crunchy added to a mixed green salad.

I hope you have the chance to try this simple recipe, and am positive you will enjoy it. Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit today. Have a great day, and come back soon, okay?

Looking For More Salad Recipes?

You can find all of my salad recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have lots of yummy salad recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe Adapted From: The cookbook “What’s For Dinner?”, by Maryana Vollstedt, published in 1997 by Chronicle Books, page 99.

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Asian Cucumber Salad
Prep Time
10 mins
Marinating Time (inactive)
3 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs 10 mins
 

Asian Cucumber Salad is an easy side dish, with sliced cucumbers & green onions marinated in an Asian-inspired sauce, served cold and crispy!

Category: Salad, Vegetable Dish
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: Asian cucumber salad
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 34 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2 large cucumbers *See Note below
  • 3 stalks green onions (scallions) sliced (white bulb and some green tops)
For Marinade:
  • ½ cup rice vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • 2 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Garnish:
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds if desired for garnish
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Trim ends off the cucumbers; peel cucumbers. Once peeled, thinly slice (about 1/4") the cucumbers. Place cucumber slices and chopped green onions into a container with a lid, or into a large re-sealable plastic bag.

  2. Measure rice vinegar, water, soy sauce, granulated sugar, salt and pepper into a small bowl. Whisk or stir well, until fully combined. Pour marinade over sliced cucumbers and green onions; gently stir until cucumbers are coated on all sides. Place a tight fitting lid on dish (or seal the bag); place in refrigerator. For BEST flavor, let cucumbers marinate in sauce for several hours to saturate with flavor (or even overnight, if you want). Stir occasionally, to ensure cucumbers remain coated with marinade.

  3. After marinating, they're ready to eat. Remove the cucumbers from the marinade with a slotted spoon, letting the marinade drain off the cucumbers before serving. Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle cucumbers with sesame seeds for optional garnish. Serve cold, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: This recipe yields approximately 4 servings as written. The caloric calculation is made using 2 large cucumbers (4 servings total). You can make this dish using 3 medium regular cucumbers, 2 large regular cucumbers, or 1 very large English cucumber, and will still have enough marinade for use in this recipe.

Nutrition Facts
Asian Cucumber Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/4 of total))
Calories 34 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 234mg10%
Potassium 215mg6%
Carbohydrates 5g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 191IU4%
Vitamin C 6mg7%
Calcium 31mg3%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Asian Cucumber Salad is an easy side dish, with sliced cucumbers & green onions marinated in an Asian-inspired sauce, served cold and crispy!


Jan
2021

Bacon Lover’s Spinach Salad

categories: Salads
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Enjoy Bacon Lover’s Spinach Salad for two! Baby spinach leaves topped with hard-boiled eggs, red onion, crisp bacon, and warm bacon dressing!Enjoy Bacon Lover's Spinach Salad for two! Baby spinach leaves topped with hard-boiled eggs, red onion, crisp bacon, and warm bacon dressing!

I really love a good spinach salad… do you? Today I want to share a great recipe for a Bacon Lover’s Spinach Salad. I called it that, because, between the abundance of crispy crumbled bacon ON the salad, there is also a warm bacon dressing that is poured OVER the salad when serving.

If you LOVE BACON and enjoy spinach salads like I do, then this simple, flavor-packed salad will be a big hit. The recipe as written makes two servings, and can be used as a side salad for a variety of entrees.

Hard-boiled eggs on top add wonderful protein to the salad, so it can be a delicious main dish salad if you choose to enjoy it that way, as well.

With just a bit of prep ahead of time, this delicious salad can be ready to enjoy! Let me show you how easy it is to make:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

First Things First!

You will need to have two hard-boiled eggs cooked and cooled for this salad. Get them ready first using your favorite method, so they will have time to cool, peel, and slice before adding to the salad.

I usually cover them with water in a saucepan, and bring them to a boil, cooking them for 22 minutes total, from start to finish.

Hard-boiled eggs are used in this recipe for spinach salad.

You will also need cooked, crispy crumbled bacon for the salad. You can also pre-cook this ingredient or make this while the eggs are cooking, if more convenient time-wise.

I usually cut the bacon into small pieces with either a knife or kitchen scissors. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until very crispy. It cooks much faster when pre-chopped into small pieces!

Once the bacon is cooked and crispy, remove it to paper towels to cool. Set aside a generous Tablespoon of the bacon crumbles to add to the warm bacon dressing later, keeping the rest set aside for the salad itself.

NOTE:  LEAVE 1 Tablespoon of the bacon grease in the skillet for the salad dressing (discard the rest).

Chopped bacon is quickly fried until crispy in a skillet.

Prepare The Warm Bacon Salad Dressing

In the same skillet, cook the chopped red onion in the reserved Tablespoon of bacon grease for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Stir occasionally until done. Add apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, water, black pepper and Dijon mustard to the red onion mixture, and stir, to combine.

Cook for approx. 3-4 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. The dressing will thicken very slightly as the water cooks away.

During the last minute of cooking, add the reserved 1 Tablespoon of the crumbled crisp bacon to the salad dressing. Make sure the salad dressing is served warm! TIP: Build the salad while the bacon dressing is heating!

Chopped red onion is cooked in a small bit of bacon drippings.Vinegar, Dijon mustard and maple syrup is added to the cooked red onion.Warm bacon dressing is heated until sugar dissolves.

Prepare The Bacon Lover’s Spinach Salad For Two

Line each plate with baby spinach leaves. Evenly distribute thin slices of red onion, and the remaining bacon crumbles to each salad.

Slice each hard-boiled egg, and decoratively fan them out on top of each serving. Spoon the warm bacon dressing over the top of each salad, and then you’re ready to enjoy this delicious dish for two.

I think you will love the bacon flavor that shines in this simple, but absolutely yummy salad!

Two plates full of the Bacon Lover's Spinach Salad, before adding salad dressing.Warm bacon dressing tops each plate full of Bacon Lover's Spinach Salad.

The warm bacon dressing really MAKES this salad, in my opinion! Don’t leave it out! The crisp bacon, combined with warm salad dressing, red onions and hard-boiled eggs provide taste, texture, protein, and color for this simple salad. It’s so very good!

Crispy bacon, hard-boiled eggs, red onion, and warm bacon dressing on each salad.

I truly hope you enjoy this Bacon Lover’s Spinach Salad. The recipe can be easily doubled, and is sure to be a favorite! Thanks for stopping by… come back soon.

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

You can find all of my SALAD recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: unknown (found a handwritten recipe card-no source noted- in a really OLD recipe box.)

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Bacon Lover's Spinach Salad
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
4 mins
Total Time
29 mins
 

Enjoy Bacon Lover's Spinach Salad for two! Baby spinach leaves topped with hard-boiled eggs, red onion, crisp bacon, and warm bacon dressing!

