Fresh Green Salad with Blackberry Ginger and Lime Vinaigrette
In need of a Valentine’s Day dinner starter for your home-cooked meal for your sweetheart? Here is a gorgeous salad, but even more so, super-flavorful and fresh! Choose pretty greens for the base of your salad, top with veggies, and drizzle a spoonful of heaven. See Vinaigrette recipe below.
I was gifted a beautiful variety of oils and vinegars from Abingdon Olive Oil Company, an absolute favorite store of mine. I created this recipe with their specific oil and vinegar duo for an out-of-the-park, amazing salad vinaigrette.
I chose the salad components for what I thought would be something I and my family, especially my husband, would really love. I wanted something very aesthetically pleasing, also. You are welcome to change up the toppings since there is no real baking or cooking involved.
There is a “general” rule of thumb for making a vinaigrette, a 3:1 ratio of oil to vinegar. This can be fudged somewhat, but I would not use more vinegar than oil. Add-ins can be elaborate or quite simple, as this vinaigrette shows. The flavors of the AOOC oil and vinegar are pure enough that they shine through without any needed extra fluff.
Just an extra note, you could use the vinaigrette right away, but I highly suggest allowing it to have at least 20 minutes of standing time for the flavors to marry and get really happy.
Enjoy!
Fresh Green Salad with Blackberry Ginger and Lime Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 5-ounce container (approximately 2 quarts) lettuce greens, washed, or chop your own fresh lettuces
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
- 6 - 8 colorful cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cucumber, sliced
- 1 6-ounce container fresh blackberries, gently rinsed
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds (or other nuts), toasted, see Notes
Blackberry-Ginger-Lime Salad Vinaigrette:
- 1/3 cup Abingdon Olive Oil Company Blackberry Ginger Balsamic Vinegar, link here
- 1 green onion, white and green parts, minced
- 1 large garlic clove, pushed through a garlic press, or finely minced
- 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- pinch kosher salt, or to taste
- pinch freshly-cracked black pepper, or to taste
- 1/3 cup Abingdon Olive Oil Company Persian Lime Infused Olive Oil, link here
Instructions
- Add the balsamic vinegar into a 1-cup measuring cup. Add the green onion, garlic, Dijon, and salt and pepper as desired. Stir well.
- Drizzle the oil into the measuring cup while stirring, to combine all the ingredients well. The Dijon mustard will help emulsify the dressing. No need to viciously whisk.
- Allow the dressing to stand at room temperature for at least 20 minutes, or up to 2 hours. If you are serving later than 2 hours, cover and refrigerate the dressing for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- While the dressing is standing at room temperature, make the salad.
- Place the lettuce greens in the bottom of a large serving bowl. Scatter the carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, blackberries and almonds on the top.
- Drizzle with the amount of desired dressing, or serve the salad individually with the salad dressing on the side for people to serve themselves.
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