Summer BBQs and the desire to grill EVERYTHING inspired this delicious new salad! Sweet kernels of warm grilled corn amplify densely nutritious ribbons of superfood kale, diced cucumbers, tomatoes, olives…so many flavors & textures in one bowl! This is a chopped salad you won’t soon grow tired of! All tossed in a surprise twist on lemon vinaigrette, using one of my favorite ingredients du jour toasted pistachio oil! You’ll love this zesty sweet yet smoky combination. As always, our tasty dressing is drastically low in fat, using only about 1/9 of the oil in a traditional vinaigrette, gently sweetened with stevia and salt free!
Choose to keep salad vegan, add optional protein via black beans and creaminess via cubes of ripe avocado. Alternatively, just a tiny bit of crumbled feta magnifies this salad’s wow power! For the creamiest, most satisfying feta, try Pastures of Eden Sheep’s Milk Feta from Trader Joe’s or Tnuva at Costco. Not only does this cheese add tremendous flavor and texture, but many people with dairy allergies, including me, find sheep milk cheese easier to digest as it is free of hormones and additives in pasteurized cow’s milk.
Burgers, filet, chicken, salmon, halibut…cannot think of a meat or fish this salad does not pair well with! Plus, the right plating dresses this versatile gal up for a sit-down dinner party or down for one of our uber-casual bikini BBQs.
INGREDIENTS
As always, please choose organic ingredients for YOUR health!
1 large corn cob, husks & silk removed
1 large bunch Tuscan or dinosaur kale leaves
1/2 red onion
1/2 English cucumber
1 red tomato
5 kalamata olives
Smoky Lemon Pistachio Vinaigrette
Options: 1 oz sheep milk feta or 1/2 ripe avocado (creaminess). 2 cups black beans, drained & rinsed (protein).
DIRECTIONS
Fire the grill! Roll corn in 1/4 tsp melted coconut oil or spray grill itself with coconut oil spray. On a gas or electric grill, raw corn will take up to 30 minutes to get tender. If you’re short on time, steam it first until corn is tender. Choose to steam in basket over boiling water on stove top for 5-10 minutes, or wet a paper towel and wrap around corn and place in center of microwave, nuke for 2 minutes. Then place tender corn on grill (with coconut oil) to get quick char, about 10 minutes, rotate halfway through.
Prep veggies while corn grills. Remove tough center vein from each leaf of kale either using a knife or by sliding thumb and index finger down vein. Stack leaves then slice into ribbons as thin as you can manage. This is same method I use to make kale pasta! Place in large salad bowl. Finely dice onion and olives, and dice cucumber, tomato and optional avocado into cubes. Add veggies to bowl along with optional black beans and/or crumbled feta. Prepare dressing using this recipe: Smoky Lemon Vinaigrette.
Once corn has reached desired char, turn off grill and remove from heat. Carefully spear one end of corn cob with a fork and placing other end down on wooden cutting board. Use sharp knife to free kernels from cob. Add corn to bowl of veggies. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Recipe yields two enormous entree salads or four side salads. Double recipe to nosh off of for several days. As always, when preparing in advance, keep wet ingredients (tomatoes and cucumber) and dressing separate. Add to individual bowl and toss when ready to enjoy!
Here’s MORE YUMMY SALAD RECIPES!