Category: Salad/Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Bacon lover's spinach salad
Servings: 2
Calories Per Serving: 407 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 5 slices bacon cooked crisp, crumbled, divided use
  • 2 large eggs hardboiled
  • 4 cups fresh baby spinach
  • ¼ medium red onion divided use *SEE NOTE*
  • 1 Tablespoon bacon grease
  • 1½ Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
Prep:

  1. Hard boil the eggs. Let cool, then peel. Cook bacon in large skillet until very crispy. It cooks much faster chopped into small pieces! Once the bacon is crispy, remove to paper towels to cool. Set aside a generous Tablespoon of bacon crumbles to add to warm bacon dressing later, keeping the rest set aside for the salad itself. NOTE:  LEAVE 1 Tablespoon of the bacon grease in the skillet for the salad dressing (discard the rest).

Make Bacon Dressing:

  1. Cook chopped red onion in reserved Tablespoon of bacon grease in skillet 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Stir occasionally. Add apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, water, black pepper and Dijon mustard; stir to combine. Cook 3-4 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Dressing will thicken slightly as water cooks away. During last minute of cooking, add reserved Tablespoon of crumbled crisp bacon to salad dressing. Dressing is served warm.

Build Salad:

  1. Line plates with baby spinach. Evenly distribute thin slices of red onion and remaining bacon crumbles over spinach. Slice each hard-boiled egg into thin rounds, and decoratively fan slices out on top of each serving. Spoon warm bacon dressing over the top of each salad, serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTES:

  • Use one thin round slice of red onion to garnish salads. Cut the round slice in half, and use one half of the slice (separated) to garnish each salad.
  • Chop the remaining red onion (approx. 1/8 cup) to use in the warm bacon salad dressing.
Nutrition Facts
Bacon Lover's Spinach Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/2 of total))
Calories 407 Calories from Fat 306
% Daily Value*
Fat 34g52%
Saturated Fat 12g75%
Cholesterol 229mg76%
Sodium 538mg23%
Potassium 533mg15%
Carbohydrates 10g3%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 5896IU118%
Vitamin C 18mg22%
Calcium 95mg10%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Enjoy Bacon Lover's Spinach Salad for two! Baby spinach leaves topped with hard-boiled eggs, red onion, crisp bacon, and warm bacon dressing!


Aug
2020

Poppyseed Apple Raisin Coleslaw

categories: Salads
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Crisp Poppyseed Apple Raisin Coleslaw, w/ purple cabbage, carrots, Granny Smith apples, & raisins, is tossed with poppyseed dressing, and served cold.
Crisp Poppyseed Apple Raisin Coleslaw, w/ purple cabbage, carrots, Granny Smith apples, & raisins, is tossed with poppyseed dressing, and served cold.

Do you enjoy a cold, crisp and crunchy coleslaw? We do, especially during the warm Spring and Summer months. Coleslaw is one of those easy side dishes that just seems to compliment sandwiches, burgers, fried chicken, and other main dishes. This recipe only has 4 ingredients (plus dressing), and is super simple to make.

I’ve posted a couple other coleslaw recipes here on the blog in the past, including Purple Coleslaw and Pineapple Peanut Coleslaw. Each one is unique and delicious side salad.

Today’s poppyseed apple raisin coleslaw is one I created, after my husband came home from our local Farmer’s market with a big purple cabbage in tow. I asked him to bring home a couple veggies that I could have around to use for our dinners. He surprised me with a head of purple cabbage (did NOT expect that!). After straining my brain as how to use it, I decided to create something new.

Let me tell you… this turned out to be a great tasting coleslaw. Crunchy from cabbage and carrots, slightly tart/crisp from Granny Smith apples, and chewy sweet from plump raisins, this is a coleslaw you’ll enjoy! Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Plump Those Raisins!

Many, many years ago I learned a little tip to help plump up raisins. When I make this coleslaw, I simply soak the raisins while I am doing the prep work on the other ingredients. It plumps them up a bit, and I feel it makes them more juicy. It doesn’t take any more time to do this step, if you let them soak while you grate and chop the cabbage, apples and carrots.

Place the raisins into a medium bowl, and cover them completely with boiling water. Let them sit, undisturbed, while you chop the apples and carrots, and grate the cabbage (takes about 10 minutes). When done, place the raisins in a strainer and drain off the water, before adding to the coleslaw.

Raisins are plumped in boiling water for 10 minutes.The raisins are drained after being plumped up in boiling hot water.

Prepare The Poppyseed Apple Raisin Coleslaw

Grate the cabbage into a large mixing bowl. You can do this using a box grater, or a food processor with a grating disc/blade. For this recipe (making 4-5 servings) you will need 3 cups of grated cabbage.

Purple cabbage for the coleslaw is grated into a large bowl.Three cups of grated purple coleslaw becomes the base for this salad.

Slice and chop the peeled carrot into small bite-sized pieces. Do the same with the Granny Smith apple, BUT LEAVE THE PEEL ON THE APPLE. It adds a pop of green color to the salad. Granny Smith apples also lend a slight tartness and crisp bite to the coleslaw, which is a great contrast to the sweet, chewy raisins.

Pour poppyseed dressing over the coleslaw ingredients, and toss gently to fully coat the salad. I used my homemade poppyseed dressing, which tastes delish, but any store-bought poppyseed dressing will taste great, too!

Chopped carrots, apples, and raisins are added to the grated purple cabbage.Poppyseed dressing is added, and then coleslaw is gently tossed to combine.

Chill Then Serve The Poppyseed Apple Raisin Coleslaw

After the poppyseed apple raisin coleslaw (dressing and slaw) is fully combined, cover the bowl, and refrigerate the coleslaw for at least one hour, or until well-chilled, for best flavor.

Poppyseed apple raisin coleslaw is best served cold, so if you can chill it longer, go for it (up to 6 hours). When ready to serve the coleslaw, give it a quick stir, transfer the salad to a nice serving bowl (if desired), and dish it up. I think you will be surprised how delicious it is!

The colorful poppyseed apple raisin coleslaw is served in a large white bowl.A close up view of the delicious poppyseed apple raisin coleslaw, ready to eat.

When I first made this and told my husband what ingredients were in the coleslaw he gave me “THAT LOOK”. He said he would try “a tiny bite”, but that he “didn’t think he would like it”. Well… he was being honest with me, but he was wrong. He LOVED it, and told me he was surprised at how good it was. YEP. It tastes great!

Hope you have the opportunity to make this dish for yourself or for those you love. It’s quick and easy to make, and is a colorful, delicious side dish, that will pair well with a number of lunch or dinner dishes! Have a great day, friends.

Looking For More Side Dish Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have quite a few recipes for side dishes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

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Poppyseed Apple Raisin Coleslaw
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Refrigeration (inactive prep time-minimum)
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
 

Crisp Poppyseed Apple Raisin Coleslaw, w/ purple cabbage, carrots, Granny Smith apples, & raisins, is tossed with poppyseed dressing, and served cold.

