Sometimes I want my salad simple, clean, maybe even elegant. Sometimes I want a hearty, filling salad. And sometimes? Sometimes, I just want a rioting mosh pit of flavors and textures. I was definitely in the mood for some crazy flavors to explode against each other in my mouth when I made this salad.

I was inspired by a bag of lime & chile mixed nuts from Trader Joe’s, and I wanted to play with that amazing hami melon again, and I had a perfectly ripe avocado sitting on the counter… I just kept adding vegetables and ginger and herbs and garlic and more and more to the cutting board, until I was satisfied. And then I got to work.

Ingredients:

(Serves one for lunch.)

3-4 cups of arugula and asian greens.

3 mushrooms, quartered.

5 radishes, quartered.

2 scallions, sliced.

2 T dried cranberries.

2 T lime & chile mixed nuts (from Trader Joe’s).

1 fistful cilantro, chopped.

1 fistful basil, chopped.

1/2 cup hami melon, cut into bite sized pieces.

Zest of one lemon.

Avocado Citronette:

(Use only what you need. Extra can be refrigerated for a day.)

1 T lemon juice.

3 T extra virgin olive oil.

1/2 avocado, spooned into the jar.

2 tsp fresh grated ginger.

1 small clove of garlic, smashed and minced.

1/2 tsp maple syrup.

Pinch of salt, to taste.

I was making two salads, so I doubled all of the ingredients listed above. I started by creating my beds of greens, and I zested a lemon over each container of greens. Then I juiced the lemon and made two batches of the citronette. I chopped and sliced and chopped some more, divvying the fruit, veggies, and herbs up between the two salads. Finally, I packed both up and looked forward to the wild party my mouth would have at lunch time.

The Verdict:

This worked. Completely intense, and incredibly tasty. I loved the spicy nuts with the creamy avocado citronette. And I loved the crunchy radishes with the crisp melon. The mushrooms did what they always do — soaked up the dressing and exploded. It was good. Crazy good. My anticipation and excitement were so great, I completely forgot to take a picture of it before devouring it. You’ll just have to imagine it in all it’s glossily dressed splendor.

Make it a Meal:

Done.

Pack it to Go:

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Done. As usual, pack your dressing in a small jar (large enough to hold the avocado) and make your salad in a large glass or stainless steel container with a good rubber lid. Add the citronette right before eating, fork-toss or put the lid back on your salad container and give it a few good shakes to help combine everything.