Chopped Salad with Miso Dressing

Photo courtesy Foodland Ontario

Salads can be wonderfully versatile. You can put together a host of combinations – vegetables, both raw and cooked, fruit, whole grains, pulses and nuts and seeds along with dressings with tastes of various global cuisines. Yet somehow many of us get into salad ruts, making the same tried and true assortment of ingredients day after day.

Here’s an offering from Foodland Ontario that’s packed with tasty flavours and textures. The miso dressing, sweetened with local honey, is a perfect complement to the vegetables and grains.

While the recipe lists grown in Ontario ingredients, obviously use those close to your home. And yes, we do grow peanuts here in Ontario! To make it gluten-free, substitute a grain such as sorghum or quinoa.

Enjoy!

Chopped Salad with Miso Dressing

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Makes 4-6 servings

3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp each white miso paste and apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp each Ontario Honey and water
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 cup each cooked bulgur and cooked frozen shelled edamame
1 cup thinly chopped Ontario Cabbage (red or green)
1/2 cup chopped Ontario Red Onion
1/2 cup Ontario Greenhouse Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup chopped fresh Ontario Mint Leaves
2 Ontario Mini Greenhouse Cucumbers, halved and chopped
1 Ontario Greenhouse Sweet Yellow Pepper, chopped into bite-size pieces
8 to 12 Ontario Greenhouse Boston or Leaf Lettuce Leaves, torn
1/4 cup Ontario Peanuts, chopped
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

In small bowl, whisk together oil, miso, vinegar, honey, water, sesame oil and garlic until smooth. Set aside.

In large bowl, combine bulgur, edamame, cabbage, onion, tomatoes, mint, cucumbers and yellow pepper. Drizzle with dressing; toss to coat.

Divide lettuce among plates. Top with vegetable mixture; sprinkle with peanuts and black pepper.

Tip: Substitute edamame with 1 cup chopped cooked Ontario Chicken or Turkey.

Nutrition information per 6 servings:
• Calories: 216
• Protein: 8 grams
• Fat: 12 grams
• Carbohydrate: 21 grams
• Dietary fibre: 5 grams
• Sodium: 205 milligrams