Category: Salad/Side Dish, Vegetables
Cuisine: All Cuisines, American
Keyword: poppyseed apple raisin coleslaw
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 95 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 3 cups grated purple cabbage
  • 1 medium carrot , peeled, sliced & chopped
  • ½ large Granny Smith apple , unpeeled, sliced & chopped
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ⅓ cup poppyseed dressing
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Place raisins in a medium bowl; cover completely with boiling water. Let sit, undisturbed, while you prep other ingredients (about 10 minutes). When done, place raisins in a strainer to drain.

  2. Grate cabbage into a large bowl. Slice and chop peeled carrot into small bite-sized pieces. Do the same with the apple, BUT LEAVE THE PEEL ON.

  3. Add apples, carrots and raisins to slaw. Pour poppyseed dressing over coleslaw; toss gently to coat ingredients.

  4. Cover bowl, and refrigerate coleslaw for at least 1 hour, or until well-chilled, for best flavor. This is best served cold; you can chill it for up to 6 hours. To serve, give coleslaw a quick stir, transfer to a serving bowl (if desired), and dish it up. Enjoy! Cover/refrigerate leftovers for up to 2-3 days.

Recipe Notes

NOTE: Caloric calculation was made based on 4 total servings. Caloric calculation for this salad does NOT include poppyseed salad dressing, as homemade or store bought versions may vary quite a bit in calorie count.

Nutrition Facts
Poppyseed Apple Raisin Coleslaw
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 95 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 34mg1%
Potassium 390mg11%
Carbohydrates 24g8%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 3308IU66%
Vitamin C 41mg50%
Calcium 40mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Crisp Poppyseed Apple Raisin Coleslaw, w/ purple cabbage, carrots, Granny Smith apples, & raisins, is tossed with poppyseed dressing, and served cold.


Jun
2020

Pineapple Peanut Coleslaw

categories: Salads, Side Dishes
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Pineapple Peanut Coleslaw is an easy and delicious salad/side dish for your next BBQ! This sweet, crunchy salad is ready in 10 minutes, and serves 8.Pineapple Peanut Coleslaw is an easy and delicious salad/side dish for your next BBQ! This sweet, crunchy salad is ready in 10 minutes, and serves 8.

If you enjoy coleslaw, then I am pretty confident you will really enjoy this slight “twist” on the classic side dish! Crunchy, sweet, and lightly flavored with a creamy dressing, pineapple peanut coleslaw will be a big hit at any get together! The great news is that it is SO EASY to make, with minimal effort!

Pineapple tidbits add a slightly sweet touch to the salad, and roasted peanuts and crisp cabbage add the crunch! Pour the easy to make handmade dressing over the top, give it a toss, refrigerate until ready to serve, and poof! A great tasting salad for your next BBQ or potluck! Here’s how easy it is to make pineapple peanut coleslaw:

Scroll Down for A Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of The Page

Make The Pineapple Peanut Coleslaw

One reason this recipe is so easy is because you use a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix, which is available in the produce section of most grocery stores. Place the bag of shredded coleslaw mix into a large salad bowl. Add the peanuts, drained pineapple tidbits (remembering to reserve the juice), and sliced green onions.

Pineapple tidbits, green onions, peanuts are added to the coleslaw mix in bowl.

Make The Creamy Coleslaw Dressing

You can make the salad dressing for the coleslaw in no time at all. The ingredients for the dressing include plain yogurt (regular or Greek), apple cider vinegar, pineapple juice (from the can of pineapple tidbits), brown sugar, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Place the dressing ingredients in a medium sized bowl, and whisk together until fully blended and smooth. You can use a wire whisk or a fork to do this, and it will only take about a minute to fully blend.

The ingredients for the coleslaw dressing are placed in a bowl to mix.

Coleslaw dressing is whisked together until fully mixed.

Pour the creamy salad dressing over the top of the coleslaw, and then gently toss, to combine all the ingredients, and fully coat them with dressing. **See how EASY this pineapple peanut coleslaw is to make? Told ya!

The salad dressing is added to the bowl of pineapple peanut coleslaw.

Ready To Eat!

Once the pineapple peanut coleslaw is fully mixed, you can eat it right away, OR you can chill it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours (your choice). My personal opinion is that this coleslaw is definitely BEST when served very cold… just sayin’.  After refrigerating, toss the salad again before serving to get the dressing mixed back in.

Right before serving, sprinkle a few more peanuts and red pepper flakes on the top of the coleslaw as a garnish, if desired. Serve, and enjoy.

A closeup of the pineapple peanut coleslaw, after being tossed with the dressing.Peanuts and red pepper flakes garnish the chilled coleslaw.

Storing The Pineapple Peanut Coleslaw

Cover any leftovers, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Juice will accumulate on the bottom of the bowl, due to all those juicy pineapple tidbits. No problem… just spoon any unwanted juice out of the bottom of the bowl, and discard!

Pineapple peanut coleslaw is a delicious side dish... crunchy and sweet!

I really hope you enjoy this simple, but flavor-filled coleslaw recipe. We love it as a side dish with hamburgers or pulled pork sandwiches, but the coleslaw can also be placed ONTO a BBQ shredded pork sandwich for a tasty, crunchy addition. If you enjoy coleslaw, be sure to check out my yummy recipes for purple coleslaw and poppyseed apple raisin coleslaw!

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a great day, and trust you will return for more recipes in the future.

Looking For More SIDE SALAD Recipes?

You can find all of my side dish recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few side salad recipes you might enjoy include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe adapted from: asouthernsoul.com/pineapple-slaw/

5 from 1 vote
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Pineapple Peanut Coleslaw
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 

Pineapple Peanut Coleslaw is an easy and delicious salad/side dish for your next BBQ! This sweet, crunchy salad is ready in 10 minutes, and serves 8.

Category: Salad/Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pineapple peanut coleslaw
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 124 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Coleslaw:
  • 14 ounces shredded coleslaw mix (bagged) , or 3 generous cups homemade slaw mix
  • 20 ounce canned pineapple tidbits , drained (reserve juice)
  • 3 stalks green onions (bulb and stem) , sliced
  • ⅓ cup roasted salted peanuts , plus more for garnish, if desired
For Coleslaw Dressing:
  • ½ cup plain yogurt ,regular or Greek
  • 3 Tablespoons reserved pineapple juice
  • 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes , plus more for garnish, if desired
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Place coleslaw mix in a large salad bowl. Add peanuts, drained pineapple tidbits, and sliced green onions.

  2. Put coleslaw dressing ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Whisk with fork or wire whisk until fully blended and smooth. Pour dressing over coleslaw, and gently toss, to coat and fully combine all ingredients. Serve immediately, or refrigerate 1-2 hours until well-chilled. Garnish with a tiny bit of red pepper flakes and additional peanuts before serving, if desired. Enjoy!

  3. Cover, and store leftover coleslaw in refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Discard any accumulated liquid that accumulates on bottom of bowl (pineapple juice).

