Summer Salad with a Creamy Sundried tomato dressing
This is a delicious Summer Salad recipe you can make using all the vegetables you have at home. It’s a great way to use up vegetables you have at home so I love making this from time to time. So something about me, I am not a huge fan of salads but this dressing is the main exception. It is tangy and creamy with the perfect amount of earthiness. I love adding goat cheese to give it that creamy texture which adds so much flavor as well. I use a mixture of greens and roasted vegetables and top it with some fresh fruit, nuts, and crotons for that crunch.
It is really healthy and delicious. A perfect salad for summer meals. I hope it makes you fall in love with salads as I did. Check out the notes and tips on how to make this with what you have at home.
Happy Cooking!
Servings: 4-5 servings
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
Salad:
1 head romaine Lettuce
6 oz Mixed salad mix, i used spring mix
1/2 small red onions in thin slices
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 bell peppers
1 yellow squash
6-8 Mushrooms of your choice- button or porcini or cremini
Dressing:
1/4 cup chopped Sundried tomato- without oil
3 tbsp chopped Parsley
1 tbsp Goat cheese
1 tbsp Olive oil
1/4 tsp Honey/Agave
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 tsp lime juice
1-2 dried red chilli as per taste
1/4-1/2 cup water
Top with:
1/4 cup Mixed berries
1/4 cup chopped Walnuts
1/4 cup Croutons
Parmesan/Pecorino cheese shavings
Directions:
In a bowl add the sliced onions. Top it with red wine vinegar and water to cover it. Let it pickle for at least 1-2 hours. If you like it raw, don’t pickle the onions.
Dressing: In a blender, blend together, sundered tomato, parsley, olive oil, red chili, goat cheese, salt, pepper, agave and garlic powder and lime juice. Add water 2 tbsp at a time till it’s smooth.
Chop lettuce in strips. Wash in ice cold water and drain. Tear salad leaves as you like. Keep the leaves together in a bowl.
Chop mushrooms as you like. Saute with 1 tbsp butter till well cooked and roasted, about 5-6 mins, Add salt and pepper as per taste. Keep aside.
Chop peppers in cubes and dry roast (no oil) on a pan in medium heat. Cook till it starts roasting and keep aside,
Slice squash horizontally in thin slices. Dry roast them in a pan till they soften. Keep aside.
In a bowl, add the greens and roasted vegetables. Add dressing as you like and mix. Add salt and pepper as needed. Top with berries, nuts, croutons. Garnish with some cheese shavings.
Notes/Tips:
You can add any Vegetables you like in the salad. I would recommend dry roasting or oven roasting it to get that great texture and charred flavor. If you like it raw, you can add them raw as well. It depends completely on what you like.
Fruits- Fresh berries work perfectly in this recipe. You can add peach slices or grapes too.
Greens- Use any salad leaves of your choice. Kale by itself can make it too bitter in this salad but you can add a bit in.
Dressing-
You can use any soft cheese like feta also if you don’t have goat cheese. Based on which cheese you add, you may need to increase the honey/agave and reduce salt if a salty cheese like feta.
I used sundried tomato pieces, not sundried tomato soaked in olive oil if you use that you don’t need to add more oil to the dressing. It does increase the calorie count if you use the oiled sundried tomatoes.
You can add fresh basil to the dressing if you like.
If you don’t like the hint of spice, skip adding the dried chili.
This dressing lasts well in the fridge for 1 week.
It is great as a pasta sauce as well. Just add some light cream to it and toss with pasta.