Recipe Notes

Substitutions: No peanuts? No problem. You can substitute sliced roasted almonds, or chopped roasted salted cashews.

Nutrition Facts
Pineapple Peanut Coleslaw
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 124 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 1mg0%
Sodium 336mg15%
Potassium 245mg7%
Carbohydrates 21g7%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 17g19%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 156IU3%
Vitamin C 26mg32%
Calcium 61mg6%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Pineapple Peanut Coleslaw is an easy and delicious salad/side dish for your next BBQ! This sweet, crunchy salad is ready in 10 minutes, and serves 8.


Apr
2020

Beet and Goat Cheese Salad (with citrus dressing)

categories: Salads, Side Dishes
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Colorful and delicious beet and goat cheese salad features mixed greens, candied pecans, mandarin oranges, beets, and goat cheese w/ citrus dressing!
Colorful and delicious beet and goat cheese salad features mixed greens, candied pecans, mandarin oranges, beets, and goat cheese w/ citrus dressing!

Today I want to share with you this recipe for beet and goat cheese salad. It’s delicious, easy to make, and tastes great! A couple of years ago we enjoyed a fairly similar salad. I took the original recipe and made a few minor changes, and this salad is the result. Even though I’ve made this salad a few times, I finally got around to taking photos of the preparation, to share on my blog.

The salad has romaine lettuce, baby spinach, and chopped kale (from our garden) in it, but you can EASILY substitute a bag of spring greens instead (for convenience). Salad flavors are enhanced with the addition of creamy goat cheese crumbles, earthy tasting chopped beets, sweet mandarin orange slices, and crunchy, quick-candied pecans.

The beet and goat cheese salad is topped with an easy to make citrus dressing for a final pop of flavor, right before serving. YUM! Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Citrus Poppyseed Dressing

Making the salad dressing is a cinch. Measure fresh squeezed orange juice, zest, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, onion powder, poppyseeds and vegetable oil into a small bowl. Mix these ingredients together with a wire whisk or fork, until completely blended.

NOTE: You can also use a food processor or blender for this step, but do not add the poppyseeds until AFTER dressing is fully blended.

You can make the salad dressing early in the day if that is convenient. Store, covered, in refrigerator until time to dress the salad and serve. Give it a final whisk before dressing the beet and goat cheese salad. P.S. This dressing is delicious on other green salads, too!

Ingredients are gathered to make a citrus dressing for the salad.The citrus dressing is whisked together for the beet and goat cheese salad.

Make Quick Candied Pecans

The candied pecans can be made ahead (to save time), and set aside until ready to assemble the beet and goat cheese salad. To make the quick-candied pecans, melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a medium skillet on medium low heat. Add 15-20 pecan halves (about 1/2 cup), 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Stir together until the pecans are fully coated.

Cook, stirring often, on medium low heat until pecans become sticky and most of the butter has dissipated in the skillet. This typically takes 4-5 minutes total. Remove the pecans using a fork, and place them onto foil or wax paper, leaving space between each one. They will be sticky at this point. Let the pecans sit at room temperature, and they will harden up as they cool.

Pecan halves are cooked and candied with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar.The candied pecans are dried until glaze firms up, then added to salad.

Assemble The Beet And Goat Cheese Salad

To build the salad, place chilled mixed salad greens in bowl, and top them with the mandarin oranges and beets. I even got to use some of my home-canned mandarin oranges! By the way… you can also use oven roasted beets for this recipe, OR you can use half of a can of beets, cut up. Whatever type is most convenient for you to use is the best way! I happened to have had some home-roasted beets (leftover) in my freezer, so I thawed them to use.

The next thing to add is goat cheese crumbles and the (hardened) candied pecans. This salad is best, if assembled just before serving. Once the salad has been assembled, do not mix it up until dressing has been added, and you’re ready to dish it up! The reason for this is so the beets don’t discolor the rest of the salad ahead of time!

NOTE: If you HAVE to make this salad ahead of time, cover it with plastic wrap at this point, and refrigerate (without mixing).

Spring greens in bowl are topped with chopped beets and mandarin oranges.Candied pecans and crumbled goat cheese are added to the salad.

Dress The Beet And Goat Cheese Salad, And Serve!

When you’re ready to serve the salad, give the citrus dressing a final whisk or stir, and then pour it over the prepared salad. GENTLY toss, to combine (the less tossing the better so the beets don’t discolor it all!). TIP: If you don’t want to use all of the dressing, it can be covered and refrigerated for up to a week. Serve, and enjoy this delicious salad.

A citrus dressing is poured over the beet and goat cheese salad before serving.

We enjoyed the beet and goat cheese salad, served alongside a baked potato, and our old standby, Traeger roasted chicken! It was really a great meal, and even though the photo below didn’t do the fully mixed and dressed salad justice, it sure tasted great!

Roast chicken and baked potato are served with the tossed beet and goat cheese salad.

Thank you for stopping by for a visit. The printable recipe card is below, and I hope you have the opportunity to make this yummy side salad. There’s enough for 4 servings (or maybe more if they’re small). Have a wonderful day. Take care.

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

You can find all of my salad recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few salad recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe adapted from: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/beet-and-goat-cheese-salad/

0 from 0 votes
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Beet and Goat Cheese Salad (with citrus dressing)
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 

Colorful and delicious beet and goat cheese salad features mixed greens, candied pecans, mandarin oranges, beets, and goat cheese w/ citrus dressing!

Category: Salad/Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beet and goat cheese salad
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 424 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
  • 8 ounces mixed Spring greens
  • 15 ounces mandarin oranges (canned) , drained
  • 7½ ounces canned beets (or oven-roasted) , patted dry, then chopped in 1" pieces
  • ⅓ cup crumbled goat cheese , can substitute feta
For Candied Pecans:
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 15-20 pecan halves
  • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For Citrus Dressing:
  • ⅓ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 3 teaspoons orange zest
  • 1½ Tablespoons honey
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¾ Tablespoon poppyseeds
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Make Salad Dressing: Measure fresh squeezed orange juice, zest, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, onion powder, poppyseeds and vegetable oil into small bowl. Mix with a wire whisk or fork, until completely blended. NOTE: You can use a food processor or blender for this step, but do not add poppyseeds until AFTER dressing is fully blended. Store (covered) in refrigerator until time to dress the salad and serve.

  2. To Make Candied Pecans: Melt butter in skillet on medium low heat. Add pecan halves, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir together until pecans are coated. Cook, stirring often, on medium low heat until pecans become sticky and most of the butter has dissipated (4-5 minutes). Remove pecans with a fork; place them on foil or wax paper, leaving space between each one. They will be sticky. Let pecans sit at room temperature. The glaze firms up as they cool.

  3. Assemble Salad Right Before Serving: Place chilled salad greens in bowl; top with mandarin oranges and beets. Add goat cheese and candied pecans. Once salad is assembled, do not toss until dressing has been added, and you're ready to serve! This is so the beets don't discolor salad ahead of time! NOTE: If you HAVE to make this salad ahead, cover with plastic wrap at this point, and refrigerate (without dressing OR mixing).

  4. To Serve: When ready to serve salad, give dressing a final whisk, and pour it over prepared salad. GENTLY toss, to combine. Serve, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Beet and Goat Cheese Salad (with citrus dressing)
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/4 of total))
Calories 424 Calories from Fat 270
% Daily Value*
Fat 30g46%
Saturated Fat 20g125%
Cholesterol 16mg5%
Sodium 406mg18%
Potassium 428mg12%
Carbohydrates 38g13%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 30g33%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 1718IU34%
Vitamin C 55mg67%
Calcium 107mg11%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Colorful and delicious beet and goat cheese salad features mixed greens, candied pecans, mandarin oranges, beets, and goat cheese w/ citrus dressing!


Nov
2019

Thanksgiving Salad

categories: Holidays!, Salads, Side Dishes
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Thanksgiving Salad is a delicious dish, with pearl couscous, roasted butternut squash, cranberries, pecans, spinach & red onion in a citrus dijon vinaigrette.
Thanksgiving Salad is a delicious dish, w/ pearl couscous, roasted butternut squash, cranberries, pecans, spinach & red onion in a citrus vinaigrette.

How I Came Up With This Salad’s Name

When I first made this delicious salad, my husband and I LOVED it! I knew I HAD to share the recipe on this blog, but really struggled to come up with a blog title for it. Pretty sure I didn’t want to call it a “Pearl Couscous Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, in a Citrus Vinaigrette”. That was more of a mouthful than a bite of this yummy salad! Hmmm.

Both my husband and I agreed that THIS beautiful salad would be absolutely PERFECT to serve for Thanksgiving! We both said it would be a perfect Thanksgiving salad. That is exactly how the easy to remember name “Thanksgiving Salad” came into existence!

The colors, ingredients, and flavors… everything about this salad screams Fall, and would wonderfully compliment any Thanksgiving feast. So… guess what? This salad will be served proudly at our family Thanksgiving dinner this year, along with all of our traditional dishes! By the way- this is an absolutely delicious salad that can be served all year long, as a side dish, or a main dish salad! Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Roast The Butternut Squash

The first thing you will need to do is get the butternut squash roasted! The process is fairly simple. You can multi-task and get the prep work done on the other ingredients while the squash is roasting in the oven! Preheat your oven to 425° F.

Use a vegetable peeler, and peel the skin off the squash. Cut a thin slice off both ends of the squash. Next, slice the squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Cut the butternut squash into bite-sized cubes, trying to get them all about the same size.

Put the squash cubes on a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread the squash cubes out into a single layer, and then roast the squash at 425° F. for 20-25 minutes. Flip the squash over, half way through the roasting time.

A butternut squash is peeled, sliced, and cubed before roasting.

Prepare Pearl Couscous And Toasted Pecans While Squash Bakes

While the butternut squash is roasting, prepare the pearl couscous. Follow package directions, omitting any butter if called for. The couscous will take between 8-10 minutes to finish cooking. When done, remove pan from the heat, and set couscous aside to cool down, for later.

You can also dry toast the pecans while the squash (and couscous) are cooking.  Place the pecans in a dry skillet, and “toast” them over medium heat, stirring often. Toast the pecans for 3-5 minutes, and then remove pecans from the skillet. Set the toasted pecans aside to cool down, for later.

Pearl couscous is cooked according to package instructions.Pecans are lightly toasted in a dry skillet on medium heat.

Once the butternut squash has finished roasting, remove the pan from the oven, and transfer the squash to a plate or bowl to cool. Set the squash aside to cool down, for later.

The roasted butternut squash is baked, then set aside to cool.

Make A Simple Vinaigrette For The Thanksgiving Salad

Making the citrus and dijon vinaigrette is so easy!  Place orange juice, honey, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and garlic powder in a bowl. Season lightly with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Whisk these salad dressing ingredients together until fully blended. The dressing goes PERFECTLY with this salad, and adds another layer of flavor! TIP: You can also mix the dressing up in a canning jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake the jar well, until the ingredients are fully mixed together.

A citrus dijon vinaigrette is made for the Thanksgiving salad.

Time To Create Your Thanksgiving Salad!

Okay… now the prep work is done and you are ready to build a delicious Thanksgiving salad! Gather all the ingredients together. You will have (clockwise) roasted squash, cooked couscous, dried cranberries, baby spinach, toasted pecans, thinly sliced red onions, and the citrus Dijon vinaigrette.

TIP FOR MAKING SALAD AHEAD OF TIME: If you wish to make the salad several hours BEFORE serving time, cover everything at this point with plastic wrap… and wait! All the work is now done, and you can EASILY put the salad together right before serving.

All the ingredients for the salad are prepped and ready to.

Time To Serve This Delicious Salad

Right before serving, place all of the salad ingredients into a large bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the Thanksgiving salad, and toss the salad well, to fully combine everything. Isn’t it beautiful with all the pretty Fall colors?

Vinaigrette is poured over the Thanksgiving salad, and salad is tossed before serving.

Once fully combined, arrange the salad on a pretty serving platter, or into a salad bowl for serving! (P.S. Only part of the salad is shown in the photo below). This is one pretty good looking Thanksgiving salad, right?  YUM!

You’re gonna enjoy the sweet chewy cranberries, the crunchy pecans, the soft (and creamy) roasted butternut squash, and that pearl couscous, all covered in a flavor-filled citrus vinaigrette!

A pretty platter is the backdrop for yummy Thanksgiving salad.This is a closeup photo of the pretty Thanksgiving salad, ready for serving.

I really hope you enjoy this gorgeous and DELICIOUS Thanksgiving salad. Even though it has an unusual name, this pearl couscous salad can be prepared and enjoyed any time of the year. The leftovers hold up really well, also. Place any leftovers in a well-sealed container, and the salad will keep for 2-3 more days! That’s a win-win, in my book!

If you’re looking for more recipes for Thanksgiving be sure to check out my blog post for “9 Easy Recipes For Thanksgiving Day”. Hopefully you’ll find a delicious recipe or two there to make for those you love. ENJOY, and have a GREAT day!

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

You can find all of my salad recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorites include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: https://littlespicejar.com/autumn-pearl-couscous-salad-with-roasted-butternut-squash/

0 from 0 votes
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Thanksgiving Salad
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 

Thanksgiving Salad is a delicious dish, w/ pearl couscous, roasted butternut squash, cranberries, pecans, spinach & red onion in a citrus vinaigrette.

Category: Salad/Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: thanksgiving salad
Servings: 7 small servings
Calories Per Serving: 430 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Salad
  • 1 butternut squash , peeled and cubed
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to lightly season squash
  • 1½ cups dry pearl couscous , cooked according to pkg. directions
  • 4 cups baby spinach leaves (heaping cups)
  • ½ cup pecans , lightly toasted
  • ½ cup red onion , thinly sliced
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
For Vinaigrette
  • 3 Tablespoons orange juice
  • 3 Tablespoons honey
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Use a vegetable peeler to peel squash. Cut a thin slice off both ends. Slice squash in half, lengthwise, and remove seeds. Cut squash into slices, then into bite-sized cubes, trying to keep them about the same size. Put the squash cubes on a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season lightly with salt/pepper. Spread squash out in a single layer; roast at 425° F. for 20-25 minutes. Flip squash over, half way through roasting . When squash is done, remove from oven; transfer squash to a plate or bowl to cool. Set aside.

  2. Make Couscous: While squash cooks, prepare the pearl couscous. Follow package directions, omitting any butter (if called for). Couscous will take 8-10 minutes to cook. When done, remove pan from heat, and set couscous aside to cool.

  3. Toast Pecans: Toast the pecans while squash (and couscous) are cooking.  Place pecans in a dry skillet, and "toast" them over medium heat, stirring often. Toast for 3-5 minutes, and then remove pecans from skillet. Set pecans aside to cool.

  4. Make Vinaigrette: Place orange juice, honey, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and garlic powder in a bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk until fully blended.

  5. Right before serving, place the salad ingredients into a large bowl. Pour vinaigrette over the salad, and toss the salad well, to fully combine everything. Serve, and enjoy! (Any leftovers can be stored for 2-3 days in covered container in refrigerator).

Nutrition Facts
Thanksgiving Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 430 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Sodium 53mg2%
Potassium 594mg17%
Carbohydrates 59g20%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 17g19%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 13011IU260%
Vitamin C 32mg39%
Calcium 85mg9%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Thanksgiving Salad is a delicious dish, w/ pearl couscous, roasted butternut squash, cranberries, pecans, spinach & red onion in a citrus vinaigrette.


Sep
2019

Wild Rice Salad in Pumpkin Vinaigrette

categories: Salads, Side Dishes
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Enjoy this wild rice salad, with dried cranberries, cauliflower, green onions, and toasted pecans, seasoned with an easily made pumpkin vinaigrette!
Enjoy this wild rice salad, with dried cranberries, cauliflower, green onions, and toasted pecans, seasoned with an easily made pumpkin vinaigrette!

Do you enjoy chilled rice salads? The only time in my life I’ve ever had a rice salad was on a houseboating adventure about 20 years ago with another family and we were served one with dinner! I remember it well, because it was so good!

Fast forward to THIS rice salad, which comes from a recipe I stumbled upon while looking through some old cookbooks of mine. Wild rice salad in pumpkin vinaigrette sounded very interesting to me, so I made it, with only a couple slight changes.

WOW! It is delicious, and very easy to make! Here’s how to make this great salad or side dish:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page  

Prepare The Long Grain and Wild Rice

The rice is made using a long grain and wild rice boxed mix (4.35 ounce or 6 ounce box). I used a Rice-a-Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice box mix that came with the seasoning mix in the box. It is easily found in grocery stores nationwide.

Prepare the rice exactly according to the package directions, and then set it aside, once done, until it cools completely (approx. 25 minutes).

Wild rice is prepared according to box instructions.

Toast The Pecans While Rice Cools

While the rice is cooling, toast the chopped pecans. There are two ways to do this. Choose which method works best for you:

  • #1- Place chopped pecans in a dry skillet, and cook over low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from heat. Let cool.
  • #2- Lay chopped pecans in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake in 350° F oven for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from heat. Let cool.

Pecans can be toasted in a skillet or in the oven.

Make The Pumpkin Vinaigrette For The Wild Rice Salad

While the rice is still cooling, whip up the easy to make pumpkin vinaigrette, which will dress the wild rice salad!

In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, white wine vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Whisk until fully blended, and then slowly drizzle in the olive oil, while still whisking. Continue to whisk until all ingredients are fully blended and emulsified.

Preparing the pumpkin vinaigrette for the wild rice salad is easy!

Make The Wild Rice Salad

Place the cooled wild rice into a salad bowl. Add the toasted pecans, dried cranberries, cauliflower, and chopped green onions to the rice. Gently stir to combine.

Pour all of the pumpkin vinaigrette over the salad, and gently stir well, to fully combine all the wild rice salad ingredients with the vinaigrette.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. This allows time for the flavors in this salad to really intermingle for best taste!

Wild rice, pecans, green onions, cranberries and cauliflower are combined in bowl.The pumpkin vinaigrette is poured over the wild rice salad, then stirred in.

Serve The Wild Rice Salad in Pumpkin Vinaigrette

After the wild rice salad in pumpkin vinaigrette has been fully chilled, it is time to serve and enjoy it! Fluff the salad up a little bit with a fork, and it’s ready to serve!

The wild rice salad is ready to eat!

All that is left to do is grab a fork… and dig in! I really think you will love this wild rice salad as much as we do! It’s delicious!

Crunchy toasted pecans, cauliflower, chewy dried cranberries and pumpkin vinaigrette combine to make a fantastic tasting wild rice salad you’ll be proud to serve!

Wild rice salad in pumpkin vinaigrette served in a white bowl.

We loved this salad, and enjoyed it for several days afterwards as leftovers! One of our sons stopped by for a visit, and he sampled it (many times-ha ha!), and loved it, as well.

Hope you will enjoy making and eating this delicious wild rice salad, too! Thanks for stopping by and please come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, and have a great day.

Looking For More Recipes Featuring RICE?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few you might enjoy include:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

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Original recipe source: “Southern Living 2009 Annual Recipes Cookbook”, published in 1999 by Oxmoor House, Inc., page 195.

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

5 from 1 vote
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Wild Rice Salad in Pumpkin Vinaigrette
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Chilling Time (Inactive)
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 30 mins
 

Enjoy this wild rice salad, with dried cranberries, cauliflower, green onions, and toasted pecans, seasoned with an easily made pumpkin vinaigrette!

Category: Salad/Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: wild rice salad
Servings: 8 (1/2 cup per serving)
Calories Per Serving: 223 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Salad:
  • 4.35 ounce Long grain and wild rice mix (boxed mix w/ spices)
  • ½ cup chopped pecans , toasted
  • 1 cup cauliflower , chopped into tiny 1" florets
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ¾ cup green onions , chopped
For Pumpkin Vinaigrette:
  • ¼ cup canned pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
  • ¼ cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Prepare the wild rice mix according to package directions, and set aside once done, until it cools completely (approx. 25 minutes).

  2. While the rice is cooling, toast the chopped pecans. There are two ways to do this:

    #1- Place chopped pecans in a dry skillet, and cook over low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from heat. Let cool.

    #2- Lay chopped pecans in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake in 350° F oven for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from heat. Let cool.

  3. While rice is still cooling, make the vinaigrette. In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, white wine vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Whisk until fully blended, and then slowly drizzle in the olive oil, while still whisking. Continue to whisk until all ingredients are fully blended and emulsified.

  4. Place cooled wild rice into a salad bowl. Add pecans, cranberries, cauliflower, and green onions. Gently stir to combine. Pour all of the pumpkin vinaigrette over the salad. Gently stir , to fully combine all salad ingredients with vinaigrette. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. This refrigeration allows time for the flavors in salad to really intermingle for best taste! After refrigerating, fluff the salad up with a fork, and serve. Enjoy chilled OR at room temp!

Nutrition Facts
Wild Rice Salad in Pumpkin Vinaigrette
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/2 cup per serving))
Calories 223 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Sodium 153mg7%
Potassium 173mg5%
Carbohydrates 23g8%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 1285IU26%
Vitamin C 8mg10%
Calcium 19mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Enjoy this wild rice salad, with dried cranberries, cauliflower, green onions, and toasted pecans, seasoned with an easily made pumpkin vinaigrette!


Jul
2019

Fruit Feta Green Salad with Candied Pecans

categories: Salads
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Fruit feta green salad with candied pecans & poppyseed dressing is a Panera copycat recipe, with romaine lettuce, strawberries, pineapple, blueberries & oranges!
Fruit feta green salad w/ candied pecans & poppyseed dressing is a Panera copycat recipe, w/ romaine, strawberries, pineapple, blueberries & oranges!

My sweet, long time friend Debbie and I had lunch a month or so ago at a local Panera Bread restaurant. We both ordered their chicken poppyseed salad, which had lots of yummy fruit in it! I came home after my lunch, determined to make this incredibly delicious salad at home, and came up with this recipe.

The restaurant serves the salad with toasted nuts on top (and chicken breast slices), but I wanted to change it up a bit! I made candied pecans to garnish the top of the salad, and left off the chicken. Also used my homemade poppyseed salad dressing, and this colorful and yummy salad was a HUGE hit! We made it a meatless meal, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I’ve made this fruit feta green salad several times since then, as well. We’ve tried it with other salad dressings, as well. We took this salad with my poppyseed dressing on it (made to serve 10) to a potluck dinner recently, and it received very good reviews there, also! Here’s how to make 2 LARGE individual salads (we had them for our meal!).

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Candied Pecans

Make the candied pecans first, or make them ahead of time, early in the day. They will need time to dry out after cooking, so plan ahead. Place pecan (or walnut) halves (or large pieces) in a large, non stick skillet. Add brown sugar, cinnamon and a tiny bit of water to the skillet. Stir to combine.

Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the liquid has dissipated, and the pecans are covered in a sticky glaze. Transfer the candied pecans to a piece of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Separate pieces with 2 forks, and let them dry (at least 30 minutes).

Pecans are cooked in water, brown sugar and cinnamon to candy them for salad.The candied pecans drying on aluminum foil.

Mix Up The Poppyseed Dressing

If making my homemade poppyseed salad dressing, simply mix the ingredients together, and refrigerate until ready to use. It only takes a few minutes to whip up, and I heartily recommend it! The dressing even has a tiny bit of red onion in it, which is also in Panera’s salad!

Poppyseed dressing is drizzled on the finished salad.

Prepare The Fruit and Feta

Cut and slice the oranges (I used blood oranges in these photos!), strawberries, and pineapple. Canned pineapple chunks can be used for convenience, but fresh pineapple tastes wonderful, too!

TIP: To cut the oranges so they look good in the salad, slice the peel off, from top to bottom following the curve of the orange. Cut all white pith off, then section and cut into chunks. Shown below is a Valencia orange.

Cutting the peel off the orange before slicing into chunks to add to salad.

Have the fruit prepped and ready to go, along with the feta cheese crumbles and the fresh blueberries.

Pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, oranges and feta cheese ready for the salad.

Time To Make The Fruit Feta Green Salad!

Now it’s time to build these beautiful salads! Place the chopped romaine lettuce into individual salad bowls or onto  salad plates.

Chopped romaine lettuce in a white bowl, ready for all the toppings.

Arrange the oranges, strawberries, pineapple, and blueberries around the top of the salad. Sprinkle the salad with the feta cheese crumbles.

Fruit Feta Green Salad with candied pecans is ready for poppyseed dressing.

Top each fruit feta green salad with some of the dried candied pecans. Drizzle your favorite salad dressing over the top, and serve! We enjoyed these big salads for dinner, as the main course! However, if you want the extra protein, add some cooked chicken breast slices! YUM!

What Kind Of Salad Dressing Goes With This Salad?

We think poppyseed salad dressing tastes the best with all that fresh fruit! We’ve enjoyed these salads several times already! My husband has tried Catalina dressing on his salad, and liked it, as well. I’ve tried this fruit feta green salad with a light balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing, and it was good, too!

But we STILL think poppyseed dressing tastes the BEST! Ultimately, YOU DECIDE. These are just helpful tips, for your enjoyment of this delicious fruit feta green salad. There are some lovely poppyseed dressings available in most grocery stores, if that is more convenient!

An overhead look at the fruit feta green salad prepared for two people.

Isn’t That A “Bee-Yoo-Tee-Full” Fruit Feta Green Salad?

I’m drooling already, just looking at it. We truly LOVED this delicious salad. Juicy colorful fruit, crunchy candied pecans, and salty feta, along with crisp romaine lettuce and tasty salad dressing make this one FANTASTIC salad!

You can see all the fruit and feta cheese in the salad up close!

I hope you will consider trying this recipe for fruit feta green salad with candied pecans! It is a perfect salad to enjoy on a hot, summer day! Have a great day, friends. Make it a GOOD one.

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

You can find all of my salad recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorites you might enjoy include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

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Fruit Feta Green Salad with Candied Pecans
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Fruit feta green salad w/ candied pecans & poppyseed dressing is a Panera copycat recipe, w/ romaine, strawberries, pineapple, blueberries & oranges!

Category: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fruit feta green salad
Servings: 2 large individual salads
Calories Per Serving: 391 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Candied Pecans
  • 10-12 pecans , roughly chopped or halved
  • 1/4 cup water , use a little bit less!
  • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For Poppyseed Dressing (if making homemade). You will have extra left over!
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ Tablespoon poppyseeds
  • 2 teaspoons chopped red onion
  • ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
For Salad
  • 4 cups romaine lettuce , chopped
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries , sliced
  • 1 cup pineapple chunks , fresh (OR canned & drained)
  • 1 medium orange , peeled, cut into chunks (use 2, if using mandarins)
  • ⅓ cup fresh blueberries
  • ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
Make The Candied Pecans:

  1. Note: Make the candied pecans first, or make them ahead of time. They need time to dry out after cooking, so plan ahead.

    Place pecan (or walnut) halves (or large pieces) in a large, non stick skillet. Add brown sugar, cinnamon and a tiny bit (approx. 3-4 Tablespoons) of water to skillet. Stir to combine. Cook 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until liquid has dissipated, and pecans are covered in a sticky glaze. Transfer candied pecans to a piece of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Separate pieces with 2 forks, and let dry (at least 30 minutes-preferably more).

Make Salad Dressing:

  1. If making poppyseed dressing, mix salad dressing ingredients together until combined, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Create Salad:

  1. Place chopped romaine lettuce into individual salad bowls or onto salad plates. Arrange the oranges, strawberries, pineapple, and blueberries around the top of the salad (and cooked chicken pieces, if using). Sprinkle salad with feta cheese crumbles. Top each salad with some dried candied pecans. Drizzle poppyseed dressing or your favorite salad dressing over the top, and serve!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: Caloric calculation does NOT include poppyseed salad dressing, since many types of salad dressing may be used.

Nutrition Facts
Fruit Feta Green Salad with Candied Pecans
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 391 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 22mg7%
Sodium 294mg13%
Potassium 860mg25%
Carbohydrates 72g24%
Fiber 10g42%
Sugar 61g68%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 8582IU172%
Vitamin C 110mg133%
Calcium 237mg24%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Fruit feta green salad w/ candied pecans & poppyseed dressing is a Panera copycat recipe, w/ romaine, strawberries, pineapple, blueberries & oranges!


Jun
2019

Greek Garbanzo Salad

categories: Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetable Dishes
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Delicious Greek garbanzo salad, with kalamata olives, feta cheese, cucumbers, peppers & light dressing, is vegetarian, gluten-free, and super easy to make!
Delicious Greek garbanzo salad, with kalamata olives, feta cheese, cucumbers, peppers & light dressing, is vegetarian, gluten-free, and super easy!

Do you enjoy garbanzo beans? If you do, then you will love this absolutely yummy Greek garbanzo salad! This little legume (also called a chickpea) is a protein packed, and fiber filled super food in my book! This delicious salad can be served as a side salad OR as a meatless option for a main course.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Other Salads Using Garbanzo Beans

Two other dishes I really enjoy using garbanzo beans in are Nanci’s 4-Bean Salad, and Lemony Chickpea Salad. They are so light, and flavorful, and I hope you will consider checking out these recipes, as well. Both of these salads take only minutes to pull together, so they are perfect, convenient dishes to prepare on busy days!

How To Make This Greek Garbanzo Salad

The first thing you need to do is prepare the (totally EASY) dressing for the Greek garbanzo salad. Place minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and a small amount of salt in a medium sized salad bowl, and mix until combined. See how easy that was?

Lemon juice, olive oil, salt and minced garlic are blended to make dressing for salad.

Add the drained garbanzo beans, bell peppers (orange or red), cherry tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, and fresh parsley and oregano (can substitute dried oregano).

Give the ingredients a good stir, so they are fully combined with the dressing on the bottom of bowl. **Do not add the cucumber and feta cheese at this time, unless you are serving the salad right away.**

For Best Flavor, Let Salad Marinate In Refrigerator

For the very best flavor, I recommend placing the salad (covered) in the refrigerator for a couple hours minimum. This will give the salad a good chill, AND let the flavors mingle and get to know each other! You can even let the salad marinate overnight, if desired!

Tomatoes, bell peppers, garbanzo beans, red onion, kalamata olives & fresh herbs in bowl.The salad ingredients are mixed to coat with the lemon/olive oil dressing.

Before Serving The Greek Garbanzo Salad, Add Final Ingredients

Right before you serve the salad, add the chopped cucumber (they should be nice and crunchy), and the crumbled feta cheese. Toss, to combine.

NOTE: I mixed both the feta and cucumbers into the Greek garbanzo salad, but you can also mix in the crunchy cucumbers, toss to combine, and then top the salad with the feta, if desired.

Feta cheese and diced cucumbers are added to the Greek garbanzo salad before serving.A bowl full of the Greek garbanzo salad, ready to eat!

Now you’re ready to serve this cool, crispy, colorful, and flavor-filled Greek garbanzo salad! The salad has a wonderful taste thanks in part to the feta cheese, simple lemon dressing and tangy kalamata olives. YUM!

Greek garbanzo salad is chilled, then served!

Here is a close up view (below) of a forkful of the Greek garbanzo salad… ready to eat! My husband and I loved this simple salad. Our grown son (a vegetarian) popped in for a visit, and tried this salad. He loved it, too!

A bite of the Greek garbanzo salad on a fork, ready to eat.

Hope you will consider trying this delicious Greek garbanzo salad. It truly is very good, and would be a perfect side dish to serve on a hot, summer evening! The salad will keep well for several days, covered in the refrigerator! Have a great day, friends.

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of delicious salad recipes for you to enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: “The Skinnytaste Cookbook”, by Gina Homolka, published 2014 by Clarkson-Potter Publishers, page 146.

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Greek Garbanzo Salad
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 

Delicious Greek garbanzo salad, with kalamata olives, feta cheese, cucumbers, peppers & light dressing, is vegetarian, gluten-free, and super easy!

Category: Salad/Side Dish
Cuisine: Greek
Keyword: Greek Garbanzo Salad
Servings: 5 (1 cup servings)
Calories Per Serving: 141 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Salad Dressing
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 3 Tablespoons lemon juice , fresh squeezed
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
For Salad
  • 2 cups canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas) , rinsed and drained (gluten free)
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes , quartered
  • ½ cup red (or orange) bell pepper , chopped
  • ¼ cup red onion , chopped
  • ¼ cup kalamata olives , pitted and chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley , chopped
  • ½ teaspoon fresh oregano leaves , chopped (OR 1/4 tsp. dried)
  • 1½ cups English cucumber , chopped ( or regular cucumber, seeded)
  • ⅓ cup feta cheese , crumbled
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Place minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and salt in a medium sized salad bowl, and mix together until combined.

  2. Add the drained garbanzo beans, bell peppers (orange or red), cherry tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, fresh parsley and oregano (can substitute dried oregano). Give the ingredients a good stir, so they are fully combined with the dressing on bottom of bowl. For the very best flavor, I recommend placing the salad (covered) in the refrigerator for a couple hours minimum. This will give the salad a good chill, AND let the flavors mingle and get to know each other! You can even let the salad marinate overnight, if desired!

  3. Right before you serve the salad, add in the chopped cucumber (it should be nice and crunchy!), and crumbled feta cheese, and toss to combine. NOTE: I mixed both the feta and cucumbers into the salad- you can also mix in the crunchy cucumbers, toss to combine, and then top the salad with the feta, if desired. Serve, and enjoy! Refrigerate any leftovers.

Nutrition Facts
Greek Garbanzo Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 141 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 9mg3%
Sodium 638mg28%
Potassium 267mg8%
Carbohydrates 15g5%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 850IU17%
Vitamin C 33.2mg40%
Calcium 92mg9%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Delicious Greek garbanzo salad, with kalamata olives, feta cheese, cucumbers, peppers & light dressing, is vegetarian, gluten-free, and super easy